Photo of Nas
Photo: Coup d'Oreille · CC BY-SA 2.0

Solo Artist

Nas

Active1989-present
OriginQueens, New York City, US
Albums17
Tracks240

Most frequent collaborator: Chauncey Hollis Jr.  ·  80 tracks

East Coast Hip-HopBoom BapJazz RapConscious Rap
100%
Authorship
Complete Artist

Holds writing credit on 240 of 240 tracks

Does Nas write his own raps?

Yes. Nas is credited on 100% of his catalogue and is regarded as one of the greatest lyricists in hip-hop. He writes every verse himself, from 'N.Y. State of Mind' to 'Ether.' He is never the only name on a track because his producers share the composer credit for the beats, but the words are all his.

By the Numbers

17
Studio Albums
240
Tracks Credited
100%
Self-Written
37
Years Active
458
Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 240 / 240 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

Across all 240 tracks: how many Nas wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.

Nas has a writing credit100%
2%
98%
Sole author5tracks2%
Co-written235tracks98%
Outside writers0tracks0%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Lyricist Performer Composer Producer
Nas's roles across the catalogue

Share of all 240 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)100%
Composer (music)100%
Producer4%
Performer64%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

Nas's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.

avg 100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
1994Illmatic
1996It Was Written
1999I Am...
1999Nastradamus
2001Stillmatic
2002God's Son
2004Street's Disciple
2006Hip Hop Is Dead
2008Untitled
2012Life Is Good
2018Nasir
2020King's Disease
2021King's Disease II
2021Magic
2022King's Disease III
2023Magic 2
2023Magic 3
Early · 100% written
Mid · 100% written
Late · 100% written

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

100%
1990s
Illmatic, It Was Written +2 more
100%
2000s
Stillmatic, God's Son +3 more
100%
2010s
Life Is Good, Nasir
100%
2020s
King's Disease, King's Disease II +4 more

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

Where Nas sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.

Nas
Other artists on the site

Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.

Whitney Houston5%
Backstreet Boys25%
NSYNC41%
Boyz II Men51%
TLC59%
Usher74%
Mariah Carey87%
100%Nas
Pure Performer0%
Songwriter~50%
Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

Street Dreams
It Was Written
Written by Nas, Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, Samuel Barnes, Annie Lennox, David Stewart
Co-wrote
If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)
It Was Written
Written by Nas, Lauryn Hill, Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, Jean-Claude Olivier, Kurtis Walker
Co-wrote
I Can
God's Son
Written by Nas, Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, Salaam Gibbs, Roy Hammond
Co-wrote
Made You Look
God's Son
Written by Nas, Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, Salaam Gibbs, Jeremiah Lordan
Co-wrote
Bridging the Gap
Street's Disciple
Written by Nas, Olu Dara, Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, Salaam Gibbs
Co-wrote
Hip Hop Is Dead
Hip Hop Is Dead
Written by Nas, will.i.am, Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, William Adams, J. Lordan, D. Ingle
Co-wrote
Spicy
King's Disease
Written by Nas, Fivio Foreign, ASAP Ferg, Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, Maxie Ryles III, Darold Ferguson Jr., Chauncey Hollis Jr., Derrick Grey
Co-wrote

Discography 17 albums

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

Nas240 tracks
CH80 H80 LL29 L27 SR27 SG25

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. CH Chauncey Hollis Jr. · H Hit-Boy · LL LeShan Lewis · L L.E.S. · SR Salaam Remi · SG Salaam Gibbs

The Writers & Producers Behind Nas 6 key collaborators

CH
Chauncey Hollis Jr.
Songwriter
King's Disease / King's Disease II / Magic / King's Disease III80 tracks
H
Hit-Boy
Producer
King's Disease / King's Disease II / Magic / King's Disease III80 tracks
LL
LeShan Lewis
Songwriter
It Was Written / I Am... / Nastradamus / Stillmatic29 tracks
L
L.E.S.
Producer
Illmatic / It Was Written / I Am... / Nastradamus27 tracks
SR
Salaam Remi
Producer
Stillmatic / God's Son / Street's Disciple / Hip Hop Is Dead27 tracks
SG
Salaam Gibbs
Songwriter
God's Son / Street's Disciple / Hip Hop Is Dead / Life Is Good25 tracks

The Authorship Story

Data Insight

Nas writes every word himself, his authorship score approaches 100% across a career spanning seventeen studio albums. His catalog charts one of rap's most dramatic artistic arcs: the universally-acclaimed debut with Illmatic, a commercially adventurous middle period, a legendary feud with Jay-Z, and a late-career renaissance with Hit-Boy that produced the King's Disease trilogy and Magic trilogy. His lyricist and composer credits diverge sharply, Nas writes the rhymes while outside producers supply every beat, making the split between lyricist and composer credits a core data story on his artist page.

