Back in the late 90s a fantastic duo comprised of a tough burly rapper and a gorgeous young lady with pipes of gold came together and ruled the charts. Ja Rule and Ashanti were household names and were on heavy rotation on MTV and VH1. Fast forward, and although they’re seldom seen on Billboard these days, the excitement that they elicit when they come to town is equally as feverish.
Last night at the Warfield the dynamic duo had the place completely sold out and brought everyone to their feet dancing the night away along to songs that have now become Hip Hop and R&B classics. Songs from a time that many have labeled the Golden Age of Rap and Soul music, and understandably so.
They kicked off the show together performing “Wonderful,” showcasing the fact that not only do they both still look great after all these years, but their chops never faded either. Ja Rule’s signature growl is still as fierce as ever and was perfectly balanced by the siren-like sweet melodies of his gorgeous counterpart. Effortlessly, they traded rap for soulful vocal all throughout the night, which served as a walk down memory lane for many of the concertgoers that have followed these two since the late 90s.
Interestingly, the crowd was much younger than expected. Because these artists had their prime almost 10 years ago, I was anticipating a more mature audience. In reality, the audience was comprised of fans of all ages, which goes to show that good music really is timeless.
After the two finished up the first couple of songs, Ashanti took over with her song “Happy” before Ja ran out for “So Into You.” “Holla,” “Rock With You” followed suit with an assortment of other hits before the finale of “Always on Time,” which brought the show to a close.
Photos by Louis Raphael (All Rights Reserved)
Setlist
Wonderful
Happy
So Into You
Can I get A
Holly
Only U
What’s Luv
Put it on Me
Rock Wit You
Down Ass Bitch
Down 4 U
Baby
Lose Yourself
Girlfriend/Rake It Up
Between ME & You
New York
Ain’t it Fun
I’m Real
Foolish
Say Less
Mesmerize
Always on Time
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