Nas Returns to His Roots with Sweet Chick

The rap king of Queens is coming home, and he's bringing chicken and waffles.

New York legend Nas has been back in town to work on his hotly-anticipated new album, but music isn't the only thing on his mind. In recent years, the 44-year-old Illmatic rapper has kept busy building up a diverse business empire that includes the Mass Appeal label, a collaboration with Baz Luhrmann for Netflix's The Get Down, the Vegas-based shoe store 12AM:RUN, a clothing line called HSTRY, and last but not least, an acclaimed soul-food restaurant chain.

Known for its signature chicken and waffles, Sweet Chick has become a buzzy see-and-be-seen destination with two locations in NYC — in the Williamsburg and Lower East Side neighborhoods — along with one in Los Angeles that opened in 2016 with an assist from YG and Schoolboy Q, no less. Kendrick Lamar, Cameron Diaz, and Mariah Carey are among the growing group of A-listers that have since been spotted dining in, and the empire is still growing. In early April, the restaurant's fourth and newest location will open its doors in Long Island City, marking Nas' first foray in his home borough.

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