“C’mon Adrienne Arsht Center, make some noise!” Somehow that old hip-hop chestnut sounded like an oxymoron when host DJ Cynic shouted out from the stage of the Knight Concert Hall at the Adrienne Arsht Center during the Nas show last Friday night.

With tickets at $90 and up, the crowd was as monied as any attracted by, say, the Cleveland Orchestra, but the ambiance, the attire, and the acoustics were all together different. Curtains were drawn to muffle to bass coming from massive speakers on stage. The little bars in the lobby, usually visited before and after the show, and during intermission, were backed up all night long. Dressing up meant baggy designer jeans and baseball caps.

Miami’s own Mayday opened the show with a great deal of confidence, delivering a solid set to their fans who stood and sang along despite unbelievers who kept yelling for the next act, a reunion of the ATL’s Goodie Mob. Maybe it was the august concert hall, but even as the Dirty South beats pounded fast and furious this blogger felt like she was the only one shakin’ what her mama gave her. Right about then, the gentlemen in the row in front of us and the row next to us decided they’d had enough of just drinks and starting passing a blunt around.

By the time Nas came on, the air was thick and sweet, and most of the crowd was standing on their seats to get a better view of the man who declared hip-hop dead. Though there were certainly more beefy guards than at your usual Seraphic Fire show, the mood was peaceful and the security low-key. It was not until deep into Nas’s set that the authorities waded through the aisles to tell people to get off the seats.

Nas was right on as always, and even with all the baffling on the walls, the crisp acoustics made his words almost recording-clear. My favorite concert hall feature had to be the balconies, which allowed hardcore fans to face off against each other, mouthing the words along with their favorite rapper as if they were trying to outdo each other’s passion. The Florida Grand Opera should take note.