Line-up

Venue

MVP Arena

51 S. Pearl St., 12207, Albany, NY, US

www.mvparena.com/

Capacity: 17,500

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Additional details

Doors open: 20:00

Concert in your area for Hip-Hop, R&B, Pop, Electronic, and Funk & Soul.

Find out more about Hip-Hop, Pop, and Electronic.

Ashanti biography

Ashanti (born October 13, 1980) otherwise known as Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas, is an American pop and R&B singer, songwriter and actor from Glen Cove, New York, U.S.

Born in Glen Cove, New York to mother and former dance teacher Tina Douglas and father and former singer Ken-Kaide Thomas Douglas, Ashanti has a creative upbringing. She attended the Bernice Johnson Cultural Arts Centre at a young age where she studied dance including tap, jazz, ballet and hip-hop, and later in her teens began singing regularly at various New York shows.

The singer’s big break came in 2002 when discovered by hit maker Irv Gotti, who teamed Ashanti up with Fat Joe and his single “What’s Luv?” and Ja Rule’s “Always on Time”. The two singles were released simultaneously and led to Ashanti being the first female artist to occupy the top two positions in the chart. Before long she released her debut solo single entitled “Foolish”, which became instantly popular, the single was her biggest to date, spending ten weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100.

With the success of her first three singles Ashanti and Irv Gotti’s Murder Inc. record label released Ashanti’s debut album “Ashanti” in April 2002. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart, has been certified triple platinum in the U.S. and catapulted the singer to a mainstream world of magazines covers and publicity. Before the end of 2002 Gotti produced a remix of “Foolish” with the Notorious B.I.G. which again hit the charts and represented Ashanti’s domination of the R&B world in 2002.

Her follow-up “Chapter II” in 2003 saw the singer reach the top of the charts once again, largely due to the success of the lead single “Rock wit U (Awww Baby)”. However due to Irv Gotti’s Murder Inc. label coming under some intense scrutiny by the FBI and a feud with 50 Cent’s G-Unit the album got ignored somewhat. The same year the singer released her first Christmas album entitled “Ashanti’s Christmas” and her third full-length LP “Concrete Rose” came a year later in 2004 with the lead single “Only U”.

In 2005 Ashanti made her acting debut in the film “Coach Carter” which opened at No. 1 at the U.S. box office. In 2008 came her fourth studio album “The Declaration” which unlike her debut album which she wrote the majority-of herself, Ashanti enlisted the help of Akon, Babyface and Mario Winans in production. The album debuted at No. 6 in the albums chart led by singles “The Way That I Love You” and “Good Good”.

After a time focusing on her acting and musical appearances including staring as Dorothy in a stage production of “The Wiz”, Ashanti released her fifth album “Braveheart” in March 2014, two years after its initial single was released.

Trey Songz biography

Trey Songz is an American singer-songwriter from Petersburg, Virginia. He has released six R&B studio albums and has also acted in various films and television shows.

As a child growing up within a military family, Trey Songz had zero aspirations to become the musical superstar he is today. A shy boy, it was the encouragement of parents and friends that built his confidence and got him performing in front of live audiences. Songz was discovered at the age of 16 at a talent show by record producer Troy Taylor and was subsequently signed to Atlantic Records.

While recording his first album, “I Gotta Make It”, Trey Songz was concurrently releasing various mix tapes under the name Prince of Virginia. One song, a response to R. Kelly’s “Trapped in the Closet” gained particular attention and earned Songz some notoriety, which bolstered sales of his first album.

While his first two albums received a lot of positive attention from the R&B community, it wasn’t until his third and fourth studio albums – “Ready” and “Passion, Pain & Pleasure”, respectively – that Trey Songz managed to successfully cross over into mainstream appeal. Singles “Say Aah” featuring Fabolous and “Bottoms Up” featuring Nicki Minaj were both top ten singles in the US and are the singer’s most successful singles to date.

A versatile performer, Trey Songz has collaborated with the likes of Ne-Yo, 50 Cent, T.I. and Lil Wayne, amongst many others. Trey Songz has toured alongside Jay Z and Usher where he opened for both artists in 2009 and 2010 respectively. An energetic performer, Trey Songz has also headlined three tours and played many festivals.

In addition to picking up fans from across the US and Europe, Trey Songz has also picked up multiple award nominations over the last ten years, including three Grammy Award nominations.

