An hour-long performance just didn’t seem sufficient for local fans of international stars Ja Rule and Ashanti. The pair, who flew to the island armed with some of their biggest hits for the most recent staging of Mega YUSH on Saturday night, did not disappoint as they ignited Sabina Park with some of the best music from the 2000s era.

Clad in a sexy Jamaican-inspired bodysuit, Ashanti was as easy on the eyes as her vocals were easy on the ears. Both she and Ja Rule, who was dressed in black leather shorts and a simple white T-shirt, had fans erupting in loud cheers as they opened their set with their mega-hit single Mesmerise.

The audience sang along to every word of the popular hit as the duo declared their delight at being able to perform in Kingston once more.

Ashanti, no stranger to performing in Jamaica, called the island her home as she thanked Jamaicans for “rocking” with her for the last two decades. The entertainer, who most recently was bestowed the honour of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, delivered hit after hit as she proved exactly why after 20 years she remains a force to be reckoned with on the international RnB scene.

Flexing her vocals, Ashanti served up hits such as What’s Luv, Rain On Me, Into You, and The Way That I Love You. Paired with intermittent choreography, the singer gave fans a complete performance.

Unlike Ashanti, Ja Rule had not performed on local soil in ten years. Declaring his satisfaction with the modernisation of some of Jamaica’s performance rules, Ja Rule expressed happiness at finally being able to perform on the Rock. The entertainer told the YUSH crowd that he was banned from performing in Jamaica for using curse words on stage during his last performance.

Ja Rule was charged with the use of indecent language during his 2001 Reggae Sumfest performance. Belting out the line which led to the decade-long ban for the rapper, Ja Rule said he was happy things have changed since his last performance.

“Man, I’m so happy to be performing in Jamaica again. I was banned from performing for like 10 years because of this line right here,” he said, before proceeding to perform I’m Real, his mega collab with Jennifer Lopez, which has the infamous introduction line, “what’s my mother ***king name?”

The entertainer, perhaps bent on reminding fans what they have been missing the last decade, had the audience rapping along as he performed songs like Between Me and You, Baby Say Yeah, Where Would I Be and New York.

The pair then returned to the stage together to draw the curtains on their performance with the highly-anticipated Always On Time.

The main acts were no doubt the crowd pullers for Saturday’s massive event but they were not the only reasons YUSH fans left Sabina Park satisfied with the show’s execution.

Having built their party legacy on showcasing the best music has to offer from the 1990s and 2000s, deejays booked for the event had fans rearing to go long before Ja Rule and Ashanti even arrived at the venue. With the likes of Richie Feelings, DJ Bambino, Team Coopershot and Kurt Riley at the consoles, party-goers were dancing up a sweat from as early as 10 pm.

Then, picking up right where they left off, the experienced deejays made sure patrons got their money’s worth by serving up some of the most eclectic local hits until the 4 am cut-off time.