steve stoute

Today in Hip Hop History: Nas Released His Third LP ‘I Am’ 24 Years Ago

by
Screen Shot 2023 04 06 at 8.53.51 AM

Released by Columbia Records, Nas’ third album, I Am, debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album sold 470,000 copies in its first week and was certified double platinum in the United States. The album was nominated in 2000 for Best Rap Album at the 43rd Grammy Awards.

Originally intended to be a double album titled I Am…The Autobiography, the album was arguably Nas’ most honest and poetic project at the time. Although the additional tracks were scrapped due to bootlegging of the original sessions, the intention for the theme and tone of the project can still be felt on the released single-disc LP.

Nas’ cover art has always been an iconic staple of his work. Usually consisting of his face superimposed over his native Queens, each cover has served as a visual representation of Nas as an artist. Famed portrait photographer Danny Hastings shot this particular cover. To create the image of Nas’ face in the Pharaoh mask in a pre-Photoshop world, Hastings made a clay mold for Nas’ face (which, in fact, almost killed him when clay got lodged in his nostrils, nearly suffocating him).

This album wasn’t only popular in the United States. I Am… made appearances on music charts in Australia, Canada, Norway, France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The two official singles from this project claimed spots on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. “Nas Is Like..” peaked at #86, and “Hate Me Now” climbed a little higher to take the #62 spot.

After the release of this album, Nas released seven more solo albums and two collaborative projects. Nas continues to perform and is known as one of the most prolific rappers of his or any generation. Take some time today to listen to this album appreciate the career of a living legend.

The post Today in Hip Hop History: Nas Released His Third LP ‘I Am’ 24 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.

Cordae, Druski, Rich Paul and Steve Stoute to Appear in New Episode of ‘The Shop UNINTERRUPTED’

by
UN The Shop S602 Group Shot Final 1

The Shop UNINTERRUPTED presented by GREY GOOSE Vodka’s second episode of Season Six will premiere on Thursday, March 23 at 9 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. ET on UNINTERRUPTED’s YouTube Channel, according to the official lineup and teaser released today by UNINTERRUPTED.

This episode continues to provide a place where renowned artists, performers, athletes, and activists join together for real, unfiltered dialogues. The two-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated rapper Cordae, the comedian and actor Druski, the CEO and founder of KLUTCH Sports Group Rich Paul, and the founder and CEO of Translate and UnitedMasters Steve Stoute will join The Shop UNINTERRUPTED co-hosts Maverick Carter and Paul Rivera.

During the episode, Cordae reveals an opportunity he turned down, Durski speaks about his upcoming film Praise This and his headlining tour, Rich Paul’s work as an agent, and more.

Visual Portfolio, Posts & Image Gallery for WordPress


JLC5639


JLC5687


JLC5762

For Season 6, full episodes will continue to be available on UNINTERRUPTED’s YouTube Channel.

Increasing the scope of the UNINTERRUPTED franchise’s community outreach efforts and commitment to its empowering objective, UNINTERRUPTED will deliver two episodes a month, create expanded product lines, dedicated social media channels, @TheShopUN, and a podcast giving the audio version of each episode, releasing in tandem.

LeBron James, Maverick Carter, Jamal Henderson, and Devin Johnson are the executive producers of The Shop UNINTERRUPTED presented by GREY GOOSE Vodka; this episode is directed by Robert Alexander; co-executive produced by Melcolm Ruffin; produced by Kevin McGrail, Brandon Riley, and Rob Roediger; and created by Paul Rivera and Randy Mims.

The post Cordae, Druski, Rich Paul and Steve Stoute to Appear in New Episode of ‘The Shop UNINTERRUPTED’ appeared first on The Source.

Today In Hip Hop History: Nas Released His Third LP ‘I Am’ 23 Years Ago

by
Screen Shot 2022 04 06 at 7.34.25 AM

Released by Columbia Records, Nas’ third album, I Am, debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album sold 470,000 copies in its first week and went on to be certified double platinum in the United States. The album was nominated in 2000 for Best Rap Album at the 43rd Grammy Awards.

Originally intended to be a double album titled I Am…The Autobiography, the album was arguably Nas’ most honest and poetic project at the time. Although the additional tracks were scrapped due to bootlegging of the original sessions, the intention for the theme and tone of the project can still be felt on the single-disc LP that was released.

Nas’ cover art has always been an iconic staple of his work. Usually consisting of his face superimposed over his native Queens, each cover has served as a visual representation of Nas as an artist. This particular cover was shot by famed portrait photographer Danny Hastings. In order to create the image of Nas’ face in the Pharaoh mask in a pre-Photoshop world, Hastings created a clay mold for Nas’ face (which in fact almost killed him when clay got lodged in his nostrils, nearly suffocating him).

This album wasn’t only popular in the United States. I Am… made appearances on music charts in Australia, Canada, Norway, France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The two official singles from this project claimed spots on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. “Nas Is Like..” peaked at #86 and “Hate Me Now” climbed a little higher to take the #62 spot.

After the release of this album, Nas went on to release seven more solo albums and two collaborative projects. Nas continues to perform and is known as one of the most prolific rappers of his or any generation. Take some time today to listen to this album appreciate the career of a living legend.

The post Today In Hip Hop History: Nas Released His Third LP ‘I Am’ 23 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.