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It's A Celebration: Nas To Perform "Ilmatic" In Its Entirety At BUKU Music + Art Project

Nas and long time friend and collaborator DJ Premier to perform Nas' debut album, Illmatic, live at the 2014 BUKU Music + Art Project, taking place in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The final line up for this year's BUKU Music + Art Project has been announced with Nas headlining his first performance at the New Orleans two-day Music Festival. In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Nas' debut album, Illmatic, Nas will take the stage with Legendary Collaborator and friend, DJ Premier to perform the classic album in its entirety. The album, released April 15, 1994, has been deemed a classic by the hip hop community and features hits "It Ain't Hard To Tell", "N.Y. State of Mind", "The World Is Yours", and more. The performance will be a landmark opportunity for all in attendance. Other artists scheduled to perform at the festival include Ellie Goulding, David Guetta, Chance The Rapper, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Tyler The Creator, Pusha T, Schoolboy Q, Danny Brown, and more. The festival will take place March 21-22 at Mardi Gras World in New Orleans. Tickets for the event are available now.

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Recap: Nas Honored At 2nd Annual VIBE Impact Awards

Swizz Beatz, Steve Stoute, J. Cole, and more came together to honor Nas at the 2nd Annual VIBE Impact Awards over the weekend.

This weekend Los Angeles was on fire with tons of celebrations and award events celebrating music in every capacity. Among those celebrations, was the 2nd Annual VIBE Impact Awards where Nas was honored for his immeasurable contributions to hip hop and the hip hop community. The private ceremony was held at a secret location where the MC was celebrated by friends, family, colleagues, and peers in the industry including former Manager and friend Steve Stoute, long time collaborators and friends Music Producers No I.D. and Swizz Beatz, Busta Rhymes, and more. Speaking on the significance of the honor, Vibe Media editor-in-chief Jermaine Hall stated "We didn't want the VIBE Impact Awards to be a lifetime achievement award. We want to honor someone who has made a lasting contribution to hip-hop and will continue to do so in the future". Hip hop artist J. Cole also took a moment to deliver a heartfelt speech on the impact Nas made on his life personally and professionally as he passionately praised the MC for his skill and integrity as an artist. 

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Complex Controversy: Nas Illmatic vs. It Was Written

Complex Magazines breaks down Nas' classic albums, Illmatic and It Was Written to add their opinion on which body of work is better than the other.

This April, the hip hop community will celebrate the 20th anniversary of Nas' classic debut album, Illmatic. Released April 19, 1994, the album is cherished as a classic and debated by many as the hip hop bible. Classic production, extraordinary wordplay, and the point of view of a 17 year old teen growing up in the projects seemed to connect with the masses and resonate a feeling of culture in the hip hop youth. There aren't many arguments against the significance of the album and the talent of the young MC, who was 19 years old when the album was released. Nas created a legacy with Illmatic and fans were eagerly awaiting for the next chapter of that legacy with the release of his sophomore album, It Was Written. Released two years after Illmatic, the album took to appeal to a more mainstream audience and proved to be Nas’ most commercially successful release to date. The album included the iconic track If I Ruled The World (Imagine That) featuring Lauryn Hill, as well as other classics including The Message and Street Dreams. Both of these albums are special in their own rite and deserve equal praise for the impact they forged during what many consider to be the golden era of hip hop. Complex Magazine weighs in on both albums to decide which album ranks best on their list.

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The Source Magazine Presents the MLK Acknowledgement Award to Nas & The Game

Nas and The Game were honored by The Source Magazine with the Prestigious Martin Luther King Acknowledgment award for their acts of compassion and deeds to help others in their community.

