On July 23rd, 2011, acclaimed singer Amy Winehouse passed away at the age of twenty-seven. And while she had only completed two albums during her lifetime in Frank and Back To Black, her unique voice and undeniable talent left a lasting impression on fans and artists alike. For Nas, who counted Amy as a close friend, their relationship ran deep. Initially introduced to one another by mutual producer Salaam Remi, the pair hit it off on a creative level, forging a bond in the process. In fact, one of Amy's fan-favorite cuts "Me and Mr. Jones" has been confirmed to be about Nas, a fact he confirmed following her death.
Simone Joyner/Getty Images
Today, Nas took a moment to honor his late friend, taking to Instagram to share a candid picture of her celebrating her birthday. Keeping things rather concise, though no less effective, Nas deemed Winehouse to be his "Virgo twin." It should be noted that the pair actually share the same birthday of September 14th, albeit with a ten-year difference between them. "Miss ya," he concludes, prompting fans to fill his comment section with their own tributes to the late Winehouse.
Though they only shared vocals on a single released track -- the Grammy-nominated and posthumously-arranged "Cherry Wine" -- the beloved record was actually done posthumously. Were she still alive, Winehouse would have turned thirty-seven. As for Nas, the King's Disease rapper closed the books on his big forty-seven. Happy birthday to both parties -- and rest in peace Amy Winehouse.