Queens-born rap legend Nas has secured a significant victory over fellow hip-hop icon Jay-Z in New York City’s heated casino development battle.
Last week, a state advisory board unanimously approved Nas’s partnership with Resorts World New York City.
NAS’ CASINO EXPANSION
The deal is to expand its Aqueduct racino into a full-scale Las Vegas-style integrated resort in Queens. The $5.5 billion project will make it the largest casino in the United States, according to Page Six.
This approval arrives just days after Jay-Z’s Roc Nation-led bid for a $5.4 billion Times Square casino was rejected by a 4-2 vote from the same state board.
Nas expressed deep pride in giving back to his hometown. “The future is not something you wait for. It’s something you build. We’re committed to Queens and, in Queens, the future is now!”
HELPING THE COMMUNITIES
The project promises to inject thousands of union jobs into the local economy. It will also provide 3,000 units of workforce housing, acres of new parkland, and improved connections to JFK Airport and Manhattan.
Fellow Queens native and retired NBA star Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith is also championing the project. He spearheaded a sports and media complex as part of the expansion.
NAS VS JAY Z
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards celebrated the outcome with a pointed message to Jay-Z: “Sorry, Jay-Z. We win again!”
Investors expect the new casino development to generate approximately R20 billion.
This will boost economic activity and public revenue in the borough and across New York City. Jay-Z had pursued a high-profile plan to build a Caesars Palace casino in the heart of Times Square.
His proposal included $5 billion in community grants but ultimately failed to gain the board’s approval amid community opposition, according to Hindustan Times.
VICTORY AND LEGACY
Nas’s victory signals how legacy artists can pivot their cultural capital into transformative economic projects in urban communities.
The Queens casino expansion embodies a blend of entertainment, community upliftment, and sustainable development.
These are principles that resonate deeply in cities worldwide, including Johannesburg and Cape Town.
This win underscores Nas’s ongoing evolution from hip-hop royalty to influential entrepreneur, building a legacy that goes beyond music and directly impacts local communities.