In celebration of the birthday of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the 25th Anniversary of their publication, The Source Magazine honors and acknowledges the work of members from the Hip-Hop community whose deeds and actions have demonstrated courage, compassion, and the will to serve others. This year, Nas, along with The Game, were honored for their acts of philanthropy and charity throughout their serving communities. Nas was specifically honored for his call to action last year in the case of a single and unemployed father of eight, Stanley Young. Young, a recent widow and laid off construction member in Washington DC, came to the attention of the MC when his manager was visiting the city and saw a news segment of the man pleading for assistance after losing his home in a fire started by a near by facility. Nas, who was on tour in Japan was sent an email with Young's story and immediately reacted, calling for a call to action to raise money for the man and his family. Within days, Nas used his social media and celebrity platforms to garner attention and raise over $40,000 to assist the single father and his family through the online donation site, Crowdtilt. Nas also donated $10,000 to the Young Family and released the following statement, “As a single father I couldn’t help but feel for Stanley. He has my [utmost] respect as a man. It takes a real one to do whatever it takes to help his family. I want to help the Young family get a fresh start on life and I want the world to know that they can help make a difference if they stick together. We are learning an incredible lesson and Stanley is the teacher of that lesson. I cannot wait to meet them in person.” Humbling himself as a man and a human being, Nas stripped his celebrity in order to prove to the public and the youth especially, that we all have duty to impact the lives of one another and take care of our communities.

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See Nas at Coachella 2014: Tickets On Sale Today at 10am PST

Nas announced to perform at America's biggest music festival, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Tickets for the two weekend event go on sale today at 10am PST.

The official lineup for the year's biggest music festival has been announced with Nas scheduled to perform for two nights at the weekend music festival. The hip hop icon returns to the desert after a legendary performance with Damian Marley for their Distant Relatives collaboration in 2011. Nas joins other performers including Kid Cudi, Pharrell, Lana Del Rey, Solange, Jhene Aiko, A$AP Ferg, Ellie Goulding, The Internet, Duck Sauce and more. Taking place in Indio, Ca, the three day, two weekend event will also be headlined by OutKast, Muse, and Arcade Fire. The impressive and diverse lineup duplicates over the course of three days on April 11-13 and April 18-20 with Nas playing the second day of each weekend. Tickets for the event go on sale today at 10am PST.

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Remembering Mandela: Nas Recalls Seeing Nelson Mandela in New York City With His Mother.

Nas discusses Miami, Mass Appeal, investing in technology companies and takes time to remember the late Nelson Mandela while attending Art Basel in Miami last week.

Artists, photographers, musicians, and more celebrated the annual Art Basel in Miami last weekend. Nas was in attendance to perform at The Pulse Art Fair hosted by Hennessy and The FADER Magazine and allowed guests the opportunity to view a collection of work from five iconic photographers who's work embody the Hennessy mantra “Never stop. Never settle.”. During the evening Nas stopped for an interview with The 305.com to honor and celebrate the life of South African Activist, Nelson Mandela who passed away at the age of 95 years old the same day. Nas shares his admiration for Mandela as well as his memory of going to see him in New York when he was younger with his mother, after the activist was released from prison. Nas continues the interview discussing his love for the city of Miami, his new business ventures including Mass Appeal and technology investments, as well as his plans for the future.

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Keeping Up With Nas: A Day in The Life of Nasir Jones

Find out what it's like to spend a typical day in the world of businessman and Hip Hop legend, Nasir Jones.

Spend the day with Nas and find out what an average day for the iconic rapper consists of. From working on his next album, to cultivating his own high-end fashion line, to spending quality time with his family and friends. Nas, a devoted family man, celebrated philanthropist, hip hop scholar, and one of the most multi-faceted musical artists in the industry shares exclusives on what it's like to walk in his shoes with lifestyle magazine, Haute Living. 

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The Good, The Bad, and The Nasty: A Complex View of Nas' Best Work 

From "Illmatic" to "Life Is Good," Complex Magazine breaks down Nas' albums and collaborations projects over a career spanning over two decades.

"One of the greatest hip hop albums of all time" is a common phrase when discussing a Nas album, rather it be a solo effort or a collaboration project. Beginning with his debut album, "Illmatic," where every track has been hailed a classic from "NY State of Mind" to "Halftime" to the Queens Anthem, "Represent," Nas receives praise for his mastery skill level and genius delivery. Everything, including the production, the subject matter, and the delivery of "Illmatic" is timeless and will always be seen as some on Nas' best work. Nas continued to set the bar with albums like "It Was Written," "Stllmatic," "God's Son," and more. In this article, Complex Magazine highlights just what makes a brilliant Nas album, as they survey The Don's work over the last two decades including Nas' collaboration albums with The Firm and 2010's "Distant Relatives" with Reggae star Damian Marley. The article takes a look at all elements that contribute to a classic body of work including triumphs, missteps, and underrated gems found on every album from "Illmatic" to "Life Is Good."

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