The ’90s NOSTALGIA TOUR is back in Vaughan once again this weekend after a brief hiatus last year! The three-day Music Festival set to take place in the parking lot of IMPROVE Canada, brings back some ’90s to early ‘2000s Pop Music legends, giving fans a rare opportunity to see them up close!
Musical Acts like Ludacris, Ja Rule, Ashanti, Aqua, Jenny from Ace of Base, Whigfield, Vengaboys, S Club Party and several more are set to take the stage, delighting their fans in this stopoff of their cross-Canada Tour which has had installments in St. Johns, Abbotsford, Winnipeg and more!
The three-day line-up includes:
Note: Haddaway and Eiffel 65 no longer will able to attend the Festival.
The outdoor event will be taking into consideration safety protocols in providing as safe an experience as possible for attendees. There will be bars, merch booths and food trucks set-up as well!
We were so lucky to spot some of Saturday’s stars arriving, and our teen self is freaking out!
VENGABOYS – one of the most success Dutch groups of all time known for international smash hits “We Like to Party”, “Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!!” Original members Kim Sasabone and Denise Post-Van Rijswijk are joined by Robin Pors and Donny Latupeirissa.
AQUA – In 1997 it was impossible to avoid the incredible cultural impact of satirical Pop Jam, “Barbie Girl” thanks to this Danish supergroup! Original members Lene Nystrøm, René Dif and Søren Rasted still are all together! Coincidentally today is the 25th anniversary of their hit single “Roses are Red“! Happy Anniversary!
WHIGFIELD – I was obsessed with the Track “Saturday Night” in 1994 where it achieved global success as a huge hit! “Another Day” and “Think of You” also achieved pop greatness throughout Europe. While Whigfield was born in Denmark, she was and still is based out of Italy.
JENNY BERGGREN OF ACE OF BASE – While Ace of Base has continued to tour in recent years in different incarnations and different members. it is Berggren‘s vocals which win our hearts on pinnacle Pop Classics like “Beautiful Life”, “All That She Wants” and “The Sign”! So thrilled the Swedish Chanteuse is gracing us with her presence.
About ten years ago, we were privileged to meet Ulf Ekberg and Jonas Berggren from the original Ace of Base lineup.
2 UNLIMITED – This Dutch Dance Act, fronted by Rapper Ray Slijngaard, to this day are heard widely, their high energetic bops like “Get Ready For This”, “Twilight Zone” and “No Limits” used as hype songs to get audiences pumped-up at sporting events. Even on his own, it is a treat to see Ray here!
SIMONE DENNY – Toronto-based Dance Act LOVE INC. were a staple on MuchMusic in the ’90s, especially their signature “You’re a Superstar“, but this Frontwoman has continued to enjoy success as a solo act. She is responsible for the iconic “All Things (Just Keep Getting Better)”, theme from QUEER EYE FOR THE STRAIGHT GUY.
While we hoped to make it out for the amazing Saturday line-up, we were unable to make it out sadly. Rain however, could not hold us back from having some fun Sunday night. While Ja Rule’s last-minute cancellation left Ashanti having to re-configure her portion of the show to a full set, Toronto’s Kardinal Offishall was more than happy to extend his set a bit further to accommodate. Friends Choclair, Glenn Lewis (in fedora below) and Rascalz even joined him on-stage. Kardinal donned orange as a tribute to Canada’s Indigenous.
Ashanti, looking and sounding even better than she did 20 years ago, delivered a phenomenal set of her hits, braving the rain, and still was able to perform her collaborations with Ja Rule without him physically being there. She tells the audience she soon will be inducted on the Walk of Fame!
By the time Ludacris had hit the stage around 11:30 PM – yes the party went on late – the crowd already had been worked-up with the rain continuing to pour. The Rap legend delivered a spirited set spanning his catalog of hits and told the audience he almost didn’t make it past the border, but alas he delivered the goods as the evening’s main headliner!
Some highlights:
More about the ‘90s NOSTALGIA TOUR here. Hoping this will be an annual tradition!
An amazing time attending as a VIP! Can’t wait till next year!
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Four-time Grammy Nominee and founder of iconic label Murder Inc., Ja Rule made a rare appearance in Toronto tonight at the Toronto’Festival of Beer at Canadian National Exhibition grounds!
Freshly-cleared of any wrongdoing from his involvement with the ill-fated Fyre Festival, Ja Rule maintains a very busy schedule fulfillintg appearances from his celebrity-booking app, ICONN and also tour life with Murder Inc. star Ashanti.
