Nas is an artist.
Distant Relatives is a collaborative studio album by American rapper Nas and Jamaican reggae artist Damian Marley , released May 18 , 2010 , on Universal Republic and Def Jam Recordings . It Was Written is the second studio album by American rapper Nas , released July 2 , 1996 on Columbia Records in the United States . Nasir Bin Olu Dara Jones ( [ nɑːˈsɪər ] born September 14 , 1973 ) , better known by his stage name Nas [ ˈnɑːz ] , is an American rapper , record producer , actor , and entrepreneur .