As Heineken’s Red Star Soul concert series hit Manhattan’s Gotham Hall on Friday (October 16), a packed house gathered for free beer and performances from a star-studded line up. With Ludacris headlining, others scheduled to take the stage for the NYC stop on the nine-city tour including Wale, Estelle, Biz Markie and D-Nice.

Wale helped kick off the show with performances of “Chillin,’� “Mirrors,� and “World Tour� off his upcoming Attention: Deficit, due out November 10. Biz Markie followed, both DJing and performing his 1989 hit turned Heineken commercial soundtrack, “Just A Friend,� as all in attendance sang along.

The treat of the evening was provided by Luda, surprising everyone by bringing out Nas for his verse on “I Do it for Hip Hop� [Watch below]. Crowd energy grew through the hometown MC’s appearance, as the Queens native went into early career standouts “NY State of Mind,� “The World Is Yours,� and “If I Ruled the World,� as well as the more recent “Made You Look�—aided by a verse from the ATL wordsmith. The rest of Luda’s set included an array of hits, from “Southern Hospitality,� “Stand Up� and “One More Drink,� to his verses on the remixes of “I’m So Hood� and “Pop Champagne.�

Previous performers at stops across the country during this year’s annual invitation-only event have included Big Boi, T-Pain, and Mickey Factz. The tour’s final stop will come November 13 in Miami. –Adam Fleischer

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