Having put on for Queens, N.Y. for the entirety of his career, it was only right that Nas receive a thank you from his hometown, with Queens Borough President Donovan Richards bestowing the keys to the city upon him during a charitable event this past Friday (Sept. 24).
The rap legend, who recently revealed he recovered from COVID-19, was in town for his headlining performance at the “Concert To Feed NYC,” and also honored with his own day, a testament to the impact he’s had on the community. The King’s Disease II spitter received the accolade following his live performance, which was his first in Queens in three years, shared the news via a post of himself posing with members of the City Harvest food rescue organization on his Instagram account.
“Great concert night with @cityharvestnyc,” the Grammy Award winner wrote in the caption. “Thank you to everyone who pulled up in the rain! And to @drichardsqns for my key and my day in Queens September 23rd. Queens Stand up!”
The event, which was opened by DJ Cassidy and included appearances from Girls Who Code’s Reshma Saujani, fashion model Brooks Nader, and legendary rap icon Slick Rick, helped raise funds to feed millions of New Yorker’s struggling to eat in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Jilly Stephens, the CEO of City Harvest.
“At a moment when food insecurity rates continue to be at record highs throughout our city, we are proud to partner with them to bring fresh, nutritious food to thousands of families across the five boroughs,” Stephens shared in a statement.
Watch Nas perform during the “Concert To Feed NYC” concert below: