Nas discovers his ancestors were sold as slaves

Rapper Nas was shocked to discover his ancestors were sold as slaves in 1859 during his appearance on a genealogy TV show.

The I Can hitmaker is the first rapper to trace his family history on series Finding Your Roots, and he was overwhelmed with emotion when he was presented with documents showing his relatives' tragic past.

Now he is considering tracking down descendents of those who 'owned' his ancestors to demand they hand over some of the fortune they made from slavery.

Speaking during the Television Critics Association press tour, he explains, "First I was enraged when I looked at the bill of sale. I was like, that guy that owned property owes me some cash. My people made him really wealthy, so maybe I should find his family and talk."

The rapper adds, "Now I'm on a mission to find out more."

The 10-part TV series will also feature stars including Ben Affleck, Jessica Alba, Tina Fey and Stephen King.