50 Cents, Fat Joe, Jadakiss,Lil Baby,Tank,Eric Bellinger Join Usher and Brown on New York Leg of Tour at Metlife Stadium in Jersey; Divas Ashanti, Mary J. Blige & Others Join Tour on Second Night

 

1 Thessalonians 5:17

Pray without ceasing

"We should always be praying"

"Unity in the Community" and "Prayer is Important" On Tour

Introductory Video Commentary by Rev. Cynthia D. Wilson

I have enjoyed following what has been proclaimed and has gained its rightful place as the biggest tour for Rhythm and Blues this year because of two of the biggest stars  Chris Brown and Usher are co-headliners. As a promoter of prayer and co-founder of Chaplain of Pop outreach  ministry of presence, through prayer and support, I was as thrilled to have been considered for the opportunity and happy to see the tour opened with prayer before Detroit's show at Ford Field last month by Rev. Gray.  He did a great job. Also, Chris and Usher facilitated an opening prayer by a local pastor before one of the Detroit shows as well.  I would have loved to have been present for such a monumental night giving the prayer myself or just being among the prayer circle. But due to unforseen reasons. I ask that you pray for me to get beyond and overcome these man-made obstacles.

I do look forward to attending in person in the future. In the meantime I  can always do a video as I have been constantly reminded. Though hugs and handshakes are more effective in person. I still have enjoyed some of the performances via live stream and have messaged short prayers and comments during the "live chats". Those  interactions are impotant as well.

 Live chat provides an opportunity for me and others to message prayers and comments throughout the show. Its was good to listen to the perspectives and opinions of fans and also see the concert "live" from a different angle. When you can't  be there in person to interview them or mingle for whatever reasons it is the next best thing. I really appreciated the setting even though intermittent loud and excited expressions from fans produced varied versions of the songs. The songs come off slightly different when overdubbed with exhilarated singing and shouts from loving fans. But I was glad to experience the concert all the more from that aspect. Though I would have preferred to be there in person even more. Working on it...!

The streamers are dedicated and very concerned about others being able to see the show, especially when the wifi connection is lost. The fade out happens but only lasts a few seconds usually. They demand uninterrupted continuity and flow of the show, as it must go on. A special "shout out" to the streamers who stood in the gap and also produced some entertainment of their own with their cheering and excited commentary. Though sometimes a bit risque  you have to remember that Chris Brown is a co-headliner of the concert. And  of course Usher's fans were as exhilarated from his performance as Brown's fans were of his. The tenor of the expressions and the language used varied a bit for each artist and was interesting to note. 

Chris Brown and Usher continued their excellence in delivery of great music with impeccable vocals and dance routines with some exciting surprises in their guest line up and dance performance changes in  the first night's show. 

There was a beautifully tasteful and giant black and white background photo display of  Chris Brown during the early days during one of the songs performed which provided a lovely touch.

Chris usually clad in chains, all black leather and all black pants when performing the "Under the Influence/ Take You Down" pole dance segment, the most sexually provocative scene of the show, was sporting overalls during the first night's skit which took the steaminess down a few notches. Also, the stage lights were dimmed during the ascending of the staircase scene after the pole dance interval leaving it to the audience's imagination, at least from my viewing angle. It was done in good taste though, in my opinion.

Check out this link for a terrific Instagram capture. Also you can go to Chris Brown or Usher's fan sites for other videos of this and other shows from the R&B Tour.

 New York's concerts on both nights of the R&B Tour also took on a whole new dimension with an exciting line-up of guest performances. You had rappers like 50 Cents whose surprise appearance had the concert audience welcoming him to the stage with thunderous applause. Other rappers making surprise appearances were Jadakiss and Fat Joe who joined Usher on stage for a performance of a long rap and R&B medley of music and verse. The impromptu performance was reminiscent of  homies in the neighborhood getting together and having a jam session of old friends. It was clear they and the audience were enjoying every second. 

In non-verbal language when Jadakiss and Fat Joe swaggered onstage after climbing the stairs to join their friends their entrance body language spoke loud and clear--we are your back-up and have your back in our neighborhood. After the three of them performed together, Usher gracefully yielded the stage to Fat Joe and Jadakiss who rapped a few numbers together. There was also a surprise rap performance by Lil Baby. I couldn’t help but speculate that Jay-Z may have sent them as emissaries to roll out a New York homage and welcome for the two r&b icons. After all Usher did make a surprise appearance at his concert at Yankee Stadium.

It was great to see an array of rappers joining Usher’s and Chris Brown’s R&B Tour party. Eric Bellinger and Tank also made guest appearances performing their popular rhythm and blues songs.

