Ahead of the Nelly and Ja Rule show on April 11th, there was a palpable excitement surrounding the Scotiabank Centre. For those Haligonians not headed to the show, it may have seemed like Cheech and Chong were headlining instead, with the amount of legalized haze that hung in the air. It was apparent that Halifax turned up to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Nelly’s breakthrough debut, Country Grammar.
This tour had a rotating series of stars nationwide, including notables such as Eve, Jermaine Dupri, Fabolous, Chingy and Ja Rule. Ja Rule was joining the party for the Halifax date, while the initially announced Jermain Dupri was quietly removed from the lineup before the Canadian leg kicked off in the Scotiabank Centre. It didn’t slow the crowd down a single Iota, as DJ Aktiv had the room bumping from the moment the doors opened until the lights went down ahead of JaRule’s set. The biggest barn in town felt like it became the biggest bar in the city, temporarily taking the place of the infamously well-known Liquor Dome for a night.
When it came time for Ja Rule to perform, there was only a mobile wardrobe that was adorned with a classic Yankees cap, a denim jacket, jeans and a pair of Tims, and a gurney on which a body bag rested. Once the music hit, a scantily clad and jacked Ja Rule emerged and donned his attire.
Considering that the New York-based Murder Inc. emcee has been out of the game for well over a decade and is pushing 50, you would never have guessed, as Ja Rule looked to be in better shape and sounding better than most of the modern rappers in the game. He worked the stage with intent and purpose, never missing a beat as he worked through a set loaded with beloved hits and a couple of covers. There was a set that firmly shone the spotlight on Ja Rule and his extensive body of work, and let the emcee cook. For the 2nd half of his set, Ja Rule changed into a teal suit and eventually headed out on the arena floor to perform with an adoring fanbase that was rocking with Ja Rule through his entire set. It was a terrific showcase of an artist who appeared to be ready to re-enter the hip-hop arena.
While Ja Rule’s set kept the focus firmly on him, the same unfortunately couldn’t be said for Nelly and his set. After the stage was transformed into Club Derrty, complete with velvet ropes and security, Nelly made his way onto the stage looking fantastic for a guy also closing in on 50. The focus was not placed solely on the St. Louis emcee, as Nelly shared the stage with the St. Lunatics for over half the set.
Considering this was supposed to be a celebration of Country Grammar, it was surprising that the set only included a trio of tracks from the album. Those three songs (“Country Grammar”, “E.I.”, and “Ride Wit Me”) are considered to be some of the heaviest hitters in Nelly’s catalogue and were all performed within the first third of the set. That opening collection of 10 tracks also included “Where the Party At”, “Shake Ya Tailfeather”, and “Air Force Ones”.
It was around the midpoint of the night that Nelly welcomed his nephew J-Kwon to the stage to perform (and member of on stage to join him and to perform “Hood Hop” and his track “Tipsy” (which recently enjoyed a resurgence with Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” which incorporated lyrics from the 20 year-old track. Once J-Kwon departed, it was time for Murphy Lee to join the party, and the St. Lunatics alum performed a handful of tracks, including “My Shoes”.
It was during this St. Lunatics intermission that you could feel the energy in the room start to wane, as folks who had been up and dancing to that point began to settle into their seats. That lost momentum took a bit to return, as Nelly returned to a solo configuration. After thanking the crowd for coming out, he explained it was time for a mic stand. From the opening notes of “Dilemma” started, the packed Scotiabank Centre roared their approval, confirming the loyalty they’ve displayed since day 1 by hoisting their cell phone torches to the sky.
After a handful of solo cuts including “Grillz” and “Move That Body”, the night shifted back into Club Derrty mode with a montage of massive club bangers which kicked off with the DJ Khaled smash “All I Do Is Win”, it featured clips of “Low”, “Get Low” and “Party Up (Up in Here)”, once the club mix wrapped, the night headed into the tail end of the set with the smash “Hot in Herre” (more like Hot Box in Here) and “Just a Dream”, which had the crowd up and jumping.
It was clear in looking around the room that people were having a great time revelling in the songs that soundtracked a great chunk of their teens and twenties, and now closing in on “Middle Age,” they wanted to get out and let loose and indulge in the music of their youth. It didn’t matter that Nelly’s set might have covered 30 tracks, but they were splintered, bite-sized morsels that we have come to know and love and felt more like a club experience than a proper concert. None of that mattered as it was a show that filled the spirits of those in attendance. Hopefully, sold-out shows such as this will lead to more of those acts that hold a special place in our hearts coming through.
Nelly
Ja Rule
