After trampling the stage to start a night that would leave his face soaked in sweat, Nas took a chance to reminisce.

“I go back to the cassette tape days,” he said to the crowd. “Do you remember that?”

“You definitely don’t remember that,” the rapper said, answering his question.

The Queens rapper tied together his one gold chain, a white T-shirt and blue jeans with a blue and orange New York Mets cap as he performed on Wednesday night. Nas reminisced on rap and his career a few times during his free concert at Chevy Court on the New York State Fairgrounds.

Stepping in for Snoop Dogg, who didn’t perform because of illness, Nas drew on his early discography in a performance that lasted just over an hour. He sounded like a rapper thoroughly enjoying his time on top, but one who is also ready to pass the torch. Even at 41, when he may be better known for Hennessy commercials and backing J. Cole, Nas was able to move the crowd, which finished most of his verses.

“I’m old,” Nas said, pausing, just before jumping into “Got Ur Self A…”.

“Sh*t, I feel great.”

At the Chevy Court, silver benches were placed on a mix of matted down dead grass and cigarette butts. Nearly every seat was filled, and security cut off access to the benches about 30 minutes before the concert unless people were returning to their seats. Many stood on the grass and even in the concrete areas outside the immediate area. Smoke plumes hit the air that was already filled with a slight buzz of conversation.

 

Three times before Nas started rapping at 8:18 p.m., “We want Nas,” chants started.

15 minutes before the rapper came on, a group of people stood on the bleachers and others lifted people on their shoulders, pointing cell phones in the middle of a circle.

New York State Troopers walked to the circle with flashlights and escorted two women out of the concert area. A minute later, a man climbed the trunk of the tree and sat in the crook of three branches before a New York State Trooper coaxed him out of the tree and walked him out of Chevy Court.

But once Nas kicked off his set with “Get Down” and moved to “N.Y. State of Mind,” he controlled the crowd. Later in the concert, he called out “Bravehearts, where you at?” and fans mimicked the background chant of “Bravehearts” in his song “Made You Look.” He constantly showed his appreciation for the crowd, even admiring his work of getting a crowd that was unified by his music.

“This a dream to wake up with this many fly motherf*ckers out here,” Nas said between rapping “You Can Hate Me Now” and “Oochie Wally.”

He also seemed to realize some of his audience was born a bit early to pick up his music when it hit stores. As people weaved their way through the crowd they were often trailed by a few of their kids rather than friends. Between songs, he mused on the state of rap, how far it has come and how far it has to go.

“There is no best. We got 20 more years to test this,” he said early in his set. “Then we’ll see.”

Nas came back to the topic between rapping “Hip Hop is Dead” and “One Love.”

“Syracuse, is hip hop dead?” he asked the crowd. And despite a resounding “Yes,” Nas answered himself a bit more positively.

“I think it’s waking up.”

Which means that Nas, who started rapping 1991, may be able to take a step back. But for the night, when fans were itching for his performance, he managed to quench their thirst for his rhymes. And he seemed to prove himself not only as the king of rap in New York City but as the king of rap in New York state.

Published on September 3, 2015 at 1:12 am

Contact Chris: cjlibona@syr.edu | @ChrisLibonati