Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones (/nɑːˈsɪər/; born September 14, 1973), better known simply as Nas /ˈnɑːz/, is an American rapper, songwriter and actor. He is the son of jazz musician Olu Dara. Since 1994, Nas has released eight consecutive platinum and multi-platinum albums and sold over 25 million records worldwide. Aside from rapping and acting, Nas is an entrepreneur through his own record label, retail sneaker store, and magazine publishing. He currently serves as Mass Appeal Magazine's associate publisher as well as an owner of a Fila sneaker store.