Anytime a Southern rap legend does a Tiny Desk Concert, that’s appointment viewing. Did you see the one that Juvenile did with Mannie Fresh? Glorious. Now, Houston eminence Scarface, arguably the greatest rapper who has ever lived, has stopped by the Tiny Desk, and his set an absolute joy to behold.

Scarface has been a fixture since he joined the Geto Boys in 1989, and he’s done more than anyone to convince the world that Southern rap deserves to be taken seriously. A couple of years ago, Scarface almost died of COVID; he survived, in part, because his son Chris donated a kidney. So it’s a real gift to see Scarface looking and sounding great in his new Tiny Desk show.

Scarface brought a full live band with him to NPR headquarters. Mike Dean, a longtime collaborator who’s gone onto big things, plays keyboard. During the show, Scarface tells stories behind some of his classic songs, and those stories are mostly about how he was really high in the studio: “I was fucking stoned. Like white guy stoned. Mike Dean stoned.” The half-hour set includes renditions of some of Scarface’s classics, and there are also a couple of moments on the performance of 1996’s “Mary Jane” where Scarface picks up a guitar and does some atmospheric shredding. Scarface is famous for his devotion to the guitar, but I don’t think he’s ever played on such a grand stage. Watch the full set below.