If you start your career at the very top, how do you follow up? How do you breathe longevity into success? Nas knows as well as anyone. In 1994, he made his studio debut with Illmatic, an instant classic. And now, more than 20 years later, he’s still at it.
This summer, Nas is back on tour, reminding everyone why he’s one of the greatest lyricists ever. At the same time, Sprite, who featured Nas in its commercial spots in the ’90s, just launched a collection of limited-edition cans that feature his lyrics, as well as those of Biggie, Rakim, and Drake—hip-hop icons who have followed their own path and stayed true to themselves along their journey.
From June through August, 16 different sets of their words will appear across Sprite cans. Here at Complex, we’re big fans of Nas, so we decided to reach back a little further and find 16 life lessons we learned from his lyrics.
On Effort
On Ascension
On Trusting Yourself
On Ambition
On Living Life to the Fullest
On Striving
On Focus
On Leadership
On Authenticity
On Experience
On Honesty
On Sincerity
On Success
On Simplicity
On Consistency
On Training
