Amidst a sea of floral head bands in Indio, Calfornia, Nas delivered perhaps the greatest stand out Hip Hop performance last night (April 12) at this year’s first weekend of Coachella. As Nas’ debut album Illmatic nears its 20th anniversary, Nasty Nas emerged before the crowd to bring some classic cuts from the project. Following his track “Life’s A Bitch,” Nas continued with “The World Is Yours,” zoning in on the line “I’m out for Presidents to represent me / I’m out for Dead Presidents.” Just in time, Jay Z arrives with his classic debut “Dead Presidents.” He then added in “Where I’m From,” with Nas on the ad libs as the two brought Brooklyn and Queens to the desert.

Nas then moved on to later singles from his catalog. Once he reached the anti-haters anthem “Hate Me Now,” Puff Daddy appeared and the two side by side brought the classic off Nas’ 1999 I Am. Of course Diddy had to let the swag out, spraying the crowd with Ace Of Spades champagne. At the close of the set, an emotional Nas said, “Thank you, from the bottom of my Braveheart.” Puff Daddy interjects, “If it wasn’t for you, Hip Hop wouldn’t have arrived to this place right here. God sent you to us. You are a genius, an artiste in its rarest form.” Humbled and happy, Nas brought an encore, closing his set with “One Mic.”

Nas’ Illmatic turns 20 next Saturday (April 19). Be sure to check out HipHopDX all this week, as we deliver exclusive coverage of the album’s 20th Anniversary.