What is Nas' net worth?
Nas is an American rapper, songwriter, actor, entrepreneur, and investor who has a net worth of $70 million. Nas, born Nasir Jones, is widely regarded as one of the most influential voices in hip-hop. His music career, spanning over three decades, is marked by both critical acclaim and commercial success. Nas's debut album, "Illmatic" (1994), is often cited as one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time. Its vivid storytelling, complex lyricism, and innovative production set a new standard in the genre. The album's impact was profound, influencing a generation of artists and helping to shape the sound of East Coast hip-hop in the 1990s.
Following the success of "Illmatic," Nas continued to release a series of successful albums. His discography includes notable works like "It Was Written," which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and included hits like "If I Ruled the World." Over the years, Nas has been praised for his lyrical skill and ability to address social and political issues. His work often reflects on African American culture, urban life, and personal struggles, making him a voice for his community.
Apart from his music career, Nas has also made significant strides as a venture capitalist. He co-founded QueensBridge Venture Partners, a venture capital firm that invests in technology startups. This move into the tech industry has been marked by a series of successful investments in various companies, including a notable early investment in Dropbox, a cloud storage service. His firm has also invested in other successful startups, such as Lyft, a popular ride-sharing app, and Robinhood, a stock trading platform, Coinbase, Ring, and Pluto TV.
Early Life
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones was born in Brooklyn on September 14, 1973. His dad, Olu Dara, is from Mississippi, and his mom, Fannie Ann, is from North Carolina. His dad is a jazz and blues musician. His mom works for the U.S. Postal Service. Nas has a brother, Jabari, who is also a rapper known professionally as Jungle. Jabari is a member of the hip-hop group the Bravehearts. At the age of four, Nas picked up a trumpet and began to play. When he was 9, Nas discovered the then brand-new genre of rap. His parents divorced in 1985. Nas dropped out of school after eighth grade.
Music Career
In 1991, Nas performed on Main Source's "Live at the Barbeque." In mid-1992, Nas signed a record deal with Columbia Records, thanks to the efforts of his then-manager MC Serch. Nas made his solo debut on the single "Halftime" from the soundtrack for the film Zebrahead, which MC Serch did the soundtrack for. Nas's superior rhyming skills garnered him a lot of attention within the hip-hop community.
Nas's debut album, Illmatic, was released in 1994. Several singles were released from Illmatic, including "It Ain't Hard to Tell," "One Love," and "The World Is Yours." Illmatic was awarded the best album of 1994 by The Source. Nas's second album, It Was Written, was released in 1996. Two singles, "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)" (featuring Lauryn Hill) and "Street Dreams," were instant hits. It Was Written also featured the debut of the Firm, a supergroup made up of Nas, AZ, Foxy Brown, and Cormega.
The Firm signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment label and began working on their debut album. Cormega was fired from the group halfway through the recording of the album. Nature became the new fourth member of the Firm. Nas, Foxy Brown, AZ, and Nature Present The Firm: The Album was released in 1997 to mixed reviews. Despite being certified platinum, the album didn't do well, and The Firm disbanded.
Nas went on to release nine more albums: 1999's I Am…, 1999's Nastradamus, 2001's Stillmatic, 2002's God's Son, 2004's Street's Disciple, 2006's Hip Hop Is Dead, 2008's Untitled, 2012's Life is Good, and 2018's Nasir. He has been nominated for 15 Grammy Awards and six MTV Music Video Awards. He has been nominated for 10 BET Awards and won two.
In November 2016, Nas collaborated with Lin-Manuel Miranda and others on a song called "Wrote My Way Out," which appears on The Hamilton Mixtape. Nas won his first Grammy for his 12th release, King's Disease, for Best Rap Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. He followed it with 2021's King's Disease II, and that same year released his 14th studio album, Magic. In 2022, King's Disease III marked his fourth consecutive album with producer Hit-Boy.
(Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images)
Venture Capitalist
Over the years, Nas has maintained a keen interest and insight into emerging technology. He is the co-founder of the Venture Capital firm QueensBridge Venture Partners.
QueensBridge has made dozens of investments over the years, some of which have gone on to increase dramatically in value. The firm's investments typically range in the $100,000 -$500,000 range. The fund receives over 100 pitches per month from new firms seeking capital.
Some of QueensBridge's biggest investment hits include Dropbox, Lyft, SeatGeek, General Assembly, Robinhood, Casper, Pill Pack, Pluto TV, Coinbase and Genius.
QueensBridge had a small slice of equity in Ring when it was acquired by Amazon in 2018 for $1.1 billion. QueensBridge earned $40 million from Amazon for his stakes in Ring and Pill Pack.
In 2019, Viacom acquired Pluto TV for $340 million.
QueensBridge was an investor in Coinbase's 2013 Series B round, which raised $25 million at a $143 million valuation. When Coinbase IPO'd in April 2021 at a $60 billion market cap, QueensBridge's investment was worth between $35 million and $100 million. Coinbase's market cap hit $90 billion in November 2021. Hopefully, Nas sold his Coinbase shares at some point because over the next 12 months, the company's valuation had shrunk to around $9 billion. It did eventually recover, not quite to the $90 billion range, but either way a huge increase over his Series B purchase price.
Nas is also a partner in the chicken and waffle restaurant Sweet Chick. The first location was opened in 2013 by John Seymour. Nas knew he wanted to be involved in the southern restaurant with a hip-hop flavor the moment he first walked into a Sweet Chick. Sweet Chick has locations throughout New York in places such as Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens, as well as one in Los Angeles and London.
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Personal Life
On June 15, 1994, Nas's daughter Destiny was born. Destiny's mother is Nas's ex-fiancée, Carmen Bryan. Carmen later admitted that she'd had an affair with Nas's rival and nemesis, Jay-Z.
Nas briefly dated Mary J. Blige and Nicki Minaj.
Nas' mother Fannie Ann passed away in 2002.
In 2005, after two years of dating, Nas married singer Kelis in Atlanta. In April 2009, Kelis filed for divorce while seven months pregnant, citing irreconcilable differences. Kelis gave birth to Nas's son Knight on July 21, 2009. The couple's divorce was finalized on May 21, 2010. In 2018, Kelis accused Nas of being physically and mentally abusive during their marriage. Nas has publicly accused Kelis of subjecting him to "very hostile behavior and verbal abuse" as well as "physical violent attacks." Things remain contentious between the exes. Kelis, who has since remarried and given birth to a second son, also disputed Nas's claims that she's keeping Knight from him.
In June 2020, Nas reunited with his ex Carmen Bryan in a show of family unity to celebrate their daughter Destiny's 26th birthday.
IRS Issues
In September 2009, the Internal Revenue Service filed a federal tax lien against Nas for over $2.5 million, seeking unpaid taxes dating back to 2006. In early 2011 his tax debt had grown to more than $6.4 million. In 2012, reports emerged that the IRS had filed papers to garnish part of Nas's earnings until his delinquent tax bill was paid.
Earnings Highlights
When Jay-Z signed Nas in January 2006, the agreement stated that Nas would be paid about $3,000,000, including a recording budget for each of his first two albums with Def Jam.
Between September 2017 and September 2018, Nas earned $35 million. Between September 2018 and September 2019, Nas earned $19 million.
Real Estate
In early 2002, Nas purchased a home in the Atlanta suburb of McDonough, Georgia, for $659,000. The 3,592-square-foot home was built in 1999 and has two bedrooms, three full and one-half bathrooms, and a swimming pool.
In mid-2007, Nas and his then-wife Kelis purchased a home in Los Angeles for $1.6 million. The 3,207-square-foot home was built in 1947 and has four bedrooms and three bathrooms.
In November 2021, Nas paid $3.5 million for a home in Calabasas, California. The property spans 10 acres.
