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I'm not talking about Russia in my music. I've never been to Russia. I'm not talking about Africa, Switzerland, China. I'm talking about me being American and growing up in a crazy world and helping to reflect all different sides of life.

Nas

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Nas
Age: 51
Born: 1973
Born: September 14
Actor
Businessperson
Dressmaker
Entrepreneur
Musician
Political Activist
Rapper
Record Producer
Recording Artist
Restaurateur
Singer
Brooklyn
New York
Nasir Jones
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones
Nasty Nas
Nas Escobar
World
Growing
Talking
Switzerland
American
Reflect
Helping
Africa
Music
Russia
Different
China
Never
Crazy
Life
Sides

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Man, me and Biggie were the biggest artists in New York. When he passed, I was so messed up. My attitude was messed up about him dying. There was an East-West thing back then, and I was in war mode.
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Hip-hop is such an amazing thing that kids still want to do it. They're not saying, Ugh, that's the old people's music. No, they're younger than they've ever been that want to get into hip-hop music.
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I don't respect killers, I respect O.G. knowledge, Codes of the streets got new rules, but no guidance. Lessons, detrimental to a young disciple Folks, take care of your brothers, niggas do as I do. Keep your enemies close, where they can see you. It's not your enemy who get you, it's always your own people.
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When I write a story, I just wanna tell you what's in my head. It can come from real life and then turn into fantasy, stuff just rhyming. And write about what you know. I just like to tell stories that have not been told or [told] from my perspective.
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When I try to sound like the contemporary sound, it never turns out that way.
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Every generation witnesses atrocities. People in power try to fulfill prophecy.
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I had a pretty public divorce. They're not easy - divorces - and it took me a long time to really get through.
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I think it's harder to make a classic now, not because of what people say, but because artists now are so concerned with what people say.
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The whole thing is, do as much as you can, when you possibly can, and don't stress.
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I talk about life, and I make universal music with an American style - and that's what I do.
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The reason I want to be alone, is I'm tired of all the things that went wrong that would've went right if I had did 'em on my own
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I got the opportunity to meet people all over the world. Brilliant women, tall women, short women, slim women, thick women, you name it. But, I don't meet them. I have the opportunities to and it's a little bit - I'm a little shy, so I don't meet them and I don't know who's right for me.
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When your so focused on what people say, how can your really be focused on the music? If you're concerned with what someone says, you aren't working on a real record. You're working on something that's just for now, to please people this very second... because you don't believe in yourself.
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The Internet made the world smaller, so it's easier for people to hear your music. You don't necessarily need a radio record.
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I'm inspired by people like Nelson Mandela. Can you imagine - you know how racist America was back then - imagine how racism was in South Africa when he had to stand up and say what he had to say. That's bravery beyond comprehension.
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I talk about Africa and its meaning, being the birthplace of man and all that great history that's been erased and even hidden. I think it's my duty to be proud and to bring about the conversation that allows us to talk about the great history of my people.
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Anybody I'm dating, I don't want them to talk about my music. I don't talk about my music to them.
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Through the lights cameras and action, glamour glitters and gold I unfold the scroll, plant seeds to stampede the globe.
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I just enjoy life now. I just enjoy every morning I get to wake up.
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I want to sound like an instrument. I want my voice and my words to marry the beat. I go with the rhythm of it and the words start to come to my mind and those words could be based on things that's been on my mind for the past year, the past month, the past week, whatever I write it.
Nas