On July 2 at Ravinia, Nas reminded Chicago and anyone else paying attention why he’s one of the greatest storytellers in hip-hop history. The pavilion buzzed with excitement as fans packed the grounds for a night that blended nostalgia, raw lyricism, and orchestral brilliance.
As I sat there, I couldn’t help but rewind to the first time I heard Illmatic. I was fresh out of high school, riding with that tape and a Best of Donald Byrd cassette on a two-hour commute to Oak Brook for my sales job at EF Marketing. My yellow Sony Walkman was my lifeline, and Illmatic was the soundtrack to those long rides, nasal, gritty, hypnotic verses painting scenes of Queensbridge that felt like cinematic dispatches from another world.
The evening opened with the Chicago Philharmonic, their harmonic swells warming up the humid air. It was the most comfortable 90-degree day you could ask for. At 7:45 sharp, they kicked off under the baton of conductor Stewart Goodyear Charity. As they played, the crowd started singing along to Al Green’s Let’s Stay Together, setting the mood for what would become a communal celebration of hip-hop.
Then came the moment everyone was waiting for. Illmatic. No backing tracks. No hype men. Just Nas, alone on stage, spitting every word with razor-sharp precision and commanding presence.
The Illmatic Setlist:
- NY State of Mind
- Life’s a Bitch
- Halftime
- One Love
- Represent
- It Ain’t Hard to Tell
It was raw, emotional, and almost overwhelming. Thirty-one years of this album’s legacy folding into the present. During “Life’s a Bitch”, a few fans near me looked like they might break down. When he hit “One Love”, the crowd rapped every word, almost drowning him out.
After closing his Illmatic set, Nas shifted gears and dove into his later catalog, delivering high-energy performances of newer tracks like “Spicy.” The vibe changed instantly. This was a different Nas, seasoned and triumphant.
But it wasn’t just the new joints that got the crowd going. When the iconic beat for “Made You Look” dropped, Ravinia erupted. He had every voice shouting “BRAVEHEART” in unison, a reminder of just how deeply embedded Nas’ music is in the culture. He closed out the night with “One Mic”, the pensive anthem that showcases his ability to shift from meditative whispers to explosive declarations.
Throughout the night, it was clear. Illmatic may have been the foundation, but it was just the beginning. Nas’ career now spans more than three decades, and he continues to evolve without losing sight of his roots.
Hip-hop was alive at Ravinia last night and Nas brought the culture with him, proving once again why his name still rings out from Queensbridge to Chicago’s North Shore.
