{"id":484072,"date":"2026-01-01T05:52:09","date_gmt":"2026-01-01T05:52:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/484072\/"},"modified":"2026-01-01T05:52:09","modified_gmt":"2026-01-01T05:52:09","slug":"ll-cool-j-dj-jazzy-jeff-help-philly-ring-in-the-new-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/484072\/","title":{"rendered":"LL Cool J, DJ Jazzy Jeff help Philly ring in the new year"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fans braved the bitter cold to attend the free New Year\u2019s Eve concert in front of the Philadelphia Art Museum<\/a> and watch a midnight fireworks display kicking off the city\u2019s celebration of the nation\u2019s 250th anniversary.<\/p>\n

The concert was headlined by LL Cool J, the two-time Grammy-winning rapper who also has had a long career in movies and TV, including as a regular cast member on the series NCIS: Los Angeles. <\/p>\n

About 10 minutes to midnight, LL Cool J brought out Philadelphia-based rapper Freeway as a surprise guest.<\/p>\n

Mayor Cherelle L. Parker<\/a> joined the stage just before 10 p.m. to welcome another headliner, DJ Jazzy Jeff, alongside radio personality Lady B.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mayor is a hip-hop head,\u201d Lady B said. Parker told the crowd: \u201cTonight, we remind the nation, that we are one America, a united nation.\u201d<\/p>\n

After taking the stage, Parker told a gaggle of reporters \u201cwhat you are seeing is \u2018one Philly, a united city\u2019 in action\u201d \u2014 referencing her mayoral slogan.<\/p>\n

\u201cPhiladelphia is the birthplace of democracy, sixth-largest city in the nation \u2014 Why wouldn\u2019t we kick off 2026, the Semiquincentennial<\/a>, the 250th birthday of our nation?\u201d she said. \u201cBecause Philadelphia, it\u2019s where it happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

When asked if the free concert will become an annual tradition, Parker quipped, \u201cWell, the budget process.\u201d (A final price tag on the event was not yet available.)<\/p>\n

As for Parker\u2019s resolutions for Philly in 2026: \u201cTo work harder, to dream bigger, and to do the impossible.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a lot of challenges to address here in our city, but with our amazing team, there is nothing that we cannot accomplish together,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Taking the stage shortly after 8 p.m., multi-instrumentalist Adam Blackstone, the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts graduate and University of the Arts<\/a> alum who has since performed with some of the world\u2019s most popular musical artists, declared: \u201cI\u2019m home right now. They told me Philly\u2019s the spot to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just before 11:30 p.m., attendance had grown to around 7,500 and was still growing, according to the show\u2019s producer, Scott Mirkin, of ESM Productions.<\/p>\n

The crowd had been modest up to around 10 p.m., but a late surge may have included people only interested in seeing LL Cool J or the fireworks display after the concert.<\/p>\n

All were bundled in winter gear as the wind chill dipped into the 20s and even flurries made a late-night appearance.<\/p>\n

Performers repeatedly commented on the frigid temperatures Wednesday night.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know it\u2019s cold but we\u2019re going to warm you up,\u201d Dorothy frontwoman Dorothy Martin told concertgoers.<\/p>\n

Martin later said: \u201cI know you\u2019re cold, but your heart is warm.\u201d<\/p>\n

The temperature made Fairmount<\/a> residents Corey Fletcher, 32, and Alyza Ngbokoli, 30, hesitate, despite the draw of Cool J and Jazzy Jeff. Both were surprised by the prospect of an outdoor concert in the winter.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hard to breathe \u2014 it hurts my lungs,\u201d Fletcher said of the cold. (Fletcher said fall is the ideal season for outdoor events; Ngbokoli said summer.)<\/p>\n

For next year, Ngbokoli recommended organizers invest in heat lamps or warming tents. This year, concertgoers had the option of purchasing a hot meal \u2014 fried desserts, fried chicken, or lobster bisque from various food trucks \u2014 hot apple cider, hot chocolate, or $8 White Claws and other spirits.<\/p>\n

Die-hard fans were undeterred by the cold.<\/p>\n

Sarah and Mike Murray, of Wilkes-Barre, estimate they\u2019ve seen Cool J in concert \u201calmost double-digits.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s easy on the eyes,\u201d Sarah, 46, said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t argue with that,\u201d chimed Mike, 54. \u201cHe\u2019s LL \u2014 ladies love him.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Cool J enthusiasts were supposed to see him perform on the Parkway on July 4, but the \u201cMama Said Knock You Out\u201d and \u201cI Can\u2019t Live Without My Radio\u201d singer canceled in solidarity with striking municipal workers.<\/p>\n

What are the Murrays looking forward to in 2026?<\/p>\n

\u201cSee LL Cool J more,\u201d Mike said.<\/p>\n

Cousins Tahira and Sean Tyler came to the Ben Franklin Parkway expecting a party. It was 55-year-old Sean Tyler\u2019s first New Year\u2019s Eve out on the town, and both were drawn in by LL Cool J.<\/p>\n

Sean Tyler, of Overbrook<\/a> Park, said she remembered in the \u201880s listening to the then-new artist\u2019s first single on Power 99, but had never seen him live. Both Tylers discovered newfound appreciation for LL Cool J canceling his summer concert in solidarity with striking city workers.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt showed how many people that it affected, and how much in wages, benefits \u2014 it shows how much it affects a broad range of people,\u201d Sean Tyler said.<\/p>\n

Upon walking into the barricaded Parkway, Sean and Tahira said the visible Philadelphia police presence and security measures made them feel safe.<\/p>\n

Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel<\/a> has said police will be out in full force, and asked concertgoers to leave weapons at home.<\/p>\n

Tahira said the show, featuring local talents \u2014 like Blackstone and Jazzy Jeff \u2014 is the perfect way to ring in 2026, and the nation\u2019s 250th birthday.<\/p>\n

Tahira said: \u201cLet\u2019s continue to love Philly in the right kind of way \u2014 \u201c<\/p>\n

\u201c \u2014 And go Birds!\u201d Sean said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Fans braved the bitter cold to attend the free New Year\u2019s Eve concert in front of the Philadelphia…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":484073,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5132],"tags":[5229,1448,2830,1311,218954,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-484072","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-philadelphia","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-pa","10":"tag-pennsylvania","11":"tag-philadelphia","12":"tag-philly-new-years-eve-concert-art-museum-parkway-ll-cool-j","13":"tag-united-states","14":"tag-united-states-of-america","15":"tag-unitedstates","16":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","17":"tag-us","18":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115818290713995813","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/484072","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=484072"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/484072\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/484073"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=484072"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=484072"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=484072"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}