Hip-Hop Icon Nas to Perform Illmatic Live with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall

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Hip-Hop Icon Nas to Perform Illmatic Live with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall

Nas and the BSO unite for a one-night-only celebration to honor 30 years of one of hip-hop’s most acclaimed albums

Baltimore, MD – In an extraordinary one-night-only event, GRAMMY® Award-winning hip-hop legend Nas will perform his groundbreaking debut album Illmatic alongside the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, at 7:30 pm at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall.

NAS: Illmatic Live with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is a genre-defying concert event that combines the legendary lyricism of Nas with the sweeping talents of the BSO musicians. This performance uniquely bridges hip-hop and classical music, offering audiences a cultural touchstone reimagined with orchestral grandeur.

Marking three decades since the acclaimed release of Illmatic, Nas and the BSO will bring the album’s iconic tracks to life with full orchestral arrangements. Widely celebrated as one of hip-hop’s greatest albums, Illmatic features timeless hits such as “N.Y. State of Mind,” “The World Is Yours,” “Memory Lane (Sittin’ in Da Park),” and “It Ain’t Hard to Tell.”

Since the release of Illmatic in 1994, Nas has cemented his status as a pioneering artist, poet, and cultural icon. His expansive career includes 14 critically acclaimed albums, among them multi-platinum classics like Nastradamus, Stillmatic, God’s Son, and Street’s Disciple. With 16 GRAMMY® nominations and a GRAMMY® win for Best Rap Album in 2020 for King’s Disease, Nas continues to shape the hip-hop landscape through recent collaborations with Hit-Boy on albums such as King’s Disease III and Magic 3.

“Welcoming Nas to perform alongside the BSO will be a highlight of the year,” said Mark Hanson, President and CEO of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. “This collaboration speaks to our commitment to breaking boundaries and creating a space where all audiences feel connected to the power of live orchestral music. It is an honor to bring this iconic album to life in a new way and shine a spotlight on our musicians’ incredible range and talent.”

Tickets are $75 – $299 and are available now via the BSO website or at the Meyerhoff box office.

EVENT DETAILS:
Nas Illmatic Live with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall | 1212 Cathedral St. Baltimore, MD 21201
Wednesday, July 23, 2025, | 7:30 PM
Steven Reineke, conductor
Nas, featured guest artist

About the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
For over a century, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) has been recognized as one of America’s leading orchestras and one of Maryland’s most significant cultural institutions. The orchestra is internationally renowned and locally admired for its innovation, performances, recordings, and educational outreach initiatives, including OrchKids.

 

The BSO performs annually for more than 275,000 people throughout the State of Maryland. Since 1982, the BSO has performed at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore, and since 2005, with the opening of The Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda, MD, the BSO became the nation’s first orchestra performing its full season of classical and pops concerts in two metropolitan areas.

In July 2022, the BSO made history with the announcement that Jonathon Heyward would succeed Music Director Laureate and OrchKids Founder Marin Alsop as the Orchestra’s next Music Director. Maestro Heyward began his inaugural season in September 2023.

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is a proud member of the League of American Orchestras.

More information about the BSO can be found at BSOmusic.org.

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