We Are Story Tellers
Day 9 – Ottawa Bluesfest 2022 brought Hip-hop nostalgia to the city with Ja Rule and TLC! A slew of Ottawa locals made their presence felt also putting a cap on a great day for music.
The modern tribute to the classics of Sly and the Family Stone was up first for day 9. New to me it was fun to watch this full band bring the funk and start the party off right on the Sirus XM stage. The stage was filled with powerful vocals, remarkable instrumentals, and a perfect way to open the day ahead.
Lia Kloud is an up-and-coming local from the south side of Ottawa. She opened the River stage up on the hip-hop night rocking a very unique outfit and not going to lie I don’t know how she wore those boots on that hot day. She has Dj Velvet open things up for her with a little set to start the crowd off. It was sunny, and hot the fans were already showing up which is a good sign.
Big Zee is on deck to open the main stage and is representing Ottawa. On the scene locally for a little while now Zee brings a New York to feel to his flow and his lyrics rocking some Brooklyn gear. He brought along a few friends to fill out his set most notably so is rising artist Two Time. First time seeing this young man rock a stage and you can see that he is putting in work and going to go somewhere should he keep it up. The big stage was a daunting presence, but the guys did a good job trying to make it their own.
Crystal Shawanda was the next stop to check out one of her 2 sets for the day. Her outfit was mesmerizing on that stage which certainly caught everyone’s eye. Crystal has been around for a little while now and she is very well known for her powerful vocals while blurring the lines between genres because why not!
Up next is the legendary TLC. 30 years in the industry, TLC has earned its place on the mountain of hip-hop royalty. Unfortunately down to only 2 members now TLC still does what they do best on that stage. They brought all the moves with the backup dancers and played all the classic hits everyone loved. The ladies still got it after all these years and it was amazing getting to hear some of those tracks live and in person. Absolutely amazing show for sure.
Got to quickly run over and check out cleopatrick who was on at the same time as TLC but on the River stage. This Ontario duo has racked up a large number of digital traction and had a pretty good crowd in place to show for their work. This band is new to me but I have heard the name around so I was for sure interested in checking them out live. They play those instruments with power and precision showing the love they have for their music and the skill they have been developing along the way.
After a small break, it was time for the main event which was absolutely the one I was here for. Ja Rule was on deck to close out the night on the main stage and after 10 years this was one of his first times back in Canada. Ja Rule started off the night in one of the most memorable fashions by coming through the center walk to the stage while a great video montage played. He hit that stage with an explosion of energy and didn’t stop the whole way through. He played a great mix of newer and older tracks enough for everyone to get a taste of something they love. Growing up Ja Rule was a staple piece of music on my playlists so seeing him live and in the flesh was set to me a highlight for me for sure.
As always, if you’d like more info please send us a message here
© Hidden Beats Corp. All Rights Reserved 2020
