Nas Offers a Career-Spanning Medley at 2022 Grammys
Nas displayed his growth through an inspiring medley at the 2022 Grammy Awards on Sunday night (April 3), opening the performance with a teenage boy portraying younger version of himself.
“I know I can/ Be what I wanna be/ If I work hard at it/ I’ll be where I wanna be,” the young Nas breezily sang from the 2002 hit “I Can” before running off stage — revealing Nas and a full horn section, as the star delved into a medley of 2002’s “Made You Look,” 2001’s “One Mic” and 2021’s “Rare.”
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Nas’ King’s Disease II, which features “Rare,” was nominated for best rap album at the Grammys ceremony, though the award ultimately went to Tyler, the Creator‘s Call Me If You Get Lost.
Kings Disease II peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 albums chart dated Aug. 21, 2021, and spent three weeks total on the chart. The album also debuted atop Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart on the same week.
The LP is a follow up to 2020’s Kings Disease, which was yet another top five album for Nas, as the album peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 dated Sept. 5, 2020. The album earned Nas his first Grammy win just last year, taking home the 2021 trophy for best rap album.
2021 was an exciting year for Nas, as it marks the 25th anniversary since the 1996 release of his sophomore studio album, It Was Written. Legacy Recordings, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, has released an expanded digital edition of the project. The expanded It Was Written, which is available for streaming, features bonus tracks “Silent Murder” and “Street Dreams.”
