Hip-hop is more than beats and bravado. It is a cultural force that can change any stage it touches. Over the years, a growing group of artists have moved from the studio to the concert hall. Artists have shown that storytelling and orchestral music are not opposites but natural partners. From trap pioneers to lyrical architects, artists are changing how rap music can sound in elevated spaces. We highlight the rappers who took Hip-Hop to symphony hall.
Nas
The Queensbridge, New York, rapper Nas performed his iconic album “Illmatic” with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the impactful album. The musical arrangement used orchestral instruments to enhance both the emotional power and musical complexity of his narrative delivery.
Kendrick Lamar
The multi-platinum rapper Kendrick Lamar performed a number of tracks from his album “To Pimp a Butterfly” with the National Symphony. The performance presented his politically charged jazz-infused hip-hop music to a broader audience at the Kennedy Center on Oct. 20, 2015, demonstrating the orchestral elements of Lamar’s award-winning album and its position in contemporary American music.
Rick Ross
Rick Ross performed as the main artist at Red Bull Symphonic at Atlanta Symphony Hall back in November 2022. The performance at the Woodruff Art Center brought together Rick Ross with Orchestra Noir to create new versions of his songs, which merged Hip-Hop with classical music while celebrating Black achievement in both genres.
Jeezy
On Jan. 27, the Atlanta Symphony Hall hosted Jeezy, who performed as part of a new concert series that unites Hip-Hop artists with orchestral musicians. The series works to connect urban audiences with orchestral venues while using classical instruments to enhance trap music.
Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean, the Haitian-American rapper and producer who co-founded Fugees, organized the Night of Symphonic Hip-Hop, which brought him to perform with orchestras at multiple concert halls. The series amplifies Hip-Hop through orchestral performances while honoring its musical depth against classical music traditions.
Killer Mike
Killer Mike performed with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., on May 21, 2024, as a full-length original orchestral concert. The concert used orchestral arrangements to transform the Atlanta artist’s music into a deeper musical experience, which showcased Black artistic presence in classical music venues.
RZA (Wu-Tang Clan)
RZA, who founded the Wu-Tang Clan and works as a producer and composer, created “A Ballet Through Mud,” which the Colorado Symphony Orchestra performed as a complete orchestral ballet score. RZA reworked the musical arrangement of “The 36th Chamber of Shaolin.” The world premiere took place in 2023. Through spoken word and orchestral elements and ballet performance, RZA brings his stories to life.
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