Summer Jam turned into Summer Slam without all the fighting.
The Source was all up in Met Life Stadium catching performances from today’s biggest names. The annual concert presented by Boost Mobile which reportedly grossed 60,000 fans filled into the Giants and Jets home Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey last night. A pre-lineup featured the likes of Tyga, Waka, Big Sean, Jeezy, MMG, DJ Khaled and Nicki Minaj. Well, that was until some drama interfered causing Lil Wayne to pull Nicki Minaj out. Wait, what happened to DJ Khaled’s set?
Lets rewind a bit. Opening the show outside of the stadium was some of tomorrow’s biggest stars. Kendrick Lamar, SchoolBoy Q, A$AP Rocky and Big K.R.I.T. all handled the early crowd like grown veterans.
Heading inside for the main stage, the likes of Maino, Tyga, Waka Flocka, Slaughterhouse, Wale and J.Cole all prepped the crowd.
The anticipation however grew with Young Jeezy’s set. Bringing Thug Motivation to the Hot 97 Summer Jam stage along with special guest like Ne-Yo and T.I. Jeezy’s set was easily one of the highlights of the night.
This is when the show kind of went a bit left, left is not always right or bad necessarily. With news spreading of Nicki Minaj’s departure from the stadium, Nas was pushed into a new slot prior to French Montana. Originally the Queens MC was suppose to come out during the Young Money artists set.
Never the less, the show must go on, right? Remember we’re still going left. “Hot 97! It’s been years…Now we back like we never left,” announced Nas before going into a crowd favorite “Hate Me Now” The Illmatic rapper equipped with a bottle of that bubbly wasn’t the only one the crowd got to see earlier than expected. Lauryn Hill came out to perform “Ready or Not,” along with “Lost Ones.” Before the two came together for “If I Ruled The World.” L Boogie fresh off a secret show at Highline Ballroom earlier this week ignited the New Jersey crowd.
Many asked why Nas was slotted prior to French Montana’s set but he had a few tricks of his own. Welcoming the likes of Big Sean, 2 Chainz and Wale back to the stage, the biggest surprise was when Ma$e hit the stage for his own verse off Wale’s “Slight Work” remix.
While French splits time between Bad Boy and MMG his set merged with the latter and instantly Meek Mill and Rick Ross appeared. The MMG set would go on to include numerous familiar radio rotation cuts. From “I’ma Boss” to the newly added “So Sophisticated,” to “Yella Diamonds,” to “Blowing Money Fast,” and yes even “Hustlin.” Big Sean seemingly interchanging throughout sets returned to the stage to handle “Burn” with Meek Mill.
French Montana would come back to the front of the stage and join his fellow MMG chain bearers for “Stay Schemin.” New York veterans Raekwon and Method Man came out to perform a Hip-Hop classic “C.R.E.A.M.”
DJ Khaled and Friends should have been up next… That was until the show was abruptly ended. No Nicki Minaj as well as her numerous surprise guests. The Young Money artist tweeted “Camron, 2chainz, Nas, Lauryn Hill, BeenieMan, Foxy Brown, Lil Wayne, Birdman, Tyga, Jae Millz, Gudda Gudda.” As to who she had readied to grace the stage. Cam’ron added his own disgust, “Damn we was bout to kill summer jam smh.”
With all the biggest names in the rap “industry,” did Summer Jam live up to it’s name?
Source Favorites: J.Cole, Young Jeezy, Ma$e, Nas, Lauryn Hill and Ross & Co.
Photos: Lavonda Manning
– Sean Lynch (@Kiddfuture)
