The “Boys 4 Life” Tour rolled into town on Friday, bringing with it a night full of chart topping hits and millennial era nostalgia. The tour is an iteration of the “Millenium Tour,” which has been a perennial event over the past several years, and has continued to see major success as fans clamor for tickets to experience a night full of their favorite music from the early to mid aughts. This year’s line up featured B2K and Bow Wow as co-headliners with a packed supporting roster including Amerie, Yung Joc, Crime Mob, Dem Franchize Boyz, B5, Pretty Ricky and more.
Fans packed out the CSU Wolstein Center as the openers lit up the stage one after the other. Amerie brought the crowd to their feet with her hits, “Why Don’t We Fall in Love?” and “One Thing,” while Yung Joc rocked the house with fan favorites including “Knock it Out” and “It’s Goin’ Down.” Crime Mob turned up the crowd with the club classics “Stilettos” and “Knuck if You Buck.” Dem Franchize Boyz had everyone snapping to “Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It” and “Oh I Think They Like Me,” while B5 had the ladies swooning to “U Got Me” and “All I Do.” Finally, Pretty Ricky hit the stage for a high energy performance with their brand of raunchy, fun R&B cult classics “On the Hotline” and “Grind on Me” to round out the openers.
Bow Wow and B2K finally took the stage and showed the crowd why they have been mainstays in hip hop and R&B respectively for over 25 years. Ohio’s own Bow Wow captivated the crowd with his commanding stage presence as he performed a career-spanning set beginning with his breakout single as a child star, “Bounce With Me.” The Columbus native rocked the crowd for an hour with hits including, “Let Me Hold You” and “Like You,” truly showcasing why his status as a hip hop icon has been cemented. He was even joined by Lil’ Scrappy and Dem Franchize Boyz for a few surprise guest performances.
B2K took the stage for the finale and gave a master class on performance. Between the singing, choreography and group chemistry, they haven’t missed a beat. The four performed a selection of their biggest hits including their breakout “Uh Huh,” “Bump, Bump, Bump” and “Girlfriend.” The performance also featured each member performing a solo set, which included J-Boog performing a dance sequence from the film “You Got Served” and Omarion performing a selection of hits from his solo career such as “Ice Box” and “Touch” to name a few.
The night was a walk down memory lane to a golden era of hip hop and R&B, during the millennial cohort’s formative years. It was heartwarming to see the entirety of the crowd on their feet, dancing and singing their hearts out to the songs that shaped a generation and gave us some of our most treasured memories. Take a look at all the moments we caught here.
Photos and story by Marissa McDowell
IG: @marissam.art
Contact Marissa: mm@marissam.art
