"Flushing, Queens! Corona, Queens! Jamaica, Queens! Forrest Hills! Astoria, Queens! Queensbridge! Stand up!" Giving shout outs to the neighborhoods of his borough, Queens native Nas performed a hometown throw down at CitiField on Friday night at the end of his home team, New York Mets game against Philadelphia Phillies. Nas, who is part of the Duane Reade Concert Series at CitiField this summer seemed to draw more fans than the Mets themselves to a free concert for those who purchased a ticket to the ball game. Backed by a full band and wearing a custom Mets #10 Jones jersey, Nas was in awe to be playing on the field of his beloved Mets and his boroughs biggest venue.
Opening with "NY State of Mind," Nas and his band were set up along the infield at the second base line to entertain the audience that lasted through the Mets loss in three-digit temperatures. While the heat was on and no way of cooling down, Nas raised the intensity with his passion for performing to the people who he grew up with and grew up with him. "CitiField! I will go as long as you keep going! This is a dream come true!" he told the crowd before jumping into "Life is Good." It was a hip-hop show no doubt, be Nas kept it clean for it was still a family affair. While he cut some of his songs short or left out controversial parts such as in "If I Ruled the World," the hook where he says "I would open up all the cells in Attica and send 'em back to Africa," was gone. Yet, he kept it positive and kept it about dreaming big. Songs like "I Can," and "Street Dreams," took on a whole new meaning for Nas and his audience as he was rapping them in the venue. It was a moment that the rapper and his fans will never forget. In the near hour long performance, he wasted no time as he went through classics like "Hate Me Now," "Made You Look," "Escobar '97," and new hits like "The Don." While the home team may have lost 13-8, Queens still won.
