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The inaugural Staten Island Peace and Unity Festival took place with Ashanti and Ja Rule as headliners alongside Method Man, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, Cappadonna, and Redman.

Hip Hop Community News On Saturday, July 10, hip-hop made an illustrious impact on Staten Island, one of New York Citys most underestimated boroughs. The inaugural Staten Island Peace and Unity Festival took place this Saturday with Ashanti and Ja Rule as headliners alongside Method Man, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, Cappadonna, and Redman. Sponsored by community organizations The Water Team, Uncle Chase Entertainment, Wakeem Entertainment, and 3Js Creation Entertainment. Spearheaded by Kay Woods, CEO of The Water Team, the objective of the event was to encourage unity among New Yorkers after the aggressive limits of the now year-long pandemic, especially Staten Islanders. Visit streaming.thesource.com for more information At the top of the show, Kay Woods disclosed the mission of the festival. The main purpose of this concert is about peace and unity. It aint about nothing else, Kay Woods disclosed to the audience. We aint doing this for the gram. Ja Rule and Ashanti kicked off the concert with their signature team dynamic and ran through their most favored hits in the likes of Mesmerize, Always on Time, Down Ass Chick, Happy, Livin It Up, and more. The festival marks Ashantis first time visiting Staten Island, a borough of New York where Murder Incs music played a role in the coming of seasoned trends. Advertisement Ja Rule performs at the 2021 Staten Island Peace and Unity Festival Ashanti performs at the 2021 Staten Island Peace and Unity Festival Catching up with the R&B princess, she shared that she did not have any expectations about performing on Staten Island for the first time, and all she wanted was energy and love. The promising borough certainly fulfilled that desire as their outpouring of love was on full display. I really didnt have any expectations. I didnt know what we were coming into, said Ashanti. I felt like I wanted it to be energy and love and it definitely was. The Grammy award-winning singer highlighted her induction to the Class of 2022 Hollywood Hall of Fame during her performance and was moved by the response she received from Staten Islanders. You know what really surprised me, the reaction that I got when I said that I am getting a star on the Hollywood Hall of Fame, said Ashanti. That felt like family. Cappadonna performs at the 2021 Staten Island Peace and Unity Festival Staten Island is known for its role as being the birthplace of the Wu-Tang Clan. In return, the legendary group has managed to play a chunky role in the global recognition of the forgotten borough. New York City boroughs such as Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx are places where voluminous hip-hop events are known to take place and Staten Island is on the verge of joining the lineup. Ghostface Killah and Method Man perform Ice Cream at the 2021 Staten Island Peace and Unity Festival In what is considered a legendary performance, Wu-Tang Clan members Method Man, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, and Cappadonna took to the stage alongside the funk doc himself, Redman. From Cappadonnas slaying of his hit Slang Editorial to Ghostface Killah and Method Mans nostalgic Ice Cream verses and even down to Young Dirty Bastard taking to the mic to the parts of his father, the late Ol Dirty Bastard, the performance was a moment that will go down in Staten Islands hip-hop history, as such shindigs are rare. In a sit down with Ghostface Killah, when asked about his stance on Wu-Tangs iconic status on Staten Island, the Mighty Healthy emcee explained that he rarely thinks about it, but when he does he is humble about his role in putting Staten Island on the map. Ghostface Killah performs at the 2021 Staten Island Peace and Unity Festival I know what we did and whatever I do is just regular, said Ghostface Killah. Im humble to it and Im grateful that the most high has aligned me with who he has aligned me around, to be on that one team to spread this to the world. Chatting with Method Man, he shared that while he knows and understands Wu-Tangs prominence on Staten Island, he poses the question as to what figures of his stature can do for their hometown communities: You have to give back more than just give back. Your presence alone is sometimes good but it aint good enough. Especially in situations where people are hungry, people are starving, said Method Man. You can come around and give turkeys on thanksgiving, but once that turkey is gone, what they got to eat next? Redman and Method Man perform at the 2021 Staten Island Peace and Unity Festival He continued, There are people out there who will work for what they want. They are ready to work now. Its just that the opportunity has passed them because they are not in a position or in a place where they can be seen and heard and be put into those places where they can provide for their families and take care of themselves. So what we do is, we put these festivals together hoping to inspire somebody to want better for themselves. Inspectah Deck performs at the 2021 Staten Is Read more