The New American Star June 24, 2009

The son of jazz trumpeter Olu Dara, Nas (born Nasir Jones) made his name as a highly skilled rapper with the double whammy of 1994s 'Illmatic' and 1996s 'It Was Written,' albums whose music was crafted with a degree of subtlety and forethought often absent from the genre. Nas is touring in support of his latest, which was released untitled.