Nas
Biography
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, professionally known as Nas, is an American businessman and rapper born on September 14, 1973. Rooted in East Coast hip hop, he is the son of jazz musician Olu Dara and is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time. His musical career began in 1989 when he adopted the moniker Nasty Nas and recorded demos for Large Professor. He was subsequently a featured artist on Main Source's 1991 track Live at the Barbeque, which was also produced by Large Professor. His debut album, Illmatic, was released in 1994, received universal acclaim, and is considered one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. In 2021, the album was inducted into the Library of Congress.
Career overview
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, professionally known as Nas, is an American rapper and businessman born on September 14, 1973. He is the son of jazz musician Olu Dara and is rooted in East Coast hip hop, earning a reputation as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time.
His musical career began in 1989 when he adopted the moniker Nasty Nas and recorded demos for Large Professor. He subsequently appeared as a featured artist on Main Source's track Live at the Barbeque in 1991, which was also produced by Large Professor.
Nas released his debut album, Illmatic, in 1994. The album received universal acclaim upon its release and is widely considered to be one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. In 2021, the album received further recognition when it was inducted into the Library of Congress.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
81 titles- Ice Cream Man (2026) Executive Producer
- Soul Patrol (2026) Producer
- Sean Combs: The Reckoning (2025) as Self (archive footage)
- Billy Joel: And So It Goes (2025) as Self
- Victory (2025) as Nas
- TMZ Presents | The Downfall of Diddy 2: The Indictment (2024) as Self (archive footage)
- Wu-Tang Clan & Nas: NY State of Mind Tour at Climate Pledge Arena (2024) as Self
- Amazon Music Live: Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, and De La Soul's 'N.Y. State of Mind Tour' (2023) as Himself
- Supreme Team (2022) Executive Producer
- Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues (2022) as Self
- B.I.B.L.E. - The Documentary (2022) as Self
- The Park Bench (2022) Music Supervisor
- Monster (2021) as Raymond 'Sunset' Green
- Monster (2021) Executive Producer
- Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 3 (2021) as Self - Performer
- You're Watching Video Music Box (2021) as Self
- You're Watching Video Music Box (2021) Director
- The Last Dance (2020) as Self
- David Blaine: The Magic Way (2020) as Self
- The Shop (2018) as Self
- Rapture (2018) as Himself
- Nas: Live from the Kennedy Center (2018) as Himself
- Nas: Live from the Kennedy Center (2018) Executive Producer
- The Defiant Ones (2017) as Self
- American Epic (2017) as Self
- Biggie: The Life of Notorious B.I.G. (2017) as Self
- Word is Bond (2017) as Self
- Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016) as Nas
- The American Epic Sessions (2016) as Self
- Black America since MLK: And still I rise (2016)
- Alicia Keys - Here in Times Square (2016) as Self - Singer
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2015) as Self
- The Game: The Documentary 2 (2015) as Self
- Stretch and Bobbito: Radio That Changed Lives (2015)
- Fresh Dressed (2015) as Self
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (2014) as Self
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (2014) as Self - Musical Guest
- Nas: Time Is Illmatic (2014) as Self
- Shake the Dust (2014) Executive Producer
- The Arsenio Hall Show (2013) as Self
- Black Nativity (2013) as Street Prophet (Isaiah)
- Finding Your Roots (2012) as Self
- Billy on the Street (2011) as Self
- Hawaii Five-0 (2010) as Gordon Smith
- One Night in Vegas (2010) as Self
- DJ Juice: The King is Back Mixtape Blend DVD Vol. 70 (2009) as Self (archive footage)
- DJ SWB Volume 6 | This Is How We Do (2009) as Self
- DJ Cinema Presents: Masterpiece Theater Blend Dvd (2009) as Self (archive footage)
- The Wendy Williams Show (2008)
- Short Circuitz (2007)
- Jay Z: Live at the Royal Albert Hall (2006) as Self
- The Colbert Report (2005) as Self
- The Notorious B.I.G BET Official presents (2005)
- The MC: Why We Do It (2005) as Self
- And You Don't Stop: 30 Years of Hip-Hop (2004) as Self
- And You Don't Stop: 30 Years of Hip-Hop (2004) as Self
- Murda Muzik (2004)
- Real Time with Bill Maher (2003) as Self
- Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2003) as Self
- Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2003) as Self - Musical Guest
- Uptown Girls (2003) as Celebrity
- Beef (2003) as Self
- Nas: Made You Look - God's Son Live (2003) as Himself
- John Q (2002) as Nas
- Hype Williams: The Videos Vol. 1 (2002)
- Ticker (2001) as Det. Art 'Fuzzy' Rice
- Diary (2000) as Self
- In Too Deep (1999) as Drug Dealer on Street Corner
- Belly (1998) as Sincere
- Belly (1998) Story
- Men in Black (1997) Songs
- The Chris Rock Show (1997)
- Rhyme & Reason (1997) as Self
- The Daily Show (1996) as Self
- Fugees: Live at New Pop Festival 1996 (1996)
- All That (1994)
- Yo! MTV Raps (1988) as Self
- MTV Video Music Awards (1984) as Self
- The Grammys (1959) as Self
- Space Dogg Music
- Nas: Life Is Good as Self
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Nas best known for?
Nas is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including Ice Cream Man (2026), The Last Dance (2020), The Shop (2018), Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016).
When and where was Nas born?
Nas was born on September 14, 1973 in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York, USA.
How many credits does Nas have?
Nas has accumulated over 81 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1959 to 2026.
What is Nas's background in cinema and television?
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, professionally known as Nas, is an American businessman and rapper born on September 14, 1973. Rooted in East Coast hip hop, he is the son of jazz musician Olu Dara and is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time. His musical career began in 1989 when he adopted...
Nas by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- The Grammys (1959) as Self — aged about 14
- The Last Dance (2020) as Self — aged about 46
- MTV Video Music Awards (1984) as Self — aged about 10
- Hawaii Five-0 (2010) as Gordon Smith — aged about 36
- All That (1994) — aged about 20
- John Q (2002) as Nas — aged about 28
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