Nas and DJ Cassidy Raise Enough to Help City Harvest Feed Nearly 2.5M New Yorkers in Need For A Day

On September 23, Grammy-winning and legendary hip-hop artist Nas returned to his hometown in Queens, New York to headline the Concert to Feed NYC at Forest Hills Stadium following the chart-topping release of King’s Disease II. Proceeds from the concert benefitted City Harvest, New York City’s first and largest food rescue organization, and will help the organization rescue and deliver nutritious food during a time of historic food insecurity across the city. Native New Yorker, world renowned mastro, record producer, and creator of the groundbreaking series, “Pass The Mic,” DJ Cassidy, kicked off the night with an electric hour long musical journey celebrating New York.

Celebrities in attendance included television personality and entrepreneur Bethenny Frankel, model and City Harvest Champion Brooks Nader, and rapper and record-producer Slick Rick. The Concert to Feed NYC also featured VIP Speakeasy suites and mini-lounges with menus curated by City Harvest Food Council Members, including chef Angie Mar from her latest, Les Trois Chevaux, and exclusive culinary offerings from Matt Katakis’s Butcher Bar, Simon Kim and David Shim’s COTE Korean Steakhouse, Roni Mazumdar and Chintan Prandya’s Rahi, and Melba Wilson’s Melba’s.  They were joined by Nas’s favorite, Lauren Gustus’s Sweet Chick.

After the concert, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards honored Nas with an official Key to the Borough and proclamation. A longtime supporter of City Harvest, Nas received the key alongside 10 frontline City Harvest workers, who worked tirelessly during the height of the pandemic to rescue and deliver more than 200 million pounds of nutritious food to their neighbors across New York City—an unprecedented effort that was more than double the amount of food the organization rescued and delivered over the same time period pre-pandemic.

As New York City begins its long recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, countless New Yorkers will continue to feel the economic pain of the pandemic for  years to come. The Concert to Feed NYC helped support City Harvest’s efforts to ensure that no New Yorker will have to worry about where their next meal is coming from.

“We are grateful to our longtime friend Nas and to DJ Cassidy for partnering with City Harvest to raise enough funds to help us feed nearly 2.5M New Yorkers struggling to put meals on their tables due to the pandemic,” said Jilly Stephens, 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.”

During the pandemic, the need for food surged across the city—soaring 41% among all New Yorkers and a shocking 53% among children. Since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, City Harvest has worked tirelessly to rescue and deliver millions of pounds of food for the growing number of New Yorkers who are struggling to put meals on their tables.

Samlyn Capital founder, Rob Pohly, who underwrote all venue-related expenses for the event, said, “I’m thrilled that the Concert to Feed NYC raised enough to help feed XX New Yorkers in need. It was inspiring to see City Harvest, Nas, DJ Cassidy, members of New York City’s restaurant community, and every day New Yorkers come together to help feed our neighbors in need during this critical time.”

Special thanks to Citi, Diageo, DKNY, Horizon Media, and The Mets for their dedicated support of the Concert To Feed NYC!