‘Great Performances: Nas Live From The Kennedy Center’ Is The “Classical Hip-Hop” Special You Didn’t Know You Needed

So Nas did an episode of Great Performances and it was so good my soul was transported up past the clouds, beyond outer space, to the lower tiers of heaven.

I want you to re-read that sentence. I want you to grasp what exactly is going on in it. Nas, the acclaimed hip-hop artist behind Illmatic, did an episode of Great Performances. Now, it’s not the first time hip-hop has been featured on PBS’s stalwart show. That honor (I believe) goes to the program’s spotlight on Hamilton’s America. But Nas is the first tried-and-true rapper who has been granted his own stage on the Great Performances series. When you think of PBS’s Great Performances and chances are you’re imagining some sort of austere opera or a classical symphony. It’s a showcase for singular voices and splashy Broadway productions. Nas’s inclusion is a signal that hip-hop hasn’t just arrived — it’s thrived. It’s as important to high culture as a Puccini aria.

Great Performances: Nas Live From The Kennedy Center: Classical Hip-Hop is a very special concert experience. Nas does all the hits from Illmatic, but this time clad in a tux with the National Symphony Orchestra backing him. In fact, the whole program is dedicated to looking at Illmatic in a new way. Nas reflects on what inspired it and others chime in on what makes it eternal, if not also universal. We also get interstitial interviews with folks from The Kennedy Center. One older woman on the crew explains that while her son had to explain to her why Nas was a big deal, she’s become a huge fan. Her favorite lyric? “Life’s a bitch and then you die, that’s why we get high, because you never know when you’re gonna go.”

The whole thing is a gorgeous watch. It will inspire you and enlighten you. But the highlight of the smashing hour-long special? A soaring, exquisite, spell-binding take on “It Ain’t Hard To Tell.” It’s here that Nas and the National Symphony Orchestra find a dynamite musical kismet.

You can stream Great Performances: Nas Live From The Kennedy Center: Classical Hip-Hop for free for a short time on the PBS app.

Stream Great Performances: Nas Live From The Kennedy Center: Classical Hip-Hop on PBS