The Influence of Queensbridge on Nas's Music
Who is Nas? Nasir Jones, also known as Nas, emerged during the early 1990s hip-hop era, with songs reflecting the New York City environment he grew up in. He was born on September 14, 1973 in Queens New York and grew up in the Queensbridge Houses, the largest public housing project in the United States ("Nas"). He is the son of jazz musician Olu Dara and grew up in a household full of musical instruments and influence. Nas struggled academically and "dropped out of school in the eighth grade" ( Birchmeier). His father encouraged him to drop out and focus on his artistic capabilities. As he grew older, his neighborhood became impacted by the mid-1980s crack epidemic and growing violence. Nas's best friend, Willy "Ill Will" Graham was murdered in a shootout and it completely changed Nas as a person (“Nas: Time is Illmatic” 00:35:50). This experience pushed Nas to take his rap career seriously as his way out of the "streets". Nas became...