Nassir-Amir Simms (Nas) is now a returning staff writer for the Express. In his first year of college and first semester writing for the Express, his work included opinions on featured films released in theaters during early 2025, highlights of weekly workshops at Sacramento community centers, and entertainment updates. Nas now hopes to expand into more music-based pieces to diversify his work. Above all, he aims to grow as a writer.

As a youth, Nas often read outside of schoolwork, building a lifelong love of literature. In high school, while homeschooled, he joined a writer’s workshop during his junior year and returned his senior year as a mentor. His mini-stories and poems from that period were all published.

Alongside creative writing, Nas also began an independent rap career in 2018. Performing under the name Lul.Mergo, later shortened to Mergo in 2023, used his artistry to express personal perspectives on the world. Yet his greatest dream extends beyond journalism and music: to become a published author, writing novels inspired by his experiences as well as fictional stories on other subjects. Majoring in journalism brings him closer to that goal.

Now in his second year of college, Nas looks ahead to transferring next fall to pursue his bachelor’s degree in journalism and continue his academic journey.