This feature is a part of Complex's Os Gemeos Week, presented by Hennessy.
How do you celebrate a collaboration between beloved Brazilian street art twins, Os Gemeos, and forever cool liquor brand, Hennessy? You throw a big party at Pier 57 in New York, you let the liquor flow freely, and you get Nas to top off the night with a high-energy performance. And while Os Gemeos' visual skills are what made their limited edition Hennessy bottle so special, last night they showed off their skills on the wheels of steel as well.
As fellow artist Swoon said in our "Artists Share Their Admiration for Os Gemeos" feature, Os Gemeos "can break open any block on any street anywhere in the world and make it come to life." This sentiment translates to the stunning design they made for Hennessy's annual artist bottle collaboration, which depicts a scene from their hometown of São Paulo.
Swoon isn't the only artist who loves the twins. They're adored in and out of the street art world for their unique way of working together and making an authentic, seemingly effortless transition from the streets to the gallery. At the event, friends and fans came to greet them, take photos with them, and do a quick "cheers" with the dangerously delicious cocktails.
It would be hard to dislike such a talented duo as Os Gemeos for any reason, especially after seeing them DJing at their own party. Brilliantly fusing everything from obscure funk carioca to trap and hip-hop, they put their own spin on songs like "Drop It Like It's Hot" and "Tom Ford" while performing in a mirrored cube. When complimented on their mixing abilities after the set, they responded nonchalantly: "We've been doing this all our lives."
Last night all sorts of familiar faces came out to play, including Miss Info, Mike Dean, Action Bronson, A$AP Rocky, José Parlá, and Stephen "ESPO" Powers. After Os Gemeos took a pause for the cause, DJ Jazzy Jeff took over, assisted as always by Skillz on the mic. Nas followed shortly after, opening with "The Don" and dropping classic after classic from "It Ain't Hard to Tell" to "If I Ruled the World." The crowd, which at that point included Os Gemeos too, went wild for the show. Towards the end, Nas reminded everyone in the place that "New York is where it is all started." He also pointed out that he's been shouting out Hennessy since his debut album, so his collaboration with the storied cognac brand is only natural.
Last night was a celebration of the talents that Hennessy brought together and the magic of New York City as a place for it all to happen.
For more information on Os Gemeos and their limited-edition collaboration with Hennessy, please visit Hennessy.com
