Celebs hit the stage for the fourth annual TIDAL X Brooklyn benefit concert, including performances by Lil Wayne, Lauryn Hill, Teyana Taylor, Meek Mill and several more inside...
Last night, some of Hip Hop's biggest acts pulled up at the Barclays Center for the fourth annual TIDAL X Brooklyn benefit concert. Each year, the music streaming platform rounds up artists for a star-studded line-up of performances to help raise funds for a good cause.
This year, fans were able to donate to several criminal justice nonprofits, such as #Cut50, Equal Justice Initiative, the Innocence Project, and REFORM.
Kicking off the show, Teyana Taylor opened the show with a red hot performance of "Rose In Harlem," backed with a bevy of dancers to bring the dramatics. It's no wonder TIDAL tapped Teyana to open the show because chick never disappoints when she hits a stage.
Peep clips from her performance below:
“Rose In Harlem.” @TEYANATAYLOR. #TIDALXBrooklyn. https://t.co/B6ASIxSToppic.twitter.com/PWRIurFxIt
— TIDAL (@TIDAL) October 24, 2018
After being awarded with the I Am Hip Hop Award during the 2018 BET Hip Hop Awards, Lil Wayne made his way on stage to perform his track "Uproar," a cut from his recently released Carter V album, for the first time. He also performed "Mona Lisa" and "Dedicate."
Check out the clips below:
“Mona Lisa.” #TIDALXBrooklyn. https://t.co/B6ASIxSToppic.twitter.com/9iIMkMokme
— TIDAL (@TIDAL) October 24, 2018
“Dedicate.” @LilTunechi. #TIDALXBrooklyn. https://t.co/B6ASIxSToppic.twitter.com/ofFDOKX1YN
— TIDAL (@TIDAL) October 24, 2018
Well look who made it.
Lauryn Hill was tapped as a headliner for the benefit concert and she actually showed up and seemingly on time.
No need to come for us in the comments. We still love her. And it's well documented how L. Boogie will show up extremely late or not at all for concerts. We're happy she made it to this one.
Check out her performance below:
“Lost Ones.” @MsLaurynHill. #TIDALXBrooklyn. https://t.co/B6ASIxSToppic.twitter.com/l4SbnRBVKH
— TIDAL (@TIDAL) October 24, 2018
— TIDAL (@TIDAL) October 24, 2018
Hip Hop's criminal justice reform leader Meek Mill was in the building to get the crowd hype.
He kicked off his performance with his hit "Dreams and Nightmares," and closed his performance by inviting fans on stage to do their best Milly Rock. Not too long ago on social media, Meek made a video asking people to teach him how to do it because basically, he sucks at it. On a more serious note, the Philly native held a moment of silence for anyone in the crowd who had lost someone close to them to gun violence or wrongful imprisonment.
Peep a clip of Meek turning up below:
“Dreams and Nightmares.” @MeekMill. #TIDALXBrooklyn. https://t.co/B6ASIxSToppic.twitter.com/ZPn5jaL87s
— TIDAL (@TIDAL) October 24, 2018
Nostalgic feels!
Lil Kim and The LOX reunited on stage to perform their 1997 classic hit, "It's All About the Benjamins" and everyone old enough to remember lost it, of course.
The LOX also celebrated the 20th anniversary of their hit album Money, Power & Respect.
Check it below:
.@thelox x @LilKim. #TIDALXBrooklyn. https://t.co/B6ASIxSToppic.twitter.com/eBqFhIO6OY
— TIDAL (@TIDAL) October 24, 2018
Normani did NOT come to play...OK? Chick is establishing herself as a solo artist - after Fifth Harmony went on hiatus - and she's slaying every stage she hits. She nailed every 8-count while performing her new track "Waves," "Love Lies," finished off her set with "Checklist."
Get into her performance below:
“Checklist.” @Normani x @CalvinHarris. #TIDALXBrooklyn. https://t.co/B6ASIxSToppic.twitter.com/u618BEvnlA
— TIDAL (@TIDAL) October 24, 2018
.@normani with the casual slay #tidalxbrooklynpic.twitter.com/5CTNaVqKXG
— Vibe Magazine (@VibeMagazine) October 24, 2018
She turned up to her idol Beyoncé afterwards too:
Fat Joe and Black Thought made their way on stage to perform "The Imperial":
“The Imperial.” @blackthought x @fatjoe. #TIDALXBrooklyn. https://t.co/B6ASIxSToppic.twitter.com/C5stLU1X59
— TIDAL (@TIDAL) October 24, 2018
Anderson .Paak had everyone going wild when he brought out Too Short for a surprise performance of his hit track "Blow The Whistle." Paak said it was the first time the Bay Area rapper performed the track in NYC. Peep a clip below:
“What’s my favorite word?”
Shoutout to @TooShort for coming through with the surprise appearance #TIDALXBrooklynpic.twitter.com/5I1swYzBMF
— TIDAL (@TIDAL) October 24, 2018
“Bubblin.” @AndersonPaak. #TIDALXBrooklyn. https://t.co/B6ASIxSTop. pic.twitter.com/vLkvcriXOZ
— TIDAL (@TIDAL) October 24, 2018
Senator Cory Booker, along with a group of young, black boys, made his way on stage with a MESSAGE. Check it below:
.@SenBooker speaking at #TIDALXBrooklynpic.twitter.com/s0tLDj6gw6
— TIDAL (@TIDAL) October 24, 2018
Power 105 radio personality Angie Martinez and CNN's Angela Rye talked about prison reform and shared some stories from young, black men who had suffered at the hands of the justice system.
“These stories have a common theme. They remind us that the need for cj reform can touch us in many different ways. And that’s why we need #reform.” @angela_rye and @angiemartinez share stories of three young men with us tonight impacted by our broken system.#TIDALXBROOKLYNpic.twitter.com/TqGfmj9GkY
— #cut50 (@cut_50) October 24, 2018
QUEEN directress Ava DuVernay took center stage to honor an icon of the global equality movement/olympian Tommie Smith. He's one of the black men who raised a fist (alongside John Carlos) to protest racial injustice and inequality during the 1968 Summer Olympics.
On the carpet...
Several folks who performed also hit the carpet, including Normani, Meek Mill, Too Short, Fat Joe, The LOX, Angie Martinez, Angela Rye and Anderson.Paak.
Werk.
Rapper Kodak Black (ummm...) and pregnat singer/YouTuber Queen Naija also hit the carpet before they hit the stage to perform.
Other red carpet folks included CNN's Van Jones (co-founder of #cut50), Mint Swim honcho Draya, Shiggy, singer Elle Varner (where's she been hiding?!), iced out rapper Moneybagg Yo and Rap Radar's/TIDAL podcasters Brian "B.Dot" Miller and Elliott Wilson also made their way down the carpet:
Fun times.
Photos: Getty