Quick Facts

  • IllmaticHis 1994 debut is in the Library of Congress and widely called one of the greatest hip-hop albums ever
  • First GrammyKing's Disease won Best Rap Album in 2021, his first Grammy after thirteen nominations
  • CatalogueHas released seventeen studio albums, ten of them certified gold or higher in the US
  • Hit-Boy eraHis late-career King's Disease and Magic albums were produced by Hit-Boy
  • Lyricist firstRegarded as one of the greatest lyricists in hip-hop history

Creative Fingerprint

One of rap's great pens: Nas writes every verse himself, so he is credited on 100% of his catalogue, always sharing credit with the producers who supply the beats while the words are unmistakably his.

The Story

Nas (Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones) is an American rapper from the Queensbridge Houses in Long Island City, Queens, born September 14, 1973. The son of jazz musician Olu Dara, he made his recording debut on Main Source's 1991 track 'Live at the Barbeque' and released his landmark debut album Illmatic in 1994, widely regarded as one of the greatest hip-hop albums ever recorded and inducted into the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry. Known for his cinematic street storytelling, dense literary lyricism, and vivid portrayals of inner-city life, Nas is consistently ranked among the greatest MCs of all time. His 2020 album King's Disease, produced entirely by Hit-Boy, earned him his first Grammy Award for Best Rap Album.

Awards & Recognition

King's Disease won the Grammy for Best Rap Album (2021), his first Grammy after thirteen nominations
Illmatic (1994) was added to the Library of Congress National Recording Registry
Has released seventeen studio albums, ten certified gold, platinum, or multi-platinum in the US
Widely ranked among the greatest rappers and lyricists of all time

Frequently Asked Questions Nas

Does Nas write his own raps?
Yes. Nas is credited on 100% of his catalogue and is regarded as one of the greatest lyricists in hip-hop. He writes every verse himself, from 'N.Y. State of Mind' to 'Ether.' He is never the only name on a track because his producers share the composer credit for the beats, but the words are all his.
Why is Illmatic so important?
Illmatic (1994) is often called the greatest hip-hop album ever made and was added to the Library of Congress National Recording Registry. Nas wrote its vivid, poetic verses about Queensbridge life as a teenager, setting a new standard for lyrical rap.
Who wrote 'Ether'?
'Ether,' from Stillmatic (2001), was written by Nas as a diss track aimed at [Jay-Z](/artist/jay-z/) during their famous rivalry. It is considered one of the greatest diss songs in rap history, and Nas wrote every line himself.
Did Nas win a Grammy?
Yes, eventually. After thirteen nominations across decades, Nas finally won his first Grammy when King's Disease took Best Rap Album in 2021. The late-career recognition came for his work with producer Hit-Boy.
Who produces Nas's music?
Over his career Nas has worked with elite producers including DJ Premier, Large Professor, and Pete Rock on his early albums, and Hit-Boy, who produced the entire King's Disease trilogy and the Magic albums. Nas writes the lyrics; the producers build the beats.
How many albums has Nas released?
This catalogue covers seventeen studio albums, from the landmark Illmatic (1994) through his recent run with Hit-Boy, one of the longest and most consistent careers in hip-hop.
What was the Nas and Jay-Z beef?
In the early 2000s Nas and Jay-Z traded diss tracks in one of rap's most famous rivalries, with Nas's 'Ether' as his defining shot. Nas wrote the song himself, and the two later reconciled.
What genre is Nas?
Nas makes East Coast hip-hop, boom bap, and jazz rap, known for dense, literary lyrics over soulful, sample-based production on classics like Illmatic and God's Son.

Sources

Wikipedia: Nas