HOT 97 Summer Jam 2025 Brings Hip-Hop, R&B, & the World to Newark
HOT 97 Summer Jam 2025 lit up Newark with stars, tributes, and surprises—despite tech issues, hip hop’s biggest night still delivered.
By Mark ElibertJune 24 2025, Published 3:52 p.m. ET
The 31st annual HOT 97 Summer Jam lit up Newark’s Prudential Center on Friday, June 20, turning into a five-hour-plus celebration of hip hop’s past, present, and future. Thousands of fans packed into the arena for a night packed with surprises, memorable tributes, and some of the biggest names in music.
The day began with the HOT 97 Who’s Next Festival Stage at Mulberry Commons, where rising stars like Zeddy Will, 2Rare, Sturdy Youngin, and JayFlexn, a 13-year-old star in the making that proved the future of the genre is in good hands.
By evening, the main stage buzzed with performances from a fiery lineup that had fans vibing all night. A Boogie wit da Hoodie and Gunna had the Prudential Center rocking while GloRilla brought her signature bounce. Muni Long delivered smooth R&B vibes and Nigerian stars Asake and Ayra Starr introduced global rhythms to the stage.
Jim Jones brought the crowd to Harlem World by bringing out Juelz Santana before bringing them some Philly love by way of Meek Mill, who performed “Dreams and Nightmares” in a surprise appearance.
Ja Rule stole the show with a dramatic entrance dressed in all white and masked, opening a tribute to the late Irv Gotti with the words: “Irv crafted the soundtrack to the 2000s. He never stopped pushing the culture forward.”
He then took off the mask and launched into “New York” with a guest appearance from Jadakiss. Ja also brought out Charlie Baltimore and Lloyd for several Murder Inc. classics produced by Gotti, including “Always On Time” and “Put It On Me,” creating one of the night’s most heartfelt moments.
Despite production hiccups and some sound problems, Summer Jam 2025 delivered another unforgettable chapter in hip hop’s live legacy — raw, real, and undeniably electric.
