Nas & The Chicago Philharmonic at The Pavilion at Ravinia

Us here at The Pavilion in Ravinia are so excited to welcome Nas to the stage for a special one night show with Chicago’s very own Philharmonic Orchestra in what is guaranteed to be an eclectic, once in a lifetime show right here in Highland Park. 

Nas is one of the most successful and prolific rappers and hip hop artists of the last four decades. There aren’t many who score above his lyrical talents (though many barbershop conversations and online fights have broken out when debating the topic), and his dedication to the genre started before he officially hit the scene in 1992 with his record deal. His father is the famous jazz musician Olu Dara, and he is a mentee of the east coast legend Large Professor. Immediately upon Nas’s signing, he released what many consider his magnum opus titled The Illmatic. The album has been added to The Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry, and is considered one of the best hip hop albums of all time. By his second album, Nas was going platinum in the matter of weeks, and he was officially on the mainstream circuit of rap music only four years after his signing. It Was Written debut at #1 on the Billboard 200, and Nas entered the conversations of greatest emcees of all time along with his contemporaries like Jay Z and Big Daddy Kane. Nas’s output is impressive - he’s basically released an album every other year since The Illmatic, all while touring extensively and starting a family as well. Nas is still the face of hip hop and what rap success can look like - boasting thirteen albums, and ten that have gone either Gold, Platinum, or Multi Platinum by RIAA’s records. 

The Chicago Philharmonic is one of Nas’s latest collaborations with an orchestral group to perform and interpret his music for diverse audiences across the world. He began performing with orchestras and symphonic bands back in 2018 with the National Symphony Orchestra, and just as recently as last Autumn with the Las Vegas Philharmonic as he performed Illmatic with the crew. We can only speculate what Nas will bring out from his archive during his show with the Chicago Phils, but we’re hoping for a mix of classics new and old as he shows his range and reign over the American rap scene from his madly successful career. 

So - given all of this - you know this show will be one you don’t want to miss. Don’t sleep on these tickets, and we’ll see you at Ravinia soon!