The Ludacris Philly Fourth of July Concert Was Basically Ludacris Karaoke

Ludacris performing in Philadelphia for our Fourth of July festivities (Getty Images)

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The Ludacris Fourth of July Concert Was Basically Ludacris Doing Ludacris Karaoke

It’s always amusing to watch social media react to Philly’s Fourth of July performances. No matter who’s performing, some people love the show and some people hate it. According to my thoroughly unscientific research, Ludacris came out with more haters.

The rapper-turned-actor’s set boiled down to Ludacris more or less doing Ludacris karaoke, sometimes to tracks that actually had Ludacris already rapping on them, so Ludacris was just rapping, halfheartedly much of the time, on top of Ludacris rapping. He had a proverbial hype man, who didn’t add much to the show. And the Ludacris set also sported a DJ, though it was unclear if said DJ was doing much more than hitting “play” on a laptop.

For what should be a family-friendly holiday in the birthplace of freedom, Ludacris pulled out such G-rated material as the song where he describes wanting to lick a woman from her head to her toes as well as the inspired choice “My Chick Bad.”

Comments from the talking heads of social media ranged from this:

I’m really glad Kenney decided Philly didn’t need Questlove to put together the 4th of July show anymore. It freed the Roots up to play in NYC with LL Cool J with an awesome drone show and the skyline as a backdrop. I mean, who needs that when you can have Ludacris saying uh-huh and yea over everyone’s greatest hits …

To this, a reference to the televised broadcast muting Ludacris for what might have been profanity:

Cracking up over the guys in the truck just cutting audio on Ludacris for entire songs.

To this:

Worst. Show. Ever.

I’m assuming the person making that note meant worst Philly Fourth of July show ever. Not worst show ever in the world in the history of humankind.

As far as Philly Fourth of July shows go, Ludacris wasn’t the worst. Philly had high hopes for hometown heroes Hall & Oates, who took to the Parkway stage in 2007 with a full band. But there were all sorts of problems, including cringeworthy off-key singing and musicians playing out of time. The Goo Goo Dolls in 2010 were just an awful choice from the start, and their set lived up to said awfulness. But the worst of the worst of the worst was undoubtedly the Beach Boys — with John Stamos, no less — in 1995. Don’t believe me? Watch here — if you really want to spoil your Wednesday. You’d do better watching Idol on HBO.    

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And from the Light-’Em-Up Sports Desk …

The Phils were in Tampa Bay for the Fourth to face the Rays, with Aaron Nola starting for us and our old friend Zach Eflin on the mound for the enemy. Both had good performances; the Phils struck first, on two doubles in the second by Bryson Stott and Alec Bohm. That was all anybody wrote until the Rays had a lil’ somethin’-somethin’ going in the sixth, but nothing came of it. In the seventh, after Eflin retired 14 straight, Bryce Harper doubled with one out, J.T. Realmuto got on with a grounder that Wander Franco (def on the all-time name list) bobbled, and Harper went to third. Bryson Stott at bat! He singled to score Harper, but Eflin held them to that. Nola allowed nothing in the seventh and notched his 12th strikeout of the game, matching his career high.

Kyle Schwarber started off the eighth with a single off reliever Jalen Beeks, and after Trea Turner and Big Nick both struck out, Harper got Schwarbs home with a single off the wall to tack on one more. Nola stayed in for the eighth with 95 pitches under his belt, until Wander hit a solo homer to make it 3-1.

Aaron Nola with a phenomenal outing pic.twitter.com/wVs8bj8ZJ6

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 4, 2023

In came José Alvarado, who gave up a single to Harold Ramirez before settling in for the last two outs. The Phils went down one-two-three in the top of the ninth, bringing Craig Kimbrel in for the close, and he got it done: 3-1 final! Fireworks, please! They’ll do it again tonight at 6:40.

This seems an opportune time to mention this.

Craig Kimbrel has been named the National League Reliever of the Month for June.

2-0, 0.69, 5-5 save opportunities pic.twitter.com/wW8A0vGRfe

— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) July 3, 2023

And here, just because, is a picture of U.S. Men’s National Team goalie Matt Turner levitating.

The Resurrection, by Raphael, 1499-1502, 📸 by @JohnDortonPhoto pic.twitter.com/VUvpBKv8Nz

— ArtButMakeItSports (@ArtButSports) July 3, 2023

All Philly Today Sports Desk coverage is provided by Sandy Hingston.