A classmate of Nas and a member of the N.Y.C. hip-hop supergroup the Firm, Queensbridge MC Nature was born Jermaine Baxter. Besides some guest shots, Nature was introduced to the world via the Firm, a group that originally featured Nas, AZ, Foxy Brown, and Cormega. When things went sour between Nas and Cormega to the point of a much publicized feud, Nature stepped in to take Cormega's place in the group, and appeared on the Firm's 1997 debut, The Album, released by Columbia Records. Columbia also signed Nature to a solo deal, and a planned 1998 album turned into 2000's For All Seasons, a release the MC felt dropped too late. He had moved on from the material, left Columbia, and then issued his 2002 LP Wild Gremlinz through the indie label Sequence. Prodigy, Noreaga, and Kool G Rap all appeared on his 2008 album Pain Killer, and five years passed before he returned with the Seasons Changed series of four EPs, released in spring, summer, fall, and winter editions. In 2016, the Target Practice collection rounded up stray and unreleased tracks. ~ David Jeffries, Rovi