Here's Why Nas Isn’t Done Yet
At nearly 30 years in hip hop, it’s easy to look at Nas as an elder statesman.
From his song “Half Time” (credited to Nasty Nas) appearing on the soundtrack to the film Zebrahead in 1992 to releasing the sequel to King’s Disease just this past year, the Queens native has shown that he is far from a legacy act.
With the BET Hip Hop Awards 2021 set to air on Oct. 5, here’s a look at why his career has lasted and why it will continue to do so.
He Still Has Stories To Tell
Usually, when rappers burn out and become “washed up” in hip hop, it’s when they try and keep up with the current trends. However, Nas has been able to provide longevity to his career by not doing that.
Nas rapping about dealing with fame, his investments, business, relationships, and the game state is where he needs to be. He will always have stories to tell because he has mastered living his truth.
Entrepreneurial Mind
Another reason Nas has had longevity and will keep going is that he has the capital to be here.
Nas and his investment firm, Queensbridge Venture Partners, have been investing in early-stage companies, which has resulted in some very profitable business.
Some of Nas’ investments include Dropbox Inc (NASDAQ: DBX), Casper Sleep Inc (NYSE: CSPR), and Lyft Inc (NASDAQ: LYFT). Nas is also an investor in privately held SeatGeek.
Additionally, according to Yahoo Finance, one of Nas’ early investments, Coinbase, is expected to reach over $100 billion in valuation once it hits the Nasdaq. The cryptocurrency exchange was valued at $143 million at that time.
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Hip Hop Is Allowing Artists To Age
Nas is not going anywhere anytime soon because hip hop as a whole is changing.
From artists like Jay Z (4:44, 2017) — who we’ll always love to hear from — to A Tribe Called Quest (We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service, 2016) and Ghostface Killah (Ghostface Killahs, 2019), legacy acts still have moments today.
Busta Rhymes is reportedly cooking up an album. The Lox just dropped their highly anticipated new project titled Living Off Xperience on Aug. 28, and Ludacris just announced he was back in the booth with music as the main priority again.
Nas isn’t going nowhere because there’s no longer a need to.
