7 Rappers Who Took Hip-Hop To The Symphony Corridor

[ad_1] by Ahsan Washington November 22, 2025

Hip-hop is greater than beats and bravado.

Hip-hop is greater than beats and bravado. It's a cultural power that may change any stage it touches. Through the years, a rising group of artists have moved from the studio to the live performance corridor. Artists have proven that storytelling and orchestral music are usually not opposites however pure companions. From lure pioneers to lyrical architects, artists are altering how rap music can sound in elevated areas. We spotlight the rappers who took Hip-Hop to symphony corridor.

Nas

The Queensbridge, New York, rapper Nas carried out his iconic album “Illmatic” with the Nationwide Symphony Orchestra on the Kennedy Heart in Washington, D.C., to rejoice the twentieth anniversary of the impactful album. The musical association used orchestral devices to reinforce each the emotional energy and musical complexity of his narrative supply.

Kendrick Lamar

The multi-platinum rapper Kendrick Lamar carried out numerous tracks from his album “To Pimp a Butterfly” with the Nationwide Symphony. The efficiency offered his politically charged jazz-infused hip-hop music to a broader viewers on the Kennedy Heart on Oct. 20, 2015, demonstrating the orchestral components of Lamar’s award-winning album and its place in up to date American music.

Rick Ross

Rick Ross carried out as the principle artist at Crimson Bull Symphonic at Atlanta Symphony Corridor again in November 2022. The efficiency on the Woodruff Artwork Heart introduced collectively Rick Ross with Orchestra Noir to create new variations of his songs, which merged Hip-Hop with classical music whereas celebrating Black achievement in each genres.

Jeezy

On Jan. 27, the Atlanta Symphony Corridor hosted Jeezy, who carried out as a part of a brand new live performance collection that unites Hip-Hop artists with orchestral musicians. The collection works to attach city audiences with orchestral venues whereas utilizing classical devices to reinforce lure music.

Wyclef Jean

Wyclef Jean, the Haitian-American rapper and producer who co-founded Fugees, organized the Night time of Symphonic Hip-Hop, which introduced him to carry out with orchestras at a number of live performance halls. The collection amplifies Hip-Hop by orchestral performances whereas honoring its musical depth in opposition to classical music traditions.

Killer Mike

Killer Mike carried out with the Nationwide Symphony Orchestra on the Kennedy Heart in Washington, D.C., on Might 21, 2024, as a full-length authentic orchestral live performance. The live performance used orchestral preparations to rework the Atlanta artist’s music right into a deeper musical expertise, which showcased Black inventive presence in classical music venues.

RZA (Wu-Tang Clan)

RZA, who based the Wu-Tang Clan and works as a producer and composer, created “A Ballet By way of Mud,” which the Colorado Symphony Orchestra carried out as a whole orchestral ballet rating. RZA reworked the musical association of “The thirty sixth Chamber of Shaolin.” The world premiere happened in 2023. By way of spoken phrase and orchestral components and ballet efficiency, RZA brings his tales to life.