Nas to teach hip-hop storytelling MasterClass with new track he wrote for the platform

NEW YORK — One of the greatest rappers of all-time is ready to share is wisdom on storytelling. Nas is teaching a MasterClass in hip-hop storytelling through a new online course beginning Thursday. And he won't just be talking, either. The beloved Brooklyn-born, Queens-raised lyricist promises he's going to create a brand new song just for MasterClass, so users could see his writing process in real-time. Nas (whose given name is Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones) said he will teach students "how to find [their] inspiration, [their] flow, and how to turn [their] life experience into music." The San Francisco-headquartered company explained why the "King's Disease" rapper's class is a must for aspiring rappers and lyricists, saying, "Nas shares his philosophy as a lyricist, breaking down how he used his life experiences and emotions to create incredibly raw yet cinematic lyrics with a message to inspire MasterClass members to do the same." In an interview with Complex, he explained: "I feel like everybody has their own technique. If you take a look at mine, it's really too much to say in one MasterClass. If you take my technique, I think you'll find that it might be real similar to yours if you're a writer. You might see things that you do that are similar or that you didn't see before in yourself. You might find that I gave you something that could add to what you're doing, and I think that's important. I think that's where we're at in the business: it's to share." Launched in 2015, the MasterClass courses each feature about 20 video lessons, at an average of 10 minutes per lesson. Fifteen-time Grammy Award winner Alicia Keys, Vogue magazine editor Anna Wintour, "American Gods" author Neil Gaiman, drag icon RuPaul, actor and host LeVar Burton, filmmaker James Cameron and "Grey's Anatomy" creator Shonda Rhimes are other boldfaced names the platform has attracted. On Sept. 23, the recent Grammy Award winner received the key to Queens as he performed a charity concert raising money to help feed the hungry in NYC. "I'm super honored by it. When you look back and think about humble beginnings, and you realize how much you've been putting in… It's a great county. It's a great town," the 48-year-old father of two said. "To have that honor in 2021 and have my own day, September 23, makes me feel great," Nas continued. "It makes me want to do something more." ©2021 New York Daily News. Visit nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.