Hstry Clothing by Nas

Yep, Nas the hip-hop artist has dropped a new men's apparel brand selling tees, hoodies, jackets and hats which he describes as a culmination of experiences, knowledge and inspiration from the past and present.

Why is Nas Doing a Clothing Brand Now?

Nas continues his efforts to celebrate his blackness in the form of fashion. In an interview with The Huffington Post, the “I Know I Can” rapper announced that he’s launching a Black History Month-inspired collection of his HSTRY brand. 

Featuring apparel with the statements “Black Don’t Crack” and the James Brown anthem “I’m Black and I’m Proud,” the proceeds will also benefit the National Black Child Development Institute. The organization has a central focus on literacy, early childhood education and health awareness initiatives.

In a statement issued to the news site, the Queensbridge native said he hopes this collection will instill a sense of pride and optimism within those consumers. “We’re in a time now where we can easily get caught up focusing on the negative things going on in America and feel like we have almost been set back in our journey. This fashion collection is about turning things around and instilling positivity,” he said. “Celebrating being Black in a loud and fun way. Taking a much-needed moment to be proud of the achievements we have made, our colorful culture, black royalty and excellence from the past, present, and future.”

While speaking on the significance of Black History Month, the veteran artist said he used to “cringe” at the thought of this time dedicated to highlighting achievements within the black community.

“It felt like a slap in the face with all the hell we catch daily,” he said. “Like a small reward for a dog’s good behavior, then back to the kennel. But I’ll take it. I’ll take what I can get and that’s all I need to go to new heights.”

About Hstry Clothing

According to Nas “Your coming of age is about representing who you are, and hip-hop music contains a message — it tells a story about who you are — and what you wear is also proof of it,” says the rapper Nasir Jones, a.k.a. Nas. It was with this in mind that he and a business partner, Sacha Jenkins — both onetime Queens residents currently in their 40s — set out to provide a cinematic reminder of “the importance of something that we’d grown up around and that is still strong in pop culture — clothes, fashion or what we call ‘gear.’”

In 2016, Nas did a Ghostbusters inspired collection and now Nas and his HSTRY clothing label are giving Coming 2 America fans a way to sport the cult-favorite film’s sequel on their sleeves. The New York-bred rapper (born Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones) has teamed with the Craig Brewer-directed Amazon Original comedy (now streaming on Amazon Prime) on a limited-edition collection that “stands true to both the film’s and Nas’ roots from Africa to Queens,” per a release.

Priced from $65 to $195, the 13-piece streetwear range is comprised of apparel and accessories with graphic prints and embroidered “C2A” and “Queens” logos. Standouts include an oversized French terry pullover sweater emblazoned with the kingdom of Zamunda’s crest, matching sweaters and sweatpants in leopard prints and collegiate-inspired designs, bold-hued hoodies, pom-pom beanies, and snapbacks.

Nas' Hstry Clothing Brand Reviews

This brand is apparently inspired by 80's and 90's fashion including bucket hats, tees, hoodies and other streetwear. Of course Nas should have a good grasp of the fashion from this era so there should be no problem with authenticity. Likewise, Nas has pretty much always been considered a conscious rapper so like Jay-Z asked "what you tryin' to kick knowledge?" and Nas appropriately replied "nah, I'm trying to kick the shit you need to learn though." I think it's fair to say Nas knows a little bit about black history. Other than that there aren't a lot of reviews of this brand online but per their website they seem to have a generous return policy and effort to please the customer.