R&B crooners Mario and Eric Bellinger also showed up again for the second show. The biggest surprise came the second night of the concert when two Hip Hop and r&b diva-icons Mary J. Blige and Ashanti joined Usher on stage for outstanding segments. It was great to see the ladies join the R&B Tour  party. Rapper Fortune, Method Man, A Boogie made it as well.

Here's another nice video montage that was prepared of the special guests performing on day two.

Chaplain of Pop video updates forthcoming soon  at link.

Cynthia Wilson, Chaplain of Pop

Nashville Was a Harmonious Interplay Between Audience and Artist-the Crowd So Excited for Usher & Chris and Showed It in Call and Response and Pre-Concert Beats

Make a joyful noise to the Lord all the earth

Psalm-150

The audience had filled the stadium almost to capacity and the "audience-warmer" DJ enthusiastically blasted the air with recorded sounds of R&B and soul music greats while the audience responded energetically dancing in celebratory anticipation of the historic concert, co-headlining two R&B icons. It was a giant pre-concert stadium-filled party southern style with vibrant dancing and wild routines of twerking, hustle routines on the main floor embellished by audio call and responses. Some of the live concert music fans chants sounded like college fraternity and sorority chants from a roaring and cheering pre-game crowd. 

It was then that I looked around and observed that the seats were filled to capacity with the magnetic energy of thousands of fans-70,000 capacity seating in unison eagerly anticipating Brown and Usher's appearance on stage. It was dazzlingly uplifting  to view the coordinated light show conducted by the pre-show DJ who led the crowd in a symphony of lights by their seating sections. Instructed to "put your lights on",  the result was a bright switch off-and-on that was done quickly between the sections and created a beautiful flashing light pattern by section across the stadium when that particular section received the command.  The light was provided by individual cell phones.

 I wish I  could have filmed it. A wonderful display of solidarity among fans around the stadium created a harmony and sense of unity that would encircle the stadium throughout the concert. It was truly inspiring to observe what the love of these world class entertainers could inspire.

I had the good fortune to view it via livestream. It was an educational experience to say the least, in the midst of a vast community of concert attendees enjoying the experience of robust commentary by other fans-as they observed the vocals and dance moves of Brown and Usher. They made the kind of relational outbursts you may have experienced from excited movie fans in a neighborhood theater. Cheering the stars on like they were close family members or friends.

In summary, I thought the concert was very good. What I noted most were the vocals, both Usher's and Brown's stage presence and the audience's  enthusiastic response to their favorite songs. The sound wss somehow crisper and clearer from previous concerts that I observed before. Of course, we know each artist can sing and they have the accolades, record sales and Grammys to prove it. We also know that the music for the tour is being done by the well-known and respected Avila brothers. But if this means anything to all you audiophiles out there, the microphones were indeed on, as one person interjected frequently during the singing and you could definitely tell.

Usher performed first making his entrance with customary smooth, suave and cool swagger. The ladies in the audience went wild. I had one screaming in my ear, "that man is so fine" as he made his way to center stage. All eyes were on him during his  selection of a woman from the VIP section to perform one of the rather risque heated scenes. She was rather nonchalant and Usher quickly picked up on it and handled the matter with class and finesse. His performances of "Climax", "Confessions","You Don't Have to Call",  "Superstar", "You Got It Bad", "Let It Burn", the joining or mixing transition with Chris on "It Depends" and of course his duet with Chris the concert finale song "New Flame" were just fine, well received by the audience and on point.

Mario performed a nice suite of songs during the break getting a strong applause for his hit song "Let Me Love You" and two others after Eric Bellinger performed an abbreviated set. Though he didn't perform long,  the audience responded enthusiastically to his performance.

 You could clearly hear and listen to the vocal runs. Chris Brown's singing on "Something in the Water", "Residuals", "With You", "Ain't No Way", "Forever", his dance spins and the real quasi-explicit pole dance scene with the dancer roused the audience, though it was toned down a bit. A little old-fashioned myself I appreciated that and I'll just leave it there.  His flight through the air thrilled the audience. I am not too keen on that flying through the air myself. However, he and the audience seem to enjoy it immensely. I'm always on pins and needles.

I really enjoyed the show and had pretty good views throughout surrounded by some rambunctious personalities who loudly made their views known.😉 Although the Nissan Stadium's wifi was sketchy at times participating in the online chat in which I wrote a prayer before the concert started and at the end of wishing everyone a safe exit from the stadium and safe travels home.

 If you have the opportunity, get your tickets to the show. The concert is definitely worth it.

God bless,

Cynthia Wilson

Edited 7.27.26 @6:25p.m. to include Usher short on his viral moment and Mario's performance and Eric Bellinger.