Nas raises the hip-hop dead at House of Blues

Nas, at the House of Blues Sunset Strip on Monday, reminded the multicultural multitudes that hip-hop was once a dissident voice.

He wore a chunky gold chain and opaque shades. Swaying his hunched, lanky form, Nas delivered his poetic and political lyrics with his inimitable hoarseness.

The rapper’s latest CD, “Hip Hop Is Dead,” dissected the destruction of contemporary rap music in the hands of radio conglomerates and corporate interests. Accordingly, a coffin, skeletons and a flower arrangement were dramatically strewn on the spacious wooden stage.

“Everything must come to an end for there to be a rebirth,” he explained as he criticized the most powerful members of the African American community for missing his message.

“Oprah [Winfrey] doesn’t understand,” he said. Def Jam co-founder “Russell [Simmons] doesn’t understand.”

He surprised the crowd with cameo appearances by the Game, who joined him on “Hustlers,” and KRS-One, who jubilantly led a sea of bobbing hands to classics from Boogie Down Productions’ repertoire, notably “South Bronx.”

Throughout the night, Nas made references to political leaders whom he admired, including Che Guevara and Fidel Castro. In “Black Republicans,” a song he recorded with Jay-Z, he rasped, “I feel like a black militant taking over the government.”

By performing short, energetic snippets, Nas managed to cram in a huge playlist.

The show’s climax came with the conga-driven chanting of his club hit “Made You Look.” “Get money / Leave the beef alone slowly,” he advised in rhyme.

As the show ended, a throng of sated faces filed out. “It was great,” said Asante, a 29-year-old educator who was among those exiting the venue. “Nas is a poet and a teacher too.”