 |
| |
|
| |
Live Review
by SashaS
25-2-2003
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
| Nas in the finest rap posing and rhyming |
|
Live: Nas
Astoria, London
Monday, February 24, 2003
Nas ends six-year absence with mean beats
Ticketless fans were warned not to turn up to this NME Awards delayed show (from 05 Feb.) – due to the New York City snowstorms obliging a video-shoot relocation to the La-La land – because there was a madness outside his added-on gig at the Forum on Saturday night. When the man hasn’t been around for six years and is one of the major playas in the raphood, what else could anyone expect? Also, the man is promoting an album called ‘God’s Son’ – who then wouldn’t want to see this current-day ’Messiah’?
Nasir Jones, as he likes to be known these days – a far cry from the original ‘Nasty Nas’ – is courting spirituality on his latest disc but he’s not given up on the street. His music is still a reflection of the mean living in the USA’s ‘hoods, full of characters that might appear like out of the movies… The sad fact is that his verses are only fictionalisation of deprivation, despair and disillusionment of his fellow natives.
And his music is so tuned into issues that matter and he drops ‘em large, be it Eminem produced ‘The Cross’ (a boastful moan about how hard it is being at the top of his game), ‘Get Down’ (James Brown’s ‘The Boss’ sampled) that crowd obeys like hypnotised, ‘I Ruled The World’ (‘old skool’ flavoured), ‘Mary Jane’ (Rick James ode to the ‘illicit herb’ enjoyment)…
The largely male crowd – Hip-hop’s mal-standing with the ‘bitches’ is rather understandable – is pumped up and appear to bay for a more adventurous material rather than the commercially-leaning choons. Gangsta-past was well served with material from his masterful debut ‘Illmatic’, all glorifying tales of hustling, then ‘Escobar ‘97’ – ‘bro’-land…
Nas comes from the suchlike environment and it is normal that his stage presentation shares a fair bit with his ‘blood’. The décor is that of an urban set but it is the moves, dancing, body language and posturing that are just a typical rap-hood ‘currency’ that is so widely appreciated. For instance, when the man arrived on stage flanked by a duo from his Bravehearts Crew, two mountainous guards took posts at each wing of the stage. Well, ever since Public Enemy…
Otherwise, an evening of utterly brilliant rolling of rhymes.
SashaS
25-2-2003
Nas’ album ‘God’s Son’ is available now on Sony
|
|
|
