NATAS is a group that Detroit rap legend Esham founded in 1992, along with his friends Mastamind and TNT. The group further promotes Acid Rap–or the Wicket Shit–the style Esham created just a few years earlier.

Many will argue that the name NATAS represents the name Satan backwards. Despite Esham’s title of “The Unholy” and often used subject matter most would consider anti-Christian, he and NATAS have insisted that they are not Satanic.

However, it wouldn’t be until until 5 years later, on their 1997 LP Multikillionaire: The Devil’s Contract where it’s first mentioned that NATAS is an acronym for “Niggas Ahead of Time And Space”. Later, this would change to “Nation Ahead of Time And Space”.