Albeit from the nosebleeds, in 2021, at the Premier Theater, a vast performance hall located inside of the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut, I checked “See my favorite rapper in concert” off my king-sized bucket list. While the bulk of the audience spluttered with joy, and sang along to the intricate lyrics, I spent my time in a zen-like headspace, locked-in on the performance, hoping to pick up a thing or two from witnessing a master at his craft.
Right before Nas took the stage, all the lights went out. While the place was pitch back, the ‘Take it in Blood’ beat began to echo throughout the area. Right off the bat, I had chills. Seconds later, the illuminants returned, and the legendary hip hop figure arrived on the set. Donning his iconic “QB’ chain, in honor of his Queensbridge roots, Nas began rapping along to the song. He would go on to perform more songs of his platinum selling record, It Was Written, while also mixing in all the classics off of Illmatic. Hearing songs like “The Message”, “I Gave You Power”, “N.Y. State of Mind” and “The World Is Yours”, in person was nothin short of spectacular. As a big fan of his output, I had been listening to these songs for years. Whether it be in the car, at the gym, or in my bedroom, Nas’ catalog has always brought me immense joy so to get see him perform live was just awesome.