Live reviews

Two of the biggest R&B/pop crossovers of the early noughties came from Ashanti; her collaborations on ‘What’s Luv’? with Fat Joe and ‘Always on Time’ with Ja Rule would lead to the latter describing her as “the new princess of hip hop and R&B.” Signing to Murder Inc. Records after being spotted by label boss Irv Gotti, she was seen as crucial to their strategy for crosing over into the mainstream. Her self-titled debut record was a huge success, selling six million copies worldwide and spawning hit singles including ‘Foolish’ and ‘Happy’. Since then, though, Ashanti’s struggled to replicate that success; follow-ups Chapter II and Concrete Rose struggled, primarily because of the lack of a big single (although I maintain that the Jay Z-sampling ‘Rain on Me’ from the former is one of her finest moments). With her first record in six years, Braveheart, meeting with a strong critical response and cracking the U.S. top ten earlier this year, though, she might well be poised for a comeback; she’s back out on the live circuit with a full band, with a couple of well-received UK shows late last year setting the stage for a more high-profile return to these shores - expect Murder Inc.-era classics as well as a slew of new material.

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Joeg_67

Trey Songz AKA Tremaine Aldon Neverson... my FAVORITE male artist on the scene – and not because of his stunning good looks (he is definitely a ladies man... they don't call him Mr. Steal Yo Girl for nothing!), but because Trey is sincere, down to earth, loves the Lord, his family, his fans, and us (his Angels). Trey keeps it real all the time; in conversation and through his lyrics!

When Trey performs, the ladies are always at attention! One memorable experience was during PPP tour at the Orpheum in Memphis, TN (8/15/10) and I had the pleasure of taking his tie off and he gave it to me!

My first time meeting Trey was 3/15/08 at the Cannon Center in Memphis and I took a picture with him! I was so excited; stayed up all night!!!

I saw Trey in concert 3 times that year. I've seen him a total of 8 times between Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana, last being at last year's Essence Festival which was an experience of a lifetime, and I had the opportunity to fellowship with other Angels and his mother, Mumma April, who is such a beautiful woman inside and out! I have nothing but the utmost respect for her & Trey!

Fun facts... Trey wanted to be a rapper. He came on the scene in 2005. Trey's Angels began 9/14/2010 (I've been member since day one). Trey has 5 albums and the 6th album Trigga will be released July 1, 2014! You gotta get your own copy! If you've never seen Trey in concert, you don't know what you're missing and would be in for a treat!

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dymunique

Marcus Ramone Cooper…you may know him as a member of the hip-hop/R&B group Pretty Ricky, but you may also know him better as Pleasure P. Having embarked on his solo career back in 2007, he has continued to use his experiences to put on the best damn show he could possibly give his fans.
During his live sets, he performs mainly from his solo album, but every so often will possibly include a Pretty Ricky song. Because he has been around for so long, and has established a solid fan base, the crowds that flock his stage have been long time fans, or converted by long time fans. This results in almost every person knowing all the words to atleast one of his songs. In addition to the songs off his album, he will also occasionally include new songs, which are usually warmly welcomed by his fans. Watching him perform, you can clearly see that he is constantly striving to be better, to continue his expression of art in the best way he knows how. During the transitions between his songs, he’ll take some time to say things to the audience, things like what the next song is, or a humble thank you.

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Ellinoinsta

Nahum Grymes - as well as being the only person I’ve ever come across to be named Nahum - apparently decided that his name wasn’t sufficiently chilled enough to be properly becoming of an artist who’s made a crossover between hip hop and R&B his calling card for the past almost-decade, so he goes by J. Holiday instead. Since heading straight to a recording studio shortly after graduating from high school, Holiday has been focusing on bringing that particular blend of styles back to the mainstream, with his debut full-length, Back of My Lac, going in at number five in the U.S. in 2007. He’s kept up that level of commercial success since, too, with follow-up Round 2 charting at number four in 2009. Earlier this year, he returned smoother than ever with album number three, Guilty Conscience, to a superb critical reception. He’s not lined up any UK dates in direct support if just yet, but did perform at Wembley Arena in November of last year, as part of an all-star R&B lineup that also included the likes of Mario and Ginuwine. If that set was anything to go by, expect some seriously smooth crooning, repeated shout-outs to the ladies in the crowd, and a showcase of terrific vocal talent, too.

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Joeg_67