Just days after the New York Knicks were eliminated from the Eastern Conference semifinals by the Indiana Pacers, the mood at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night (May 21) immediately changed. Once heavy with gloom and despair, the air filled with anticipation. The World's Most Famous Arena not only hosted a rap and twerk double take from Megan Thee Stallion's Hot Girl Summer tour, but also celebrated a hot return for some of the city's hottest stars, including Cardi B and A Boogie Wit Da HOODIE.
The anticipation was palpable as fans poured in, eager to rally behind The Captain of the Hotties. They decked themselves out in cowboy hats, tight shorts and t-shirts with Meghan's name on them, a testament to their fervent support. At 8:10, the party started with CMG's GloRilla, who was clearly ready to go. Although billed as Meg's debut, Big Glo had the charisma of a headliner, oozing with hustle. The extra pep in her step was felt by The Garden crowd as they enjoyed her hard hitting performance of 'Lick Or Sum'.
With an army of dancers in tow, they seemed to match Glo's bulldog energy with fierce aprons and jitters loud enough to reverberate across the stage. Glo dug deep into her catalog and performed songs like 'Bop', 'All Dere' and 'In My Mode'. He even had time to joke with the crowd while dealing with a minor wardrobe malfunction. “I'm not going to try to cause an earthquake with all that ass,” he quipped.
Ahead of her Hot 100 hits “Tomorrow” and “Yeah Glo,” Glo brought out A Boogie, who said he was originally set to perform three songs but was only allowed to do one due to his tardiness. Despite the delay, fans cheered Boogie, who dived deep into his bag to perform his 2017 track “Jungle.” Soon after, Boogie passed the baton back to Glo, who turned up the energy level when he dived into “FNF (Let's Go). Glo enjoyed the New York atmosphere with a toothy grin as fans standing at the edge of the stairs used the rail to support their theatrical stories.
After Glo's impressive exit, it was Meg's turn. With the Hot Girl Summer tour being her first breakout run, Meg relished the moment and proved exactly why she's an arena superstar. Clad in a bright red outfit, Meg's fiery intentions were on display from the jump as she prepared to party. From the start, Meg tried to create separation between her and her rivals as she performed the Hot 100 chart-topping 'HISS'. Hitting each bar with vigor and intent, Meg pressed on, looking to see if the fans could match her scolding. And when she wasn't in attack mode, she was testing her mettle, showing off her flexibility and elite twerking skills. The self-proclaimed “Megan Knees” were on display, mostly during throwback anthems like “Freak Nasty” and “Kitty Kat.” And when he finally got a breather, he took in the crowd's electricity, exclaiming, “This is my first tour, yeah.”
Megan also had bright spots during certain songs. When she performed “Gift And a Curse,” she reiterated her stance on abortion laws, rapping, “My mother–king body, my choice,” with her fist in the air. The three-act set hosted plenty of nostalgic moments for day one fans as Meg revisited songs like “Big Ol Freak,” “Girls in the Hood” and more. She even quizzed fans by rapping a hat to see if they could rap along with her. Later, she put an Instagram Live pseudo-filter on the big screen to gauge who had the best twerking moves, regardless of gender.
The show reached its climax when Meghan brought out Cardi B from the Bronx to perform “Bongos” and the 2020 Hot 100 chart-topper “WAP”. The crowd roared as the chemistry between Meg and Cardi was undeniable. Despite Cardi struggling to hit the beat due to audio delays, the crowd didn't care as they enjoyed watching two rap superstars in their prime worship each other. The lovefest didn't stop there. Once Cardi unleashed her classic verse from “Tomorrow 2,” GloRilla returned to the stage, creating a moment between all three female MCs. The thunderous crowd marveled at the camaraderie, especially after much of the year involved hip-hop lyrical warfare. It was refreshing and a much-needed moment after months of controversy in the genre.
After bulldozing her way through the song, Cardi sat back and watched Megan and GloRilla perform “Wanna Be.” After the show, Glo teased a surprise, which Meg later pulled from herself: an upcoming remix of “Wanna Be” featuring Cardi. Meg thanked Cardi and Glo while acknowledging the importance of working together as women in hip-hop before returning to her solo mission to conquer The Garden.
Following 'Stalli Freestyle' and 'Cash Sh-t', Meg encouraged everyone of all sizes and shapes to embrace their 'Body' as she feverishly rapped her 2020 signature hit. The proverbial cherry came when she closed the show with her Grammy-winning single 'Savage'.
After conquering The Garden as a headliner for the first time, Meg's display of skill cannot be disputed. It embodies the value of playing the long game and why, sometimes, good things come to those who wait.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/megan-thee-stallion-hot-girl-summer-tour-nyc-recap-cardi-b-1235689734/
