Christina Aguilera performed a tribute to New York City at the NBA All-Star Game this past weekend in honor of the contest's return to the Big Apple. Midway through Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind," Aguilera introduced a special guest: Nas. The Brooklyn-born rapper went straight into his own "N.Y. State of Mind" from 1994's Illmatic album, Vibe noted.
Aguilera kicked things off with Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York" before breaking into the standard "On Broadway." She performed a few more snippets before digging into Joel's 1976 classic.
"Ladies and gentleman," she said after a run at the chorus. "New York's finest -- nasty Nas!"
The rapper hit the stage as the crowd erupted. Nas reworked the tune's first verse in order to make it a little more family-friendly -- the Scarface cocaine reference was changed to "sippin' on champagne."
"Beyond the walls of intelligence, life is defined / I think of crime when I'm in a New York state of mind," he shouted to close out his verse.
Aguilera returned to the stage to take on the Alicia Keys part from Jay Z's New York anthem "Empire State of Mind" as The Rockettes took to the stage for a dance number. She returned to Sinatra's classic to close out the electric performance. Check it out below and let us know what you think in the comments section.
Nas's appearance undoubtedly made fans more anxious for new music. The rapper released his last effort, Life Is Good, in 2012, but he has been teasing his upcoming 12th studio album Season of Nasir for a while. In October, Nas was featured on a Schoolboy Q track where he rapped about his album being finished. The rapper is reportedly working with DJ Premier on the LP.
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