garbage ass song (cuz of the subject matter) but god damn nasir the gawd kills it!!!!!
Official Nas Thread
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Nas Gives a Benediction for a Harvard Hip-Hop Fellowship
Nas performing in New York in June. KARSTEN MORAN FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES
By ALLAN KOZINN
November 1, 2013
The rapper Nas made his first appearance at Harvard University on Thursday, not to perform but to give his blessing to a new fellowship in his name – formally, the Nasir Jones Hip-Hop Fellowship.
The fellowship will be awarded to two scholars or artists annually, chosen by a Harvard faculty committee. It is primarily a research fellowship, although Marcyliena Morgan, a professor of African and African American Studies and the founder and director of the Hip-Hop Archive and Research Institute, which will administer the fellowship, said on Friday that fellows could teach courses as well. The application process, she said, has just started.
“The main purpose of the fellowship,” Ms. Morgan said, “is to support people doing work that has to do with the ways hip-hop itself reaches out to youth through the world, and particularly how it brings together issues of social justice, art and politics. That relationship – and how difficult it can be – is an important aspect of what we’re looking at. Hip-hop has been a way of getting the word out in very difficult situations.”
“Hip-hop is not a kid’s game,” she added. “It’s what kids are doing, and have been doing, to try to explain the world they see, and what they are dreaming. But it crosses so many boundaries, geographically. And the feeling behind the fellowship is that if hip-hop is doing all these things, throughout the world, we have to support people doing it, documenting it, analyzing it and critiquing it.”
Part of the critique, she said, will involve an examination of how hip-hop is perceived in the broader society.
“It’s important to think about what it means to produce a certain kind of art that gets read as reality because it describes harsh situations,” Ms. Morgan said. “You might have an opera, in which the tenor sings an aria saying he is about to kill his wife, and you may have a hip-hop artist singing about the same thing. One is considered art, one is considered life.”
The idea for the program came about when Henry Louis Gates Jr., the director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard (which includes the Hip-Hop Archive and Research Institute), asked a board member about sponsoring a fellowship.
“Normally, people are attracted by naming opportunities,” Mr. Gates said, “but this donor said, ‘I’ll do it, and it want it to be named for Nas.”
The donor, Mr. Gates said, has insisted on anonymity.
Nas did not hesitate when he was asked to lend his name to the fellowship, Mr. Gates said. The educational side of hip-hop, after all, has never been lost on Nas. He has said that although he never graduated high school, references he heard in hip-hop often inspired him to look further into the subjects that rappers raised. His own work has drawn on a variety of influences, including films and, in one notable case, classical music: he quoted a passage from Orff’s “Carmina Burana” in his 1999 hit “Hate Me Now.”
Ms. Morgan described the donor’s decision to name for fellowship for Nas as an inspired move.
“Nas is one of the quintessential hip hop M.C. poets,” she said, “someone who describes the landscape of life in ways that are incredibly touching and interesting. And having a fellowship in his name is like telling someone who’s eleven, ‘This is going to be here when you’re ready.’”
Nas performing in New York in June. KARSTEN MORAN FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES
By ALLAN KOZINN
November 1, 2013
The rapper Nas made his first appearance at Harvard University on Thursday, not to perform but to give his blessing to a new fellowship in his name – formally, the Nasir Jones Hip-Hop Fellowship.
The fellowship will be awarded to two scholars or artists annually, chosen by a Harvard faculty committee. It is primarily a research fellowship, although Marcyliena Morgan, a professor of African and African American Studies and the founder and director of the Hip-Hop Archive and Research Institute, which will administer the fellowship, said on Friday that fellows could teach courses as well. The application process, she said, has just started.
“The main purpose of the fellowship,” Ms. Morgan said, “is to support people doing work that has to do with the ways hip-hop itself reaches out to youth through the world, and particularly how it brings together issues of social justice, art and politics. That relationship – and how difficult it can be – is an important aspect of what we’re looking at. Hip-hop has been a way of getting the word out in very difficult situations.”
“Hip-hop is not a kid’s game,” she added. “It’s what kids are doing, and have been doing, to try to explain the world they see, and what they are dreaming. But it crosses so many boundaries, geographically. And the feeling behind the fellowship is that if hip-hop is doing all these things, throughout the world, we have to support people doing it, documenting it, analyzing it and critiquing it.”
Part of the critique, she said, will involve an examination of how hip-hop is perceived in the broader society.
“It’s important to think about what it means to produce a certain kind of art that gets read as reality because it describes harsh situations,” Ms. Morgan said. “You might have an opera, in which the tenor sings an aria saying he is about to kill his wife, and you may have a hip-hop artist singing about the same thing. One is considered art, one is considered life.”
The idea for the program came about when Henry Louis Gates Jr., the director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard (which includes the Hip-Hop Archive and Research Institute), asked a board member about sponsoring a fellowship.
“Normally, people are attracted by naming opportunities,” Mr. Gates said, “but this donor said, ‘I’ll do it, and it want it to be named for Nas.”
The donor, Mr. Gates said, has insisted on anonymity.
Nas did not hesitate when he was asked to lend his name to the fellowship, Mr. Gates said. The educational side of hip-hop, after all, has never been lost on Nas. He has said that although he never graduated high school, references he heard in hip-hop often inspired him to look further into the subjects that rappers raised. His own work has drawn on a variety of influences, including films and, in one notable case, classical music: he quoted a passage from Orff’s “Carmina Burana” in his 1999 hit “Hate Me Now.”
