Queens rapper Nas became the first rapper invited to trace his family tree through the PBS series “Finding Your Roots”. His family’s story is among those told on season two of “Finding Your Roots,” hosted by Harvard University scholar, author and filmmaker Henry Louis Gates Jr. and will be debuting September 23, 2014.
The experience greatly affected Nas. He spoke at a panel discussion about one particular moment when he saw 1859 papers showing one of his ancestors was sold as a slave.
After discovering details of his heritage, he said it made him think about his ancestor’s contribution to America.
“First I was enraged when I looked at the bill of sale. I was like, that guy that owned property owes me some cash. My people made him really wealthy, so maybe I should find his family and talk.”
Throughout his career Nas has used his music to explore and present historical information he felt was relevant to his listeners, so it’s not surprising the Queens emcee took advantage of the opportunity to learn more about his own family history.
“Nas is a true visionary, and he consistently shows how boundaries can be pushed and expanded to further the cause of education and knowledge. The work of the Du Bois Institute is enriched by the addition of the Nasir Jones Hiphop Fellowship,” stated Gates.
The father of two has changed his mind since that initial reaction. He’s now “on a mission to find out more” about his roots and believes the entire experience will have a natural affect on his music.
According to the AP, research on each person begins with DNA testing of a saliva sample and results in a detailed family history, which Gates presents to each guest.
Gates, who has done a variety of PBS specials about African Americans and their history and experiences, recalled getting a letter from a white woman who accused him of racism for his singular focus.
“I thought white people had more access to knowledge about their family tree than we did,” said Gates, but I realized that’s untrue and that people of every ethnicity share the same “cultural amnesia,” he concluded.