This is Ja Rule‘s first appearance in Toronto after over 15 years away. He gave us massive hits at the turn of the millennium like Livin’ It Up, Always on Time, Holla Holla, Down Ass Bitch, Jennifer Lopez’s I’m Real Remix and Between Me and You. We are indebted!
Ja Rule despite a hectic schedule was a class act and great to stop to sign some autographs and do Selfies arriving right before his show tonight!
See our Snap:
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Known widely in the early 2000s as the Princess of Hip-Hop/R&B, Ashanti and Murder Inc. ruled the airwaves with an iron fist. Hits like Foolish, Happy, What’s Luv?, Rock Wit U (Awww Baby), Always on Time would go on to define a period of our lives. Although she now may be doing it on her own, Ashanti certainly hasn’t gone anywhere and she now is focusing on her latest – a second Holiday Disc, A Wonderful Christmas with Ashanti. This past week she appeared on ABC’s The View where repeatedly she was photographed on the street looking absolutely stunning.
Although she appeared to be fine in New York yesterday, the Singer and Actress arrived in Toronto being rolled-in on a wheelchair, incognito in sunglasses and a fur hat. Her Mother and Manager Tina ensured fans were kept a safe distance as she quietly was escorted into her SUV, where she rolled-down her window to sign autographs and we were lucky enough to get one Selfie with the GRAMMY Winner.
Ashanti is in Toronto to perform at FLOW 93.5‘s Big Night at The Guvernment tonight and also features performances from Toronto’s A-Game and The Airplane Boys.
You can stream A Wonderful Christmas with Ashanti in full here:
See our Snap:
eOne Music release A Wonderful Christmas with Ashanti, in stores now.
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
This truly is why it is important of remain humble and stay out of trouble. At the turn of the Millennium our Airwaves were dominated pretty much by Ja Rule (born Jeffrey Atkins) and those Artists signed under MURDER INC. Records (now re-branded The Inc. Records) including their self-professed “Princess off Hip-Hop & R&B”, Ashanti. But where has the once highly-popular Artist who dominated many of our Mix CDs made on your CD Burners, gone? We’re tracing Ja Rule‘s fall from GRAMMYs to the gutter and potentially another rise again?
After appearing on his first Track, Jay-Z‘s 1998 Smash Can I Get A…, the Hits came endlessly for Ja Rule – Livin’ it Up (ft. Case), Put it on Me (ft. Vita and Lil’ Mo), Between Me and You (ft. Christina Milian), Always on Time (ft. Ashanti) and a Couplet with Jennifer Lopez in I’m Real and Ain’t It Funny. Ironically, it would be a Hit thrown at a Toronto Man in 2003 in a Club – which later was settled out of Court and made right with a $1200 fine – which would lead to a downward spiral of legal problems, in and out of prison for a litany of Offences including Tax Evasion, Possession of a Weapon and Drugs and Driving with a Suspended License. He even famously had feuded with fellow Rapper 50 Cent and G-Unit Records, having called Eminem “Feminem“, accusing Dr. Dre of being Bisexual, having sexual relations with Transvetities. As of May 2013, Ja Rule is now a free Man.
Upon perusing the Internet today we came across this Artwork for Ja Rule‘s latest endeavour, a Christian Drama titled I’m in Love with a Church Girl, released in limited theatres in October.
Acting isn’t something new for the fallen Star whom at one point was called by Fans “The King of Hip-Hop” – he had starred in 2001’s The Fast & Furious and recognizable Titles like The Cookout alongside Queen Latifah and Assault on Precinct 13. I’m in Love with a Church Girl would go-on to make $2.3 million at the Box Office, released a prolonged three years after it had wrapped production. The Film has Art mirroring some real-life sh*t, playing a gun-possessing Criminal who finds himself through a Church-going Girl.
Watch the Trailer:
Does this mean Ja Rule‘s star is back on the rise? The odds are stacked against him as the Drakes, Kendrick Lamars, Eminems and Jay-Zs of the World certainly have taken-over the World of Hip-Hop, but we’ll soon how hungry the Public and Fans are for another serving of Ja–liciousness, as he recently had re-signed back to a briefly-defunct The Inc. Records, after a much-publicized Exit in 2009.
The Star is said to be working on a new Disc titled Renaissance Project with Murder Inc./The Inc. Founder Irv Gotti resurrecting his one-influencial Label as an Imprint under his Visionary Entertainment; Ja Rule is the only Artist signed currently to it. the Label’s Comeback has been branded boldly as the F*ck Fame Movement.
As an aside, Ashanti has since started her own independent Label, Written Entertainment, distributed by eOne Music. She and Gotti are said not to be on speaking terms after she was released amicably from The Inc. in 2009.
While we’re at it, let’s walk-down Memory Lane with Ja and Ashanti:
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