- [Announcer] From Brandy and Ray J
to Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem,
family connections and music have always been a thing.
Although most fans don't realize
some of our favorite artists are actually related,
having more than one superstar
in the family sounds like success.
The roots on these family trees are strong
and there are a lot of mega celebrity trees.
(fast-paced music)
Fast rising actress, Yara Shahidi comes from a lineage
of entertainers and is also the famous iconic rapper
Nas' second cousin.
Still, she has made a name for herself
over the last few years
through her successful acting career and social activism.
Yara Shahidi is best known for portraying Zoey Johnson
on the popular sit-com Black-ish since 2014
and its spinoff series Grown-ish.
We first laid eyes on her in the film Imagine That
starring Eddie Murphy,
Smallfoot and a lead role in The Sun Is Also a Star.
You may also remember seeing her
grace the cover of Time Magazine,
which included her on the 30 Most Influential Teens of 2016.
- I am able to turn left and right,
and forward and back and see people
who are doing amazing work and are so committed.
- [Announcer] She began her career
when she was six years old appearing
in television commercials and print advertisements
for companies such as McDonald's, Ralph Lauren,
Target, GapKids, Disney, GUESS Kids,
and The Children's Place.
She frequently worked with her mother and younger brother
in various print and broadcast campaigns.
In 2014, she won an NAACP Image Award
in the category of Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy.
In 2016, she added model to her resume
when she signed to a modeling agency
in the hopes of providing a platform
to see more women of color in diverse roles.
Ranked one of the best dressed women,
she was one of 15 women selected to appear
on the cover of the September 2019 issue of British Vogue
by guest editor, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.
Shahidi and her mother
launched their production company, 7th Sun
and signed a deal with ABC Studios to produce shows.
This young woman is flexing her star power,
and soon we will see her as Tinkerbell
in the upcoming Peter Pan remake, Peter and Wendy.
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones,
better know him by his stage name, Nas
has become an icon in his own right,
opening doors as one of our generation's
most prolific rappers, songwriters, and entrepreneurs.
A fixture in the New York hip hop scene,
he is regarded as one of the greatest
and most influential rappers of all time.
Since his debut, Nas has released 14 studio albums,
seven of which are certified Platinum,
and Multi-Platinum in the US.
Nas' debut album Illmatic
received universal acclaim upon release,
and is considered to be one
of the greatest hip hop albums of all time.
Nas' debut album Illmatic
received universal acclaim upon release,
and is considered to be one
of the greatest hip hop albums of all time.
The album was inducted into the Library of Congress'
National Recording Register.
- This new album, Life is Good,
I want this to go to number zero.
(Audience laughs)
Okay, you got that, America?
- That's what we're gonna do.
- [Announcer] His 10th studio album, Life is Good
was nominated for Best Rap Album
at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards.
After receiving 13 nominations,
his 12th studio album King's Disease
won him his first Grammy for Best Rap Album
at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.
Nas continues to push his creative reach,
venturing into the world of an entrepreneur,
investing in publishing, apparel, restaurants,
and most recently, technology startups,
including Dropbox, Lyft, and Robinhood.
It turns out artistic talent
and creative abilities really do run in the family.
These stars will never have to worry
about being the only celebrity at the family reunion.