Uncommon Nasa

As an emcee, Nasa is inspired by the words of the famed screenwriter and playwright Rod Serling. In response to a question about how he'd like to be remembered 100 years from now, Serling simply said “as a "writer." Nasa’s music is a story of self—often focusing on defining moments in his life and current events that strike a chord. As a producer, Nasa throws bricks through windows, weaving intricately layered beats that challenge listeners. Read more on Last.fm …read full bio

As an emcee, Nasa is inspired by the words of the famed screenwriter and playwright Rod Serling. In response to a question about how he'd like to be remembered 100 years from now, Serling simply said “as a "writer." Nasa’s music is a story of self—often focusing on defining moments in his life and current events that strike a chord. As a producer, Nasa throws bricks through windows, weaving intricately layered beats that challenge listeners. His unique methods of chopping samples came after years of development and help give him a sound that can only be associated with a “Nasa beat.” His attention to detail and ear for the unorthodox creates a sound that is indescribably infectious—created by multi-tracked layers of recorded live playing of an MPC. The source material: an extensive record collection of crackling vinyl run through the mixing and engineering techniques of a 18-year veteran behind the boards. Nasa has a love for New York like a child loves its mother. Raised on Staten Island, Nasa reps NYC with a ferocious pride. When New York's indie hip-hop boom hit in the 90s, Nasa was there as a devoted attendee of events, listener of late-night radio and buyer of vinyl … then, he became involved. And as the scene has evolved and the city has changed, Nasa has been dedicated to it every step of the way. Through New York Telephone, he reflects the love for his home, the way it has nurtured the indie hip hop art form, and how it continues to be most the most influential city in the world. His view of New York City hasn't changed through the years, though the city has. Despite the evolution of the city, Nasa maintains the same lens. On his latest project, Halfway, Nasa focuses on mortality in the way only he can. He maintains the same point of view from NYT, but applies it to address the things that one should value about life and complete before death. In addition to his production and writing, Uncommon Nasa is a prolific performer. Now a veteran of nine tours taking him from coast to coast across the United States, Nasa thrives off the energy at live shows and meeting fans of his work. And anyone who’s witnessed Nasa in action will tell you it’s definitely an experience packed with emotion and energy. Keep an eye out for an Uncommon Nasa show near you. After founding Uncommon Records in 2004, Nasa took a unique approach to producing and promoting the music on his label. Always on the cutting-edge of technology and eager to think outside the box, Nasa’s vision by 2006 was the driving force behind progressive moves such as releasing music almost exclusively in a digital format, long before it was commonplace across the industry. Over the years he’s utilized emerging technology to promote and discuss Uncommon’s music and artists. He was an early adopter of Twitter and other forms of social media, often speaking out for artists’ rights at a time when it wasn't a popular thing to do. Nasa also coined the phrase “Progressive Hip-Hop” to describe the vivid and envelope-pushing sound and style that he witnessed emerge from the indie scene in New York City and beyond. He is a pioneer for the sub-genre in every sense of the word. Nasa’s not done by any stretch of the imagination—his foot pressed firmly on the gas pedal, Uncommon's direction is now geared towards his production of full-length projects and albums of his own unique lyricism. Uncommon Records' focus has shifted toward personal work from Nasa as well as collaborations of meaningful and thoughtful music with peers. That being said, the goal of Uncommon Records has been and will always remain the same—to put out the best quality in sound, production and song writing. Nasa is also an active and accomplished recording, mix and mastering engineer, having worked in recording studios for years, culminating with him landing as head engineer at Definitive Jux from 2000-2005. He continues to collect credits on releases, working out of Nasa Labs. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License and may also be available under the GNU FDL.

…shrink me down again