Nas And Gotham Dispensary Collaborate On ‘The World Is Yours’ Exhibit

In 1994, Nas forever changed the landscape with the release of his seminal debut, Illmatic. More than 30 years later, the album his regarded as a classic, a touchstone moment in history where the Queensbridge native ..To pay tribute to the album, Nas has partnered with the Gotham Dispensary to premiere its inaugural show, “The World is Yours,” a collaborative exhibition between legendary rapper Nas and future-conscious design studio Objects Are By and named after one of his signature songs.

Featured in the groundbreaking exhibition are never-before-seen photos of Nas from 1994, captured by Danny Hastings, the Creative Director of Wu-Tang Productions. These striking images, “taken during a pivotal moment in Nas’s rise to fame, offer a glimpse into a young artist on the brink of changing the world of hip-hop. The exhibition is not just a visual journey but an immersive experience that speaks to the stillness before the storm—the quiet before Illmatic reshaped the genre.”

Along with the iconic photography, “The World is Yours” will feature a limited-edition collection of homeware and apparel, created in collaboration with Nas and Objects Are By, inspired by the unseen photographs. The collection includes “woven tapestry blankets, heavyweight hoodies, long-sleeve tees, collectible rolling trays, and ashtrays.” Each item is designed with OBJECTS ARE BY’s signature bone-free china and is available exclusively at Gotham.

Curated by Danny Hastings, the exhibit features never-before-seen images of the legendary rapper from 1994.

In a statement, Hasting spoke about curating the exhibit and collaborating with Nas.

 “In 1994, a young Nas stood beside me on a subway platform, the city buzzing above us, destiny waiting in the shadows. Illmatic had yet to be released. There was no entourage. No flashing cameras,” Hastings told HOT97. “Just two kids from the boroughs—one with rhymes, the other with a camera. I titled that first portrait Last Train to Queensbridge, a poetic timestamp of a moment before it all began. You can see the wonder in his eyes, the weight of dreams just beginning to take form.”

“Five years later, in 1999, I photographed Nas again—this time for his I Am… album. He had arrived. The innocence had shifted into certainty. The raw energy matured into vision. These portraits are styled, polished, intentional. They reflect not just his rise, but mine as well,” his statement continued. “By then, I was pushing my technique—refining light, playing with texture, treating each frame like a cinematic painting.

“Together, these images create a dual narrative: a coming-of-age story told in silver halide and shadow. One subject, two eras, bound by art and ambition. This is not just a portrait of Nas,” Hastings added. ‘It’s a portrait of time, of transformation, and of trust between a rapper and a photographer, both carving space for their voices in a world that didn’t hand anything out. These photographs are windows. They look back, but they also echo forward. In them, you see not only what was, but what was coming.”

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