Nas Tickets

Nas is one the country’s most critically acclaimed rap artists. He was born in Crown Heights to Olu Dara, a jazz and blues musician. Influenced by his neighborhood friend, Willy "Ill Will" Graham, he became interested in hip hop and was initially known by the alias, Kid Wave.

He met Large Professor in late 80s and recorded his own material in the studio where Kool G Rap and Rakim were also recording. None of the works he recorded there ever came out. He started his music career in 1991 when he recorded Live at the Barbeque for the hip-hop band, Main Source.

Following this, he was approached by a former member of 3^rd Bass, MC Serch, with the help of whom he secured a deal with Columbia Records. He debuted in 1992 with the release of the single Halftime, which debuted under the moniker of Nasty Nas.

The song was recorded for the soundtrack of Zebrahead by MC Serch. It led to Nas’s breakthrough as a rapper and gained him the attention of the hip-hop community. It also paved the way for his debut studio album, “Illmatic” which came out in 1994 on Colombia Records. 

The album charted at number twelve on the Billboard 200 and sold more than 59,000 copies within the first week of its release. The album was praised for its lyricism and received rave reviews from critics. Hailed by critics as a hip hop master-piece, the album peaked at number two on the US Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums. Two years after its release, the album was certified gold by RIAA. As of 2001, the album had sold one million copies and was certified platinum. The album is considered a significant contribution to East Coast hip hop and continues to influence aspiring artists. The album also helped in reviving the New York rap scene by introducing new stylistic trends. The celebrated album also appears on a number of best hip hop album lists.

Nas’s second studio release was “It Was Written,” which came out in 1996 and proved to be even more commercially successful that his first album. The album peaked at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart and remained there for four weeks, earning him mainstream popularity among hip-hop fans. The album also topped the US Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart.

It is considered to be one of Nas’s best works and is his best-selling album to date, selling two million copies in the US alone. The album was certified double platinum in 1996. The chart-topping singles from the album are If I Ruled the World and Sweet Dreams.

Following this mainstream success, Nas released other successful albums including “Hip Hop Is Dead,” “I Am..,” “Untitled” and his latest studio album, “Life is Good,” which came out in 2012. With six out of his ten studio albums reaching number one on the Billboard 200, Nas is also one of the highest selling rappers in the US. To date he has sold a total of 24 million records.

Currently, he is gearing up for his 2014 tour. Rap fans can catch him perform live as he makes a stop in their city by getting Nas tickets in advance.