Ja Rule & Ashanti (Feat. Chingy)
30th December 2016
Mount Park, Mount Maunganui, New Zealand
Review by Sammi Sinister and Photography by Matt Henry Photography.
When I think about reliving my youth, I don’t imagine myself in front of a stage with a sold out capacity crowd behind me, screaming and chanting well known lyrics to Chingy. But that is exactly what happened tonight! I was taken back 15 years (okay I feel super old) to my teen years, and found the lyrics just coming out of my mouth like I had never left the early 2000’s.
I was pleasantly surprised to see that Chingy was very interactive with the audience, having a lady pull up a chair on stage so he could serenade her with one of his many hits, followed by a performance of “One Call Away” sung to a very excited female who was chosen from the audience by a member of security. There were a couple of his latest songs in the set, with a casual plug to download on iTunes.
Chingy definitely set a precedence for the following act though, the highly anticipated Murder Inc. rep Ja Rule and the lyrical diva Ashanti. What started out as a movie on the big screen, showcasing a skit involving them being arrested and questioned in regards to how they managed to achieve such status in the music industry, they then burst onto the stage with great enthusiasm, which wasn’t bad for Ja who is 40 years old.
Between the two of them, they sung together and alternated solo’s, performing various hits from the early 2000’s up until now including “I’m Real”, “What’s Luv?’, “Always on Time” and “Mesmerise” which was followed up by a powerhouse A capella session by the thick thighed beauty. While the music quality was rather flawed – notably with issues from the tech team and a confused looking Ashanti, they both put on a good show and appeared to be loving the wild screams from the crowd despite the distortion and the fact that Ashanti’s mic was too low/music was too high.
Overall I enjoyed being taken back to my teenage years, reminiscing on my youth and seeing in person just how it was that these artists became so well known and respected in the rap/hip hop/rnb world and I am interested to see what becomes of them in the future; forever making moves in the music industry.
Please note: You can check out a full gallery of Chingy images from the night here.
Were you there at Mount Park to witness this stunning show? Or have you seen Ja Rule and Ashanti somewhere else? Tell me about it in the comments below!
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