6 Of The Best Performances At Summer Jam 2014

Every year, Hot 97's Summer Jam becomes the headquarters for hip-hop, as some of the genre's biggest names come together for a night of all-star performances, crazy appearances, and surprise guest spots that keep fans and journalists alike on their toes. But while many of the talking points can tend to surround the drama that always comes when so many superstars rub shoulders in one place, it's what happens on stage that can produce the real magic. This year was no exception, as some seriously high-profile guests and shocking reunions made it a Summer Jam to remember. From 50 Cent reuniting G-Unit to Nicki Minaj sharing the stage with Lil Wayne and Drake at the same damn time, here are the TK best performances from Summer Jam 2014. We made it. —XXL Staff

Previously: Photos: 50 Cent, Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne And More At Summer Jam 2014
G-Unit Reunites At Summer Jam, Fight Breaks Out

50 Cent Reunites G-Unit

Queens reunited under the Jersey sky on Sunday night as Nas wound his set down by bringing out his fellow borough native 50 Cent, but it was 50 who then immediately stole the spotlight. It's been years since G-Unit has been together on stage—or even together enough to speak to each other without beefing—but 50 seems dead serious about this musical comeback with tomorrow's Animal Ambition, and the biggest card he had to pull was by reuniting the full G-Unit, Banks, Buck and Yayo all included. With all four together on stage—and going through some classic mixtape material like "I Smell Pussy" to boot—it wasn't going to get much bigger, even if the fight that broke out on stage during the performance (what's was the old saying? "It's always something with G-Unit"?) tried to mar the vibe. It didn't, and the Unit rides again.

YMCMB Takeover Was Just As Good As Advertised

When Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne were both announced alongside YMCMB to take the stage at Summer Jam, the order of the set, or what it would contain, was up for much debate. It turned out that Nicki stole the show, dropping her "Chi-Raq" remix with Lil Herb, her new track "Yasss Bish!" with Soulja Boy, and her first single off third album The Pink Print "Pills N Potions" as well. But when she brought out Lil Wayne and Drake for "Believe Me," "Worst Behaviour," "Loyal (Remix)" and "Trophies," the star power on the stage was nearly blinding. Watching the Young Money Chieftain with the Prince and Princess of the crew all have the time of their lives on stage together was a high point that left most fans in the stadium stunned.

Nas Represented The Old And The New With Meek Mill And French Montana

Nas came out and immediately jumped into some of his classic material, opening with "N.Y. State Of Mind" and running through "Represent," "Life's A Bitch" and "The World Is Yours" off Illmatic. But then he became a conductor of sorts, giving part of his set over to Meek Mill, who performed the "Intro" off Dreams And Nightmares and French Montana, who played "Ain't Worried About Nothin'" from Excuse My French, as Nas looked on proudly. He hinted at new material to come from himself as well, but the combination of classic material with some of the newer names coming through Nas' old street lane made the performance a moment to remember.

Action Bronson Became A Hero In His Hometown

At this point, Bronson walking into the crowd during his sets isn't so much shocking as it is endlessly amusing. It's a trick he's used countless times during his performances in the past few years, but one that is still fascinating to watch, especially on a platform as large as Summer Jam. Bronson actually had to climb down, cross a barrier, and then enter into the crowd, where he stood on chairs surrounded by adoring and ecstatic fans, threw his hands in the air, looked up at the massive MetLife Stadium, and let loose the "I'M A HERO IN MY HOMETOWN BABY" hook from his song "Strictly 4 My Jeeps." It was a crowning performance for Bam Bam, and one that felt that much bigger for the venue in which it happened.

Wiz Khalifa Gets Young, Wild And Free With Snoop Dogg

It's hard to think of a more catchy song than the massive hit that Wiz and Snoop penned for their collaborative Mac & Devin Go To High School project in 2011. And when Snoop—a surprise guest who appeared backstage and then hopped up for a quick set with Wiz—emerged for "The Next Episode," the stage was set for the stadium-wide singalong. It's one of those songs that feels like it might never end, and that's largely because most people don't want it to.

Trey Songz And Ty Dolla $ign Remix "Paranoid"

Trey Songz' performance was a highlight already before he brought out XXL 2014 Freshman Ty Dolla $ign to perform their remix of Ty's "Paranoid." But to see it in action—the heartthrob Songz belting out the ratchet club hit alongside the new breed of R&B/hip-hop hybrid—was something else, and had the entirety of the crowd on their feet. Songz also tossed in a shoutout to the then-incarcerated Chris Brown (who got out of jail today) by performing Brown's hit "Loyal," which, coincidentally, was written by Dolla $ign.