Nas is putting Beat Street on a Broadway stage. XXL reported September 30, 2026, that the creative team is set: Schele Williams directing, Kristoffer Diaz writing the book, Jason Michael Webb as music supervisor.
The team
Williams directed The Wiz's recent Broadway run, per XXL. Diaz wrote Hell's Kitchen, the Tony-nominated, Grammy-winning Alicia Keys musical. Webb handles arranging and orchestration. That's a Black-led room with real Broadway credits, which matters for a story about breakdancers, DJs, and graffiti writers from the South Bronx.
Nas comes in as co-founder and investor through Mass Appeal, the company producing. XXL says he joined the creative team for a 29-hour workshop in August. Producers also include Richard Fearn, Arthur Baker, Michael Holman, and Peter Bittenbender. Baker and Holman were original producers on the 1984 film, so the source material has a direct line into the project.
What Nas said
XXL quotes him saying the film spread hip-hop "throughout the country and the world," and that he wants to bring "the raw energy of hip-hop into the fabric of Broadway." No opening date, theater, or cast has been announced in the reporting.
Why this one matters
Hip-hop on Broadway has already proven it can sell. The harder part is ownership. A show about the culture's early years is only a win if the people who made that culture see money from it. Nas as an investor and Mass Appeal as producer is a better starting point than most. Watch who's in the cast list and who holds the rights when it's announced.
Beat Street was the first time a lot of kids outside New York saw the Bronx the way the Bronx saw itself. A stage version has to hold that line.
Built for the culture. Operated from San Diego. Run by PHRHX through Sneakz & Beatz LLC. Black-owned, four pillars: sneakers, hip-hop, anime, gaming.
## Sources - XXL, Nas Beat Street Broadway creative team, Sept. 30, 2026