The elite MC uses his verses to break down the meaning of his birthname "Nasir" and rehash ... N.Y. native's debut album Illmatic. The 10-track album solidified Nas' place in Hip-Hop history ...

Nasir Jones, then a 20-year-old rookie ... awaited this collaboration since the early 2000s when Nas first hinted at a joint album with DJ Premier. Despite the passage of time, their chemistry ...