The Canadian Tire Centre turned into the club on Monday night as Nelly, Ja Rule, and Chingy brought their “Where the Party At” tour to Ottawa. The capital was the second stop on the nationwide tour so far, which has been a high-energy celebration of Nelly’s 25-year career, with many special guests and moments.
The last time I covered Nelly was at the Algonquin Commons Theatre only a few years ago. This time, Ottawa showed up in droves to catch a nostalgic lineup of hitmakers, with the CTC being very well-sold. Nelly donned an Ottawa Senators jersey on his way out to the stage with the number seven on his back, as captain Brady Tkachuk also hails from St. Louis. The set was a journey through his extensive catalog, featuring the biggest hits like “Hot in Herre,” “Dilemma,” and “Ride Wit Me.”
Special guests added to the excitement of the night. Chingy performed his classic “Right Thurr,” while J-Kwon made a surprise appearance and brought the crowd to life with “Tipsy.” St. Lunatics also joined Nelly on stage twice to perform several songs.
Ja Rule opened his set with a voiceover of the famous joke of “Where is Ja?” from the comfort of his bed, as the rapper was wheeled out in a bed along with his outfit for the night hung up next to him. The NYC born-and-raised MC had the crowd up and moving early into his set, taking moments to pay homage to other members of the cities’ hip-hop legacy.
For a Monday night, the CTC was anything but sleepy, and fans were raving as each throwback hit rolled into the next.
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