Nas @ O2 Academy, Glasgow, 11 Jul

Long-term fans of Nasir Bin Olu Dara Jones have spent five years patiently waiting for a new studio album from the New York rap heavyweight to arrive. Back in April, music sites excitedly reported the as-yet-unnamed LP would drop this summer. But here we are in July and there's still no sign of it.

That's not to say the crowd at the O2 Academy are not excited to see Nas. While tonight's show is not quite a sell-out, our man from Queens remains a significant live draw – like many of his mid-90s contemporaries – thanks to the sheer strength of his early material. N.Y. State of Mind, one of several thumping classics from 1994's gamechanger Illmatic, is dropped early doors and puts the crowd on the road to euphoria. Nas himself looks fighting fit and appears genuinely satisfied when the audience roars back 'Sleep is the cousin of death!' as the track reaches its conclusion.

But this early pace isn't sustained. Nas chooses to punctuate his set with shout-outs to several of his dear-departed influences, including Bob Marley, Amy Winehouse and Michael Jackson. His drummer even takes the mic to lead a short rendition of Eurythmics standard Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This). While an amusing distraction at best, you get the sense many of those standing in the Academy pit would prefer if their idol focused on his own material. 

While airings of Life’s a Bitch and The World is Yours keep the punters happy, this is a live show that feels like it's lacking a direction. It's not an out-and-out tribute to times past, yet also not a gig looking to the future with a new album. The wait for that new LP looks set to continue, for now at least. For now, we're left with the still considerable influence of Illmatic to keep us ticking over.