Before Nas released Illmatic, his landmark debut album that forever raised the bar for lyricism in hip hop, he was introduced to the hip hop world by his verse on “Live at the BBQ,” a song from Main Source's 1991 album, Breaking Atoms. The track was produced by Large Professor and also featured guest verses from Akinyele and Joe Fatal. However, with lines such as “Verbal assassin, my architect pleases/When I was twelve, I went to hell for snuffing Jesus,” Nas' verbal acrobatics stood at the forefront, and it was immediately apparent that this young emcee from Queens was poised to set a new standard for excellence in rhyming.
25 years after that seminal hip hop song, Nas is using its title for a new summer concert that looks to be one of New York's biggest rap events of the summer. In partnership with WeWork, Nas' Mass Appeal is working to put on the “Live at the BBQ” show in Central Park, and along with Hot 97's Peter Rosenberg and Laura Stylez, Nas is set to appear as the event's host.
In addition to the influential Queens emcee, the show will feature appearances from Ty Dolla $ign, Dj Shadow, Mannie Fresh, Fashawn, Black Thought, Machine Gun Kelly, araabMUZIK and others. Fried chicken and Southern BBQ, courtesy of Sweet Chick, will also be available. Live at the BBQ is scheduled for July 25th, and general admission tickets can be purchased for $39.50.
By Ryan Donberg for RAPstation.com
