Yara Shahidi has a very famous relative who many music fans will know –– the legendary New York rapper Nas. They're a talented family, as the "Illmatic" rapper is the son of jazz musician Olu Dara (via the Los Angeles Times). Keri, Shahidi's mother, is a cousin of the Grammy-winning rapper, per Essence, making Shahidi and Nas second cousins. Essence further reported that Shahidi served as a flower girl when Nas married music artist Kelis during a 2005 ceremony in Atlanta. In addition to fulfilling this wedding duty, Shahidi has also shown Nas some love publicly in recent years.
When Shahidi was interviewed on the Emmys red carpet in 2021, she was asked by Karamo Brown on behalf of E! News which musicians were included on her getting ready playlist for the festivities. "Today was 'Duckworth,' my cousin Nas, of course, Amy Winehouse and The Neptunes," Shahidi revealed. The support is mutual, as Shahidi has documented times when Nas offered his encouragement to her. In 2016, Shahidi posted a selfie of herself and Nas on Instagram when he visited the set of her breakout show, "black-ish." "Thanks to my cuzzo @nas for stopping by set, amidst his busy schedule, to support his little cuz (ME)! Family time + work =perfect combo," the actor wrote. Through the guidance Nas has offered, Shahidi's well-known second cousin has had a strong influence on her path.
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