Hot 97’s Summer Jam is the event that marks the beginning of the tri-state area’s long, hot summer ahead. The moniker of being the “Super Bowl of hip-hop” carries weight and expectations. If there’s one thing that has made Summer Jam a mecca for over 20 years, it’s moments - whether it’s using the stage as a launching pad for beef or the spontaneity of collaborations and special guests.
But as the festival made its return to the Prudential Center in Newark on Friday after a two-year hiatus, it’s going against an evolutionary headwind.
Hip-hop’s success has expanded the genre into the mainstream pop culture conversation so much that Hot 97 Summer Jam is no longer the epicenter it once was.
Tyler, the Creator and Travis Scott are headlining places that weren’t initially geared towards hip-hop fans, such as Coachella and Lollapalooza. Rolling Loud has established itself as a global festival destination that showcases the present and future of hip-hop. Previous performers like J Cole and Kendrick Lamar have curated their own festivals and venturing on their own stadium tours.
Can Summer Jam still be what it was in years past, when Jay-Z both brought out Michael Jackson and first debuted “Takeover,” his classic diss record aimed at Nas in 2001? It’s still trying to find its way. As a part of the North to Shore festival, Summer Jam downsized from its classic MetLife Stadium and Giants Stadium locations, but still sold out the arena.
The 2025 iteration was a cosmopolitan mix of different eras and genres of music, highlighting up-and-coming artists, making space for tributes, and giving top billing to some of today’s acts, including New York’s A Boogie, rapper and singer GloRilla, and Georgia’s Gunna.
Summer Jam battled through some hiccups, including many technical issues with microphones that caused some sets to be cut short due to time constraints. The result was that the festival went almost three hours off schedule and ended past 2 a.m. Saturday morning. New York’s Cash Cobain had to rush through his set, looking frustrated. Nigerian Afropop artist Ayra Starr acknowledged that she couldn’t talk, wanting to address the crowd, but managed to perform her Grammy award-nominated song “Rush” (2022).
Even rapper Jim Jones appeared to have his mic cut off around the 20-minute mark of his performance. Summer Jam showcased various artists, including the Brooklyn drill trio 41, Michigan’s own Kash Doll, and Nigerian singer Asake. With the set times being so fluid, some artists were just getting into a flow with the crowd before they had to end suddenly.
Grammy-nominated artist Muni Long made the best of her three songs. She acknowledged that she was short on time, thanked the fans, and played three of her hits, including “Made For Me” (2023), leaving people happy.
The longest sets of the night before the headliners were in the middle of the show. Ja Rule and Friends saw the Queens lead a tribute to record producer Irv Gotti, who died of a stroke in February 2025. Rule brought out classic artists from the Murder Inc. label, such as Lloyd, Chari Baltimore, and Vida, to perform classic songs from their heyday.
Most of the time was reserved for Rule’s own songs and collaborations, such as “I Cry” (2000), his song with Jennifer Lopez, “I’m Real” (1999), and “Always On Time” (2001). One highlight was Rule bringing out Jadakiss to rap his verse for their 2004 collaboration, “I’m From New York.”
While the 2025 edition was sparse on moments that would grab headlines, Jim Jones made one worth mentioning. Undeterred by his set getting cut, he went to Funkmaster Flex’s DJ booth and talked his way into getting some extra time. It was then that Jones performed maybe 30 seconds of 2006’s “We Fly High,” but he had a special guest. Philadelphia’s Meek Mill came to the stage and performed his 2012 anthem, “Dreams and Nightmares,” twice. It marked a high point of the show, as the crowd was so loud rapping the lyrics that Mill himself didn’t have to.
Around the 11 p.m. mark, the energy of the sold-out crowd wavered up and down. Keep in mind, some fans had been at the festival since earlier in the hot afternoon. The crowd got excited when GloRilla performed her 2024 hit, “Yeah Glo!” as the screen beckoned them to say the words back to them.
Between Gunna’s and A Boogie’s performances, there was a need for set changes. Gunna performed from an installation made of silver flowers, featuring a high-rise platform at the top. A Boogie had LED screens complete with a drummer and keyboardist inside two of the platforms. The fans enjoyed both of their 30-minute set, but with Summer Jam ending after 2 a.m., some people had already left the venue.
Make no mistake about it, Hot 97 Summer Jam is legendary and a summer institution that needs to continue. Surprise cameos still spark the happiness of what the festival was. However, there’s no denying that some of the ‘mecca”s must-see allure has worn off because of things both inside and beyond its control.
It’s better to meet Summer Jam on the terms of where it is now; a marker of the hip-hop greats and those who may take the mantle. The festival may no longer be a king or queen maker like before, but nothing ever stays the same.
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Murjani Rawls may be reached at mrawls@njadvancemedia.com
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