Nas Writes Novels

[Kal EL]

From AllHipHop.com

Nas Writes Novels, Developing Book Based On "Sekou's Story"
By Clover Hope
Date: 3/1/2005 4:20 pm

After years of showing off his rhyme skills, Nas has decided to pen his own novels. The hip-hop scribe said he's particularly developing a book based on a character from his song "Sekou's Story" off his latest double album, Street's Disciple.

"It's about this guy named Sekou who's caught up in the drug game," said Nas. "It's the same story but it talks about him as a person and how he is. That's what makes the book."

The Queensbridge MC said he elected to focus more on Sekou's upbringing and principles, however, instead of the drug dealing.

"It's not so much about drugs but him and what's going on in his head," said Nas. "[It's him] dealing with where he comes from, his ethnic background, where he's trying to go, and how he gets double crossed."

In related Nas news, the rapper has confirmed dates in England for his upcoming "Street's Disciple" UK Tour in March. Tour dates are as follows:

3/15 BIRMINGHAM, UK @ Academy
3/16 BRISTOL, UK @ Academy
3/18 GLASGOW, UK @ Academy
3/19 MANCHESTER, UK @ Apollo
3/21 BRIXTON, LONDON @ Academy
3/24 DUBLIN, IRELAND @ The Point

[white Boy]

good for him...

[Kal EL]

Once again he is taking this Hip Hop Culture to another level.

[RZARECTA]

a rapper with talent !  doesnt happen often

[Suffice]

Nas is one of the few rappers with a vision and innovative thinking

[NobodyButMe]

personally, i like nas' music (sometimes) but think he's a sellout fake piece of shit. i rarely agree with his politics but at least he's trying something new.

oh, and btw, that book sounds exactly like his role in belly.

[Kal EL]

Oh shit, it is. Good Looking. But still its good that he is trying to expand his creative horizons.

[TraceOneInfinite]

I love seeing rappers branching off into book writing, growing into intellectuals, like KRS-1, they call him the Teacher, the Philosopher, he had a book called "Ruminations" I still want to get.  Another cat who's been successful in literature is Rza of the Wu-tang, I picked up his Wu-Tang manual he put out and the knowledge is deep, I'll be looking for more book projects from him in the future.  2pac had a very successful poetry book, "The Rose That Grew From the Cracks of Concrete" that showed a side of Pac before the fame when he was 18 years old.  And Snoop and Russel Simmons had biography's that were extremely well put together and thoughtful, I've picked up both of those.

[Kill]

i´m not so sure if Nas is the type of person to write a book, then that´s just a gut feeling, so it might as well be good...anyways, nice to see he does that

[smartass]

yeah, nas!!! lets put out a book, when you havent had a good album since 2002, yeah!!!

[Shallow]

Here's my prediction; It'll be a half assed second rate crime story, and all it'll bring out a bunch of fools who have never read a book outside of high school calling Nas a great author, eventhough they have no one to compare him to.

Then about 1 month after the book is released Infinite will start a thread called; "Hemmingway is overrated and Nas shits on him in every way", claiming that Hemmingway could never understand the streets like Nas does. This will lead to a bunch of other posters calling out Infinite and stating how he grew up in an all white town of about 3000 people, ETC, ETC, ETC.


That's my prediction anyway.

[TraceOneInfinite]

Here's my prediction; It'll be a half assed second rate crime story, and all it'll bring out a bunch of fools who have never read a book outside of high school calling Nas a great author, eventhough they have no one to compare him to.

Then about 1 month after the book is released Infinite will start a thread called; "Hemmingway is overrated and Nas shits on him in every way", claiming that Hemmingway could never understand the streets like Nas does. This will lead to a bunch of other posters calling out Infinite and stating how he grew up in an all white town of about 3000 people, ETC, ETC, ETC.


That's my prediction anyway.

If Nas is able to get "a bunch of fools who have never read a book outside of highschool" to read his book and love his book, then that would be a praiseworthy achievement for Nas.  That would mean that he was able to reach out and touch people intellectually who otherwise had been reduced to video games and television.  This would put Nas above Hemmingway in many ways because Hemmingway doesn't have much appeal with "the fools who have never read a book out of highschool".

I've never read Hemmingway so I don't know how good he is, but I will definitely be checking out Nas' book when it drops.

[white Boy]

cosign with smartass and shallow..

[Shallow]

Here's my prediction; It'll be a half assed second rate crime story, and all it'll bring out a bunch of fools who have never read a book outside of high school calling Nas a great author, eventhough they have no one to compare him to.

Then about 1 month after the book is released Infinite will start a thread called; "Hemmingway is overrated and Nas shits on him in every way", claiming that Hemmingway could never understand the streets like Nas does. This will lead to a bunch of other posters calling out Infinite and stating how he grew up in an all white town of about 3000 people, ETC, ETC, ETC.


That's my prediction anyway.

If Nas is able to get "a bunch of fools who have never read a book outside of highschool" to read his book and love his book, then that would be a praiseworthy achievement for Nas.  That would mean that he was able to reach out and touch people intellectually who otherwise had been reduced to video games and television.  This would put Nas above Hemmingway in many ways because Hemmingway doesn't have much appeal with "the fools who have never read a book out of highschool".

I've never read Hemmingway so I don't know how good he is, but I will definitely be checking out Nas' book when it drops.

First off, I just want to say I was just joking around.

Secondly, if people pick up Nas's book and enjoy it it'll be because of predertimened thoughts and biases towards Nas and/or the story will be stupid and simple with nothing behind the content. The most easiest books to read are the most enjoyable to new readers because new reasers don't take the time to look at hidden meanings, symbols, themes, etc. New readers just like a fast moving plot with action and maybe a touching moment near the end to make them think they just read something beautiful, so they think it was good. Experienced readers look back upon books they really liked when they were new readers and are appauled that they thought what they read was a good book.

To simplify it for you; just because a bunch of people who are fans of Nas the rapper pick up his book and initially think it's a true work of art does not make it a good book, or Nas a good writer. Now, I could be wrong and Nas could write a great book, I just doubt it. And there is no way he'll become a Hemmingway or Dickens.


Hemingway doesn't have appeal to the new generation because when he was writing, the book was the chosen medium of entertainment. If Hemingway was born 50 year later in 1949, he most likely would have become a film maker. You should take these things into account before you spew out your ignorant statements. People don't read books anymore because the movies has replaced books. James Cameron in 1700 would have been an author or a playwright, and William Shakespeare would have been a director/screen writer in 2000. It has nothing to do with the ability of the artist. I hope you realize this now.

[Sikotic™]

I'm interested. Nas has great ideas.