Update: Hours ahead of the show on Thursday, Aug. 10, the 50 & Forever City Sessions show set to feature Ja Rule as headliner was canceled “due to unforeseen circumstances,” according to a message on the event’s page. Ticketholders will receive a refund, and no action is required. 50 & Forever will be announcing a new City Sessions show in New York City at a later date.
Original story below:
As we enter hip-hop’s birth month, the entire music industry is pulling out all the stops to celebrate the genre’s 50th birthday. On Friday (Aug. 4), Amazon Music announced Ja Rule as the headliner of the final “50 & Forever” City Sessions livestream of the summer. The Grammy-nominated rapper will join a lineup of peers and collaborators for a performance from The Rooftop at Pier 17 in New York City on August 10, the eve of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary.
Throughout the “50 & Forever” series, Amazon Music is paying tribute to hip-hop’s monumental global influence on music, culture and society. Created by Rotation, the hip-hop and R&B brand from Amazon Music, “50 & Forever” has celebrated the occasion with curated events, livestreams, playlists, original content, and new music across a plethora of platforms, including Amazon Music, Twitch, Audible, Prime Video and Amp.
Ja Rule’s performance marks the finale of the “50 & Forever” City Sessions series from Amazon Music. This summer, the Amazon Music channel on Twitch has streamed content every week leading up to hip-hop’s 50th anniversary on August 11. Thursday’s (Aug. 3) City Session livestream from Atlanta featured Jeezy, T.I. and Young Dro. Amazon Music also streamed exclusive live performances from hip-hop stars like Rick Ross, Wale, Clipse, Joey Bada$$, Curren$y and more.
Ja Rule has earned eight top ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including the No. 1 singles “I’m Real” (with Jennifer Lopez), “Always On Time” (with Ashanti), and “Ain’t It Funny” (with Jennifer Lopez). On the Billboard 200, the hip-hop giant has sent a pair of titles to the chart’s summit: 2000’s Rule 3:36 (one week) and 2001’s Pain Is Love (two weeks).
