It’s been 13 years since reggae and dancehall legend Buju Banton last performed in the U.S. Watching the icon dance and belt his way through a 90-minute set at New York’s UBS Arena on Sunday night (July 14), it was nearly impossible to believe that much time has passed.

Buju’s Sunday night show — his second of two back-to-back sold-out performances over the weekend — activated one of the cultural backbones of New York City with a combination of dynamic staging, enrapturing musical arrangements and an unmatched passion for the power of love, music and togetherness.

Decked out in a lily-white blazer and plants combo — which he transformed into just a white short-sleeve button-up midway through the opening song — Gargamel took the stage with an unmistakable expression of gratitude on his face. The two New York shows marked the singer’s first U.S. concerts since his 2011 incarceration for a slew of convictions, including conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five or more kilograms of cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking offense and using communication wires to facilitate a drug-trafficking offense

As he ripped through his sprawling setlist, Buju showed love to nearly every era of his four-decade career. Timeless anthems like “Champion” and “Wanna Be Loved” reverberated across the arena with the packed venue shouting the lyrics back at him at every chance, while more evocative moments like “Murderer” and “Psalm 23” highlighted the vulnerability and raw emotion that have helped Buju become one of the most venerated musical acts across genres.

During a summer in which the New York block party has shifted from beloved tradition to one of the most pressing topics of boneheaded social media discourse, Buju’s New York shows served as much-needed reminders of the true energy of such gatherings. The crowd that packed out Long Island’s UBS Arena mirrored a proper Brooklyn block party in ways that their facsimiles never could. Not only was every generation represented, it felt as if all of Flatbush was in the building. Countless flags decorated the crowd — Jamaica, Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago had particularly strong delegations present — and over 18,000 people had their finger guns up in celebration of a legend.

Of course, Buju shared the stage with some of his closest friends in the business, bringing out Gramps Morgan, Fat Joe and Remy Ma to surprise the crowd. The moves also underscored the intrinsic connection between reggae, dancehall and hip-hop — particularly in New York City, which Buju referred to as one of the “meccas of reggae music” in Billboard’s exclusive interview with him announcing his upcoming 14-date U.S. arena trek, the Overcomer Tour.

Here are the five best moments of Buju Banton’s Long Walk to Freedom New York shows.