Nas Net Worth

nas

Have you ever wondered what net worth of Nas is? Well, the rap legend’s fortune may surprise you.

Widely regarded as one of the best rappers/songwriters of all time, Nas has released 13 studio albums. However, he isn’t just a rapper.

Outside of his record sales, he has had successful investments and even created a lucrative partnership with Hennessey.

As of May 2023, Nas has a net worth of $70 million.

In this post, we’ll describe exactly how Nas accrued his wealth.

Early Life

Nas was born Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones on September 14th, 1973.

His father is Olu Dara, a jazz/blues musician from Mississippi, and his mother, Fannie Ann, was a USPS worker from South Carolina.

While he was born in Brooklyn, Nas moved to the Queensbridge neighborhood in Queens as a young child. 

Influenced by the popular movements of the time and his parents, Nas became increasingly interested in rap and African-American culture during his teenage years.

As a result, Nas never graduated High School and instead pursued other forms of education.

Specifically, he derived lessons from the Five Percent Nation and Nuwaubian Nation, two religious groups based on Islam.

However, while this was the end of Nas’s schooling, it would be the beginning of his education. Soon after junior high school, Nas began his rap journey.

Rap Career

Nas performing on stage
Source: Billboard

As a teenager, Nas began his rap career in the late ‘80s, when he met the producer, Large Professor.

Nas developed a relationship with the popular producer and would even hang out at the same studio as him, Rakim, and other popular NYC artists.

In the early ‘90s, Nas made his performing debut when he appeared on “Live at the Barbeque,” the popular song by Main Source. 

Soon after, in 1994, Nas would release his debut album, Illmatic. This album caught the hip-hop community by surprise with its style and lyrics.

Some regard it as the greatest hip-hop record of all time.

Nas quickly gained notoriety as an MC and lyricist within the hip-hop community.

His lyrical prowess and storytelling abilities led to him being compared to the earlier icon, Rakim, and increased his opportunities as a songwriter as well. 

After switching representation, Nas was encouraged to produce more suitable work for radio audiences and to focus more on the musical aspect instead of the lyrics.

This switch would define the next 5 years of his career, which contained inconsistent music and collaborations.

During this period, Nas would release his next three albums, It Was Written (1996), I Am (1999), and Nastradamus (1999). 

Beginning in 2001, Nas regained popularity within the urban community due to his public feud with contemporary Jay-Z.

The feud was between 2001 and 2005 and included Nas’s release of 3 more studio albums.

After 13 Grammy nominations, his 13th album, King’s Disease (2020), finally won him the award in March 2021.

Nas is widely regarded as one of the best lyricists and MCs of all time. Over the past decade, he has become more entrepreneurial while also growing his wealth.

Nas’s 13 studio albums are below:

Release Year Title
2020 King’s Disease
2018 Nasir
2012 Life is Good
2008 Untitled
2006 Hip Hop is Dead
2004 Street’s Disciple
2002 The Lost Tapes
2002 God’s Son
2001 Stillmatic
1999 Nastradamus
1999 I Am…
1996 It Was Written
1994 Illmatic
Source: Billboard

Hennessey Cognac

In 2013, Hennessey, the Cognac brand, announced that Nas would appear in their “Wild Rabbit” campaign.

This would mark the beginning of a nearly decade-long relationship, still thriving today. While the value of his deal wasn’t reported, we can make an educated guess based on other deals.

For example, based on George Clooney’s brand ambassadorship with Nespresso, one can assume that Nas has earned tens of millions of dollars over the life of the deal thus far.

Via his partnership with Hennessy, Nas was considered a trailblazer for other artists to secure similar deals outside of the music industry.

Investments

Aside from his album sales, Nas has also become a savvy investor. One of his most successful investments was in the smart doorbell company Ring.

It’s reported that Nas was an early investor in Ring via his investing firm, Queensbridge Venture Partners.

As a result, when Ring was acquired for over $1 Billion by Amazon in 2018, QVP’s equity stake netted them a $40 million profit. 

Other investments in the Queensbridge Venture Partners portfolio include Away Travel, Casper Sleep, Coinbase, DropBox, and Robinhood. 

Nas Net Worth

As of May 2023, Nas has a net worth of $70 million. His earnings are primarily from his record sales, touring income, Hennessey partnership, and investments. 

With 13 Grammy nominations, it’s no surprise that Nas has sold over 15 million records and performed globally.

As an entrepreneur, investor, and producer, Nas should continue to build his brand and wealth for years to come.

Key Takeaways

Be willing to pivot

In the early 2000s, many of Nas’s supporters felt that he had become inauthentic and was too focused on making music for “commercial audiences”. His popularity in the very neighborhoods that supported him initially was beginning to fade.

Nas decided to pivot and his public feud with Jay-Z, and subsequent albums on the topic, rejuvenated his fan base.

You should constantly take inventory of your content, brand, and performance. If you see something wrong, you must be willing to make a change and pivot.

Always continue learning

Even after becoming a wildly successful rapper and MC, Nas continued to educate himself on other ways to build his brand and legacy.

His partnership with Hennessey is a prime example of him partnering with a strong brand in a different industry to achieve a common mission.

Both parties wanted to promote a “Never stop, never settle” message, and Nas’s willingness to partner with other brands allowed them to flourish together. You should never stop educating yourself on different ways to achieve greatness.

Make your money work for you once you work for it

Not only has Nas earned millions from his rap career. He’s educated himself on Angel investing and finding successful startups to help fund.

Nas understands the importance of not only making money but keeping and multiplying it as well. Investing is a crucial element when attempting to build wealth.

Once you work for your income, allow it to work for you!