Rakim, Prodigy, Queen Latifah, Talib Kweli, and Joey Bada$$ are just a few of the big names in Rap music who have shared the stage with the Soul Rebels, an award-winning brass band enjoying the biggest success of its 20+ year career thanks to worldwide tours and appearances on some of the biggest festival stages. In their hometown of New Orleans, the Rebels are a household name routinely performing at a weekly residency and frequent one-off gigs around town. In recent months, however, their appearances in the city have become less frequent due to the rising demand of their showmanship and tremendous skill by iconic touring musicians, such as Nas.

The Hot 8 Brass Band Prove Can’t Nobody Get Down Like New Orleans (Video)

Having collaborated frequently in the past – including at the 2016 Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival and this year’s New Orleans Jazz Festival – Nas and the Rebels teamed up again for global appearances in 2017, including a show in New South Wales, Australia this past spring. In April, the Grammy-nominated MC performed a ton of his material with the eight-piece NOLA group, including his “Hate Me Now” single off his 1999 solo LP, I Am…. In the performance clip below, Heads are treated to an exciting pairing of a classic Rap record with the high-energy backing of instruments not traditionally thought of as being “Hip-Hop.” Shot by Alex Kurland at the Byron Bay Bluesfest down under, the video is but one example of the tremendous chemistry between the two acts on the stage.

#BonusBeat: For many, the tragic news of Prodigy’s passing last month first broke on Nas’ Instagram, fitting considering the decades-long friendship and musical relationship the two Queensbridge legends shared. In the clip seen at Hypebeast Music, Nas took some time to salute his late friend, performing “Shook Ones Part II” at a festival in Netherlands, allowing P’s vocals to take center stage.

Nas will be hitting the road this fall with Lauryn Hill.