Ep 14. Nas Live From The Kennedy Center: Classical Hip-hop

Nas Live From The Kennedy Center: Classical Hip-hop is an episode of the long-running PBS series Great Performances, which showcases the talents of musicians and performers across a wide range of genres. This particular episode features rapper Nas as he performs with the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington D.C.'s Kennedy Center.

The concert, which was originally performed in 2014, sees Nas performing tracks from his celebrated 1994 debut album Illmatic, which is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influential hip-hop albums of all time. However, in keeping with the theme of the episode, the songs are reimagined with classical and orchestral accompaniment, courtesy of the National Symphony Orchestra.

The episode opens with snippets of Nas talking about his childhood in Queensbridge, New York, and how he first fell in love with hip-hop. These brief interviews are interspersed throughout the episode, providing context and insight into Nas's creative process and the meaning behind his lyrics.

The concert itself is a tour de force of musical fusion, as Nas and the orchestra seamlessly blend hip-hop beats and rhymes with lush classical arrangements. The setlist includes classics like "N.Y. State of Mind" and "It Ain't Hard To Tell", as well as deeper cuts like "Represent", all of which are given new life by the addition of live strings, horns, and percussion.

The arrangements, which were created by composer William Brittelle, are a particularly impressive feat, as they manage to maintain the essential energy and grit of Nas's original productions while elevating them to a new level of grandeur and sophistication. The orchestra's musicians are clearly having a blast playing this material, as they dig into their parts with gusto and seem genuinely excited to be involved in such an innovative project.

Nas himself is a magnetic presence onstage, effortlessly commanding the crowd with his commanding flow and charismatic stage presence. He seems genuinely moved by the experience of performing with a live orchestra, and there are moments where he clearly gets lost in the music, closing his eyes and swaying to the rhythm as though he's transported back to the days when he first wrote these songs.

One particularly noteworthy moment comes during the performance of "One Love", a poignant track in which Nas pens heartfelt letters to friends who are incarcerated. The song takes on an even greater emotional weight in this context, as the lush string section underscores the bittersweet melancholy of Nas's lyrics. The camera cuts to shots of audience members wiping away tears, a testament to the power of the music to touch even those who may not be familiar with the artist's work.

Throughout the episode, the camera work is top-notch, capturing all the key moments of the concert from a variety of angles. The editing is dynamic and engaging, cutting between different shots to showcase the interplay between the various elements of the performance. The sound quality is impeccable, allowing viewers to fully appreciate the intricacies of the arrangements and the nuances of Nas's rhymes.

Overall, Nas Live From The Kennedy Center: Classical Hip-hop is an excellent episode of Great Performances, showcasing the power of collaboration and the ability of music to transcend genre and cultural boundaries. Nas's performance with the National Symphony Orchestra is a testament to the enduring power of his classic album Illmatic, while also demonstrating the scope and depth of his artistic vision. For fans of hip-hop, classical music, or simply great music in general, this episode is not to be missed.