Nas is part of the principal creative team behind the upcoming **Broadway-bound musical adaptation of **Beat Street, the groundbreaking 1984 film about the early days of hip-hop culture in New York City.
The Grammy-winning rapper is creating new musical material and expanding the original film’s soundtrack for the stage adaptation.
The production’s additional creative team includes Schele Williams, Kristoffer Diaz and Jason Michael Webb. Williams, who directed the 2024 Broadway revival of The Wiz, will direct. Diaz, whose Broadway credits include Hell’s Kitchen, will write the book based on the original MGM motion picture. Webb, known for MJ: The Musical and Choir Boy, will serve as music supervisor, arranger and orchestrator.
The team recently collaborated on a 29-hour workshop. Casting and a production timeline have not been announced.
Bringing a Hip-Hop Classic to the Stage
Directed by Stan Lathan, Beat Street follows aspiring artists—including a graffiti artist, DJ and break-dancer—in the South Bronx during the early 1980s as they pursue their dreams amid New York City’s developing hip-hop scene.
The film featured appearances from hip-hop pioneers including DJ Kool Herc, Doug E. Fresh, Afrika Bambaataa & The Sonic Force, the Treacherous Three, the New York City Breakers, Rock Steady Crew and Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious Five.
It starred Rae Dawn Chong, Gus Davis and Jon Chardiet and featured music from Harry Belafonte and Arthur Baker. Its soundtrack was released in two volumes, with the first becoming one of the early rap albums to earn gold certification.
Nas and the Legacy of Beat Street
Nas announced his involvement with the Broadway adaptation in 2024 during a 40th-anniversary screening of Beat Street at the Tribeca Film Festival.
The production will be produced by Richard Fearn, Arthur Baker, Michael Holman and Peter Bittenbender, in association with Mass Appeal, the company co-founded by Nas. Baker and Holman were also involved with the original film.
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