Nas Brings “Illmatic” to Life with Cincinnati Pops Orchestra [VIDEOS]
Nas delivered a rare, two-night-only performance in Cincinnati on November 12th and 13th, celebrating the 30th anniversary of Illmatic alongside the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra at Music Hall.
Both shows sold out and marked one of the only times the iconic album has been performed live with a full orchestra.
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Before the concert began, guests got to kick the night off with pre-show activations: a curated lounge area, specialty drinks, DJ sets from Elementz, and an exclusive BlaCkOWned “CiNcY State of Mind” collection available only during these performances.
Nas opened the show by performing Illmatic front to back, with the Pops Symphony adding new depth layers to tracks like “N.Y. State of Mind,” “Memory Lane,” and “The World Is Yours.” He also blended in hit records from God’s Son, Stillmatic, and It Was Written.
Each night came with its own surprise moment. On the first night, Dave Chappelle made an unexpected appearance, briefly joining Nas onstage. On the final night, rapper AZ stepped out to perform “Life’s a B****,” “Affirmative Action,” and “Sugar Hill,” giving us a rare reunion of two New York rap greats.
Nas, who was 20 when Illmatic dropped and is now 52, reflected on the milestone:
“If you told me I’d be here 30 days ago I woulda thought you was lying… Getting into the rap game was a dream for me. And April 19, 1994, I kicked that door open with my debut.”
Both nights delivered exactly what Hip-Hop fans came for… a once-in-a-generation look at not only Illmatic but rap music in it’s full glory, in a new form.
Check out the different POVs from fans across the city!
