I Am

I Am... is the third studio album by American rapper Nas, released on April 6, 1999, by Columbia Records. The album debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200, selling over 470,000 copies in its first week of sales. I Am… became certified double Platinum in the United States, making it Nas' second best-selling release behind It Was Written.

Nas (Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, b. 1973) is an American rapper, songwriter, and entrepreneur. The son of Jazz musician Olu Dara, Jones's musical career began in 1989 as he adopted the moniker of "Nasty Nas" and recorded demos for Large Professor. He was a featured artist on Main Source's "Live at the Barbeque" (1991), also produced by Large Professor. Nas's debut album Illmatic (1994) received universal acclaim upon release and is considered to be one of the greatest Hip-Hop albums of all-time. Nas has released fourteen studio albums since 1994, ten of which are certified Gold, Platinum or multi-Platinum in the U.S.. Nas has stood as one of New York City's leading rap voices, outspokenly expressing a righteous, self-empowered swagger that has endeared him to critics and hip-hop purists. Whether proclaiming himself "Nasty Nas" or "Nas Escobar" or "Nastradamus" or "God's Son," the self-appointed King of New York has battled numerous adversaries and noted lyric genius with his ability of innovative storytelling and his lyrical technique. Rooted in the New York Hip-Hop scene, he is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time.