BECOMING: Nas (Video) – Part 1

Nas is the subject of a new interview series, put together by the producers of ESPN’s The Life.

Featuring behind-the-scenes footage as he prepared for his recent Rock The Bells concerts, Nas speaks on his beginnings, his Queensbridge upbringing and his love of being involved with music.

The short, documentary-style production has Nas briefly speaking on life on the come up, recalling his reaction to hearing himself on the radio for the first time. “When I first heard ‘Live At the Barbecue’ on the radio, I was just walking through my neighborhood, and I saw a bunch of older guys,” he recounts. “It was late night… As I’m walking by, I hear the song. I’m like ‘Wow!’ I’m telling some of the guys, ‘That’s me!’

He continues, “But you know, they older, faded, they halfway listening to me. They like ‘Yeah, OK, cool,’ and they going back the their conversation. They not even listening, but it didn’t matter. I heard me.”

Nas paused, reminiscing. “That walk back to my block, I was sorta in a daze, like, ‘It’s happening. OK. It’s happening. I’m in rap now. I’m a part of this rap thing. That was my dream. Just that. So I’m like, ‘Aight, this is perfect. This is actually perfect.”

The video includes footage of Nas during his rehearsal sessions, as well as the sit-down interview.

Watch part one of BECOMING: Nas below.