Nas...                            

    One of the most promising talents to emerge in rap in recent years, Nas (aka Nas Escobar) has won much critical praise and commercial success for his eloquent wordplay and vocal abilities. Nas' emergence presaged a rush of Queens and Brooklyn underground MCs and returned the spotlight to the East Coast after it had been commandeered by West Coast-influenced rap.

Born Nasir Jones in Long Island, N.Y., young Nas grew up in the infamous Queensbridge housing projects. The then Nasty-Nas made his debut on Main Source's "Live at the BBQ" along with Fatal and Akinyele. His politically charged raps caught the attention of 3rd Bass' MC Serch, who put Nas' "Half Time" on the soundtrack for the film Zebrahead in 1992 and featured him on Serch's classic "Back To the Grill Again" along with Chubb Rock and Red Hot Lover Tone. The young rapper released his debut album, Illmatic, on Columbia Records in 1994. The album received 5 mics, went gold, and Nas was hailed as the next Rakim.

Nas followed that up with the powerful single, "If I Ruled the World" (featuring Lauryn Hill on the hook), and a more commercial, lyrically inferior, full-length LP It Was Written in 1996. The album debuted on the charts at No. 1 and in 1997, Nas teamed up with Foxy Brown, AZ and Nature to form the Firm, which recorded its debut album, The Firm: The Album.

Nas' third album, I Am, was released in April of 1999 on Columbia. Later that month, it hit the top of the album charts, knocking chart stalwarts TLC and Britney Spears down a notch.

Nastradamus, Nas' second album of 1999, was released in late November.