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Today Nasir Bin Olu Dara Jones, a.k.a Nasty Nas a.k.a. Escobar a.k.a. God’s Son a.k.a the best rapper to ever do it (that’s right) turns 37 years old.  For 20 years, ever since his blistering, ‘jesus snuffing’ debut on Main Souce’s ‘Live at the BBQ,’ Nas has been the preminent emcee of his time. Illmatic single handedly defines an era of hip-hop, and is considered by many to be the greatest rap album of all time. That isn’t all there is to Nas, though. With all of the talk about his divorce to Kelis and other things like that, people tend to overlook Nas’ catalogue. There’s a reason why he’s considered the greatest, and it isn’t just Illmatic – On this, his 37th born day, GG breaks down the 5 reasons why Nas is the G.O.A.T.

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1. He’s your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper.

They may front about it, but the fact of the matter is that every emcee out now has studied Nas. In fact, I dare you to name a rapper that he ain’t influence. Some are more vocal and obvious about their appreciation – Drake, for example, said that Illmatic was the album he looked to for inspiration for Thank Me Later – but everyone from J. Cole to Waka Flocka cites Nas as a formative influence. He’s worked with and has the admiration of all of the legends, from Kool G Rap to Rakim to KRS-One.

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2.Which rapper can you name that’s still this good  20 years into his career?

There are a few who are still relevant (Scarface, Jay-Z, Too Short, etc.), true, but Nas is still challenging himself as an emcee. People seem to forget that Nas has been on top of the game since he was 17. And he’s never fallen off – whereas most of his contemporaries. Heads argue that he’ll never top Illmatic, but no one can say that albums like God’s Son and Untitled are bad records. People complain about his ear for beats, but his skills as an emcee and a storyteller have never waivered.

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3. He’s Incredibly Versatile

Nas  can do a cl