Ms. Morgan described the donor’s decision to name for fellowship for Nas as an inspired move.
“Nas is one of the quintessential hip hop M.C. poets,” she said, “someone who describes the landscape of life in ways that are incredibly touching and interesting. And having a fellowship in his name is like telling someone who’s eleven, ‘This is going to be here when you’re ready.’”
InstantKlassik
...
Everytime I hear Stay it feels like the first time 
Life is Good
All Star
@Ziggiy.: Just an update on one of the intriguing & inspiring ventures Nas is involved with.
Hip Hop Icon Nasir Jones, Journalist-turned-Documentarian Adam Sjoberg’s & "The Butler" Co-Producer David Jacobson are the Producers of the documentary 'Shake The Dust.' The documentary tells the portraits of young artistic hip hop break dancers around the world: Columbia, Cambodia, Uganda & Yemen. Read the article & take a look at the trailer from 'The Hollywood Reporter.' Nas will also score the original music for the documentary.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/nas-produced-shake-dust-trailer-654175?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed: thr/news (The Hollywood Reporter - Top Stories)
Take a look at Adam Sjoberg's journey of the making of 'Shake The Dust.'
http://vimeo.com/m/64917822
Hip Hop Icon Nasir Jones, Journalist-turned-Documentarian Adam Sjoberg’s & "The Butler" Co-Producer David Jacobson are the Producers of the documentary 'Shake The Dust.' The documentary tells the portraits of young artistic hip hop break dancers around the world: Columbia, Cambodia, Uganda & Yemen. Read the article & take a look at the trailer from 'The Hollywood Reporter.' Nas will also score the original music for the documentary.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/nas-produced-shake-dust-trailer-654175?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed: thr/news (The Hollywood Reporter - Top Stories)
Take a look at Adam Sjoberg's journey of the making of 'Shake The Dust.'
http://vimeo.com/m/64917822
Nas to play at Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom in Denver next week
By Matt Miller | November 8th, 2013 | Add a comment
In a rather sudden turn of events, hip-hop icon Nas will be performing at Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom next week.
1 of 43
STS9 kicked off a two-night run at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Sept. 6, 2013 with openers NaS, Welder and ArAABMuZikk. Photos by Dylan Langille, heyreverb.com.
123456››
The rapper is taking the place of Mos Def, who will not be able to perform on Nov. 16 because of personal reasons.
According to a Cervantes’ Masterpiece news release this is “the most intimate show he’s played in Denver since the ’90s.”
Other performers include Dillion Cooper, Sol, the ReMINDers, Abstract Collective, Black Pistol Fire, Reason the Citizen and Typhy.
Tickets go on sale Nov. 9 and are $65 in advance and $70 the day of the show.
By Matt Miller | November 8th, 2013 | Add a comment
In a rather sudden turn of events, hip-hop icon Nas will be performing at Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom next week.
1 of 43
STS9 kicked off a two-night run at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Sept. 6, 2013 with openers NaS, Welder and ArAABMuZikk. Photos by Dylan Langille, heyreverb.com.
123456››
The rapper is taking the place of Mos Def, who will not be able to perform on Nov. 16 because of personal reasons.
According to a Cervantes’ Masterpiece news release this is “the most intimate show he’s played in Denver since the ’90s.”
Other performers include Dillion Cooper, Sol, the ReMINDers, Abstract Collective, Black Pistol Fire, Reason the Citizen and Typhy.
Tickets go on sale Nov. 9 and are $65 in advance and $70 the day of the show.
@Life is Good, for years there's been talk of a Nas autobiography, or himself writing a book. WIll either are those two things ever materialize?
Life is Good
All Star
Yes...book will be released in 2014. It's going to be very revealing facts about his life that will be GREAT!
JuvenileHell
Veteran
BLACKEXCELLENCE
That's my GOAT, going from giving interviews in pissy project hallways, to fellowships in Harvard
Having already created Hip Hop classics like Illmatic, It Was Written, and last year’s Grammy nominated Life Is Good, Nas is now continuing his crossover into filmmaking. The Queensbridge legend is taking on the role of executive producer for the upcoming dance documentary Shake the Dust.
The film is directed by Adam Sjöberg (We All Might Make It) and will cover the social impact breaking dancing has across the globe. Nas will also provide original music for the film.
“What these kids are doing around the world reminds me why I fell in love with hip-hop and how important it is as a creative and constructive outlet,” said Nas in a statement. “After hearing Adam’s vision for this project and hearing the stories, I was incredibly excited to help bring the film to global audiences who need to hear this surprising message of Educational Value
Nas previous production credits include 2001′s Sacred Is the Flesh and 2008′s Tyson documentary.
Watch the trailer for Shake the Dust below.
The film is directed by Adam Sjöberg (We All Might Make It) and will cover the social impact breaking dancing has across the globe. Nas will also provide original music for the film.
“What these kids are doing around the world reminds me why I fell in love with hip-hop and how important it is as a creative and constructive outlet,” said Nas in a statement. “After hearing Adam’s vision for this project and hearing the stories, I was incredibly excited to help bring the film to global audiences who need to hear this surprising message of Educational Value
Nas previous production credits include 2001′s Sacred Is the Flesh and 2008′s Tyson documentary.
Watch the trailer for Shake the Dust below.
Life is Good
All Star
Read: A Day In The Life Of Nasir Jones:
http://hauteliving.com/2013/11/day-life-keeping-nas/411691/
http://hauteliving.com/2013/11/day-life-keeping-nas/411691/