Last night Hennessy & the iconic London venue KOKO hosted Hip-Hop legend NAS’s official ‘N.Y State of Mind’ afterparty with a secret late-night intimate show and surprise on-stage performances. Fresh off the stage from a sold-out London O2 show where NAS headlined alongside fellow Hip-Hop hall of famers Wu-Tang Clan, Nas and Wu-Tang made it across town to KOKO for his secret performance at 2 am.
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Last night’s event saw the cream of the crop of the UK’s Hip-Hop culture from fashion, music and art. The likes of D Double E, AJ Tracey & Ghetts were in attendance to see NAS perform six songs and bring out special guests Raekwon & Ghostface Killah from Wu-Tang Clan. Support came from Kensington-born rapper Sam Wise and Kiss FM DJ Shortee Blitz.
Prior to this one-off performance, Hennessy & KOKO hosted a private banquet at The House of KOKO with special guests AJ Tracey, Flohio, Jyoty, Kidakudz and Kenny All-Star.
Hennessy, NAS & Hip-Hop are intrinsically linked. On his first album, the genre-defining ‘Illmatic’, NAS explains how he raps for the ‘Hennessy Holders’. Over 2500 songs name check Hennessy, from its US origins with stars like Tupac, Mobb Deep & Busta Rhymes spitting about the liquid all the way to a new breed of UK rappers like Tion Wayne, Stormzy & Stefflon Don. It has been universally accepted as a status symbol and has evolved into a key piece of iconography of the scene.
KOKO has a long-standing history of being at the centre of Hip-Hop in the UK. Over the years KOKO has staged shows from J Cole, Kanye West, Childish Gambino, Mac Miller, Public Enemy, A Tribe Called Quest, and Joey Bada$$, to name a few. This summer KOKO will be hosting infamous LA DJ Zack Bia as well as Action Bronson.
Hennessy will continue to celebrate 50 years of Hip-Hop, with last night kick-starting a summer program of festivals, events, and launches that champion UK musical communities and collectives that are pushing Hip-Hop culture in new directions.
