Power 105.1’s PowerHouse concert in New York City turned up the Brooklyn way on Oct. 26. From seeing fresh faces in the hip hop and R&B game to witnessing the genres’ royalty, the epic concert — held in the Barclay’s Center — was nothing short of a nearly five-hour turn up.
It’s almost impossible to select the best moments from the event, because believe us, there are many. But somehow, VIBE managed to pick the top nine highlights from the concert. Check them out below.
1. Young M.A Puts On For Brooklyn In First Act
Brooklyn’s own talent and Nicki Minaj’s latest cosign, Young M.A may be new to the scene, but as the opening act, she drew quite a crowd. As the BK native emerged from backstage, girls and guys echoed shrieks of excitement in the semi-packed arena. “Gotta represent for the greats — B.I.G… Jay Z,” she said as the screams continued to get louder. The MC might have a little ways until she’s watching the throne with Jay, but she promised to keep putting on for her city. And despite the short set, Young M.A commanded the stage with a strong presence, performing her most popular anthem, “OOOUUU.”
2. Kehlani Delivers Spot-On Vocals
In this era of music, you’re not sure whether an artist is going to hit a live stage and make you wonder who it is or wonder if that’s the actual record. Kehlani has us wondering the latter. The singer-songwriter sexily delivered spot-on vocals for her hit singles “The Way” (originally featuring Chance the Rapper), Suicide Squad‘s sultry ballad, “Gangsta,” and her newest electric track “Crazy.”
Bae @Kehlani #PowerHouseNYC pic.twitter.com/0talKDVZmo
— no. (@HiDeexDee) October 27, 2016
@Kehlani – CRZY #PowerhouseNYC pic.twitter.com/p64suoavz0
— Kehlani Brasil (@UpdateKehlani) October 28, 2016
3. Desiigner Being Desiigner
When you hear Desiigner is on the roster, you already know it’s going to be an interesting night. And to say the least, it was nothing short of just that. Brooklyn welcomed their newest rapper to the kingdom with a huge howl, to which he responded with a couple of head nods and a sudden jab to the side. As his song “Panda” — which was first made popular on Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo album — played, the rapper proceeded to hit a series of frantic dance moves while shooting out a bunch of gibberish. If you asked anyone in the arena, they probably couldn’t recite a full sentence the rapper performed, but the crowd went nuts when the beat dropped anyway. Through the noise, it appeared that the rapper also performed a new record (not confirmed), although it was a little unclear of what the title was or when it would drop. But it wasn’t hearing his heavily circulated tracks that was memorable, but the energy he had throughout the entire set. From the stage to jumping into a mosh pit of people, Desiigner’s energy was on 100 percent, and that always gets you points with a live audience.
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4. Remy Ma & Fat Joe Turned the Party “All the Way Up”
Since Remy Ma was released from jail following a 6-year sentence on lock down, she and longtime collaborator Fat Joe have been on a righteous mission to reclaim their spot in New York’s royalty. And Brooklyn didn’t hesitate to show love for the dynamic duo with the loudest screams of the night, solidifying the fact that they still got it. Fat Joe led the set with songs like his 2001 hit “What’s Luv” followed by “Make It Rain” and 2004’s “Lean Back.” After hyping the crowd up for Remy’s infamous verse, the Bronx native appeared from the corner. But it wasn’t even like the audience needed her to perform; they recited the track line for line without any assist. Remy also stole the spotlight to perform 2006’s “Conceited,” and Papoose made a quick cameo before ducking off. It was like the early 2000s, but there wasn’t a single complaint. Completing their journey, the crew finished with their latest single, “All The Way Up.”
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5. DJ Khaled Brings The Keys To Success To Brooklyn
It’s hard to say DJ Khaled isn’t everyone’s righthand man right now. After masterminding another No. 1 album featuring a long list of top-notch artists, the We The Best mogul found a way to infiltrate the stage during Remy Ma and Fat Joe’s set. He was only there briefly to share a couple of keys to life as well as perform “For Free” and “I Got The Keys” (which he also played during his son’s birth) from his Major Key album, but he was well received by the masses.
6. Young Jeezy Pays Homage To Shawty Lo With “Dey Know (Remix)”
Just in time for the release of his latest project Trap or Die 3, which dropped today (Oct. 28), Young Jeezy strategically stopped by to perform a full set. While he did plug the new project a couple of times, Jeezy also played an old track, “They Know (Remix),” paying homage to ATL rapper Shawty Lo, whom recently died in a car collision. Additionally, the rapper played “Lost My Mind” and “Put On.” And for his final thoughts before he stepped out: “Get money, take care of your kids, and most importantly Trap or Die ni**a.”
#YoungJeezy #ShortyLo tribute!! #PowerHouseNYC pic.twitter.com/IIEFVGEGRb
— Datwon Thomas (@Daydog) October 28, 2016
7. Usher Takes The Show With A Live Band
Brooklyn wasn’t ready for this type of artistry. Being one of the more senior talents of the night, Usher showcased his true musicianship with a live band. And the real drums and other live instruments definitely added a sense of authenticity that the concert may have been lacking with its pre-prepared DJ’d sets. Speaking of authenticity, the singer also reminded the crowd why he’s one of the true talents left in the “old R&B.” To many’s surprise, the singer went through his greatest hits — and we’re talking from 2001’s “You Don’t Have to Call” to his whole three-time, platinum-selling Confessions album, as well as “Trading Places” and “Climax.” The combination of perfectly timed lighting sequences and transitions in his playlist probably made this the most epic performance of the night, but it didn’t hurt that he was still hitting those notes and recreating the same choreography from his ’04 “Yeah!” music video. Before having to be nudged off of the stage due to a strict curfew, Usher ended with his newest hit, “No Limit.”
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8. Lil Jon Joins Usher To Sing “Lovers and Friends” and “Yeah!”
“We’re in Brooklyn, but do y’all mind if I change that B to an A?” Usher asked fans. In a great big eruption of approval, Usher introduced Lil Jon to the stage to sing “Lovers and Friends.” He might have added a couple more years on his time clock, but when it came to his signature ad-libs, it was like nothing had changed. Amidst the mini time warp, Lil Jon also got fans riled up with “Yeah!” He even performed the extended portion of the song with Usher doing the A-town stomp in the background. And to finish his surprise set, Lil Jon ended with his raging song “Turn Down For What.”
9. Young Thug Joins Usher for “No Limit”
Just when the crowd was getting overwhelmed with exhaustion and struggling to keep their eyes open, Usher had one more surprise up his sleeve before he left. The singer brought Young Thug out to perform their collaborative track, “No Limit.” A slinky Thugger spit his verse in true Young Thug fashion, in what may have been the perfect ending to the final set.