Nas, the king of the East-Coast, is making a stop in his European tour to set the Cabaret Vert festival on fire. Right on time, unlike most of his colleagues of the new hip-hop scene, the rapper from Brooklyn is ready to deliver a best-of concert. A real slap in the face. Arriving with a drummer and a DJ -who came as in school with his backpack- Nasir Bin Olu Dara Jones of his real name begins by setting the mood with a medley of his greatest hits, as a chef would open the appetite with appetizers before moving to the main course.

Smiling, generous, Nas gives of his person, thanks the crowd massed in front of him, brandishes the flags that festival-goers hand him and delivers a few tributes, including a vibrant one to Michael Jackson. I Know I Can, NY State of Mind, The Message, Nastradamus, Hip-Hop Is Dead, the MC releases the hits and the horses with, the tension rises a notch in the plain of the Cabaret Vert. Quite fussy about dates, the rapper never forgets to resituate his tracks, recalling the classics including the mythical album Illmatic, like a live hip-hop history lesson. A performance that will be remembered for a long time, closed by a nice One Love and the Bob Marley’s extract. Classy.