Last week at the Nokia Theater in Times Square NY, Pepsi and New York’s Hot 97 teamed up for Pepsi Smash, a showcase of both new and established artists.

After brief looks at One Block Radius and Ace Hood, Nina Sky took to the stage to finally provide the crowd with songs they’d actually heard before. As usual, Nicole and Natalie looked and sounded flawless, upgrading the energy in the room with a mix of past hits and previews of their upcoming LP The Musical. Adding to the intimate atmosphere of the venue, the girls were seen afterwards mingling with the crowd while checking out the other performances and taking pictures with fans.

Up next, Jazmine Sullivan arrived with much anticipation from crowd members who were curious to see if she'd sound as good live as on record. Her short performance didn't disappoint and, other than taking an awkward break to do a few bars from "A Milli" (which the crowd had already performed for itself in between sets), Sullivan proved that she is in fact the incredible vocalist she’s billed to be. She should probably skip swinging the crowbar around while singing “Bust Your Windows” in the future though; that’s a lawsuit waiting to happen.

After a typical but unexplained hour-long break, Missy Elliott literally materialized on stage in a glass booth filled with smoke. The smaller venue didn’t stop her from continuing the theatrics with a seemingly endless supply of dancers and several guest appearances from those ”Phantom of the Opera” [aka Jabbawockeez] kids that breakdance on MTV. Missy turned out to be worth the wait, giving time to nearly every one of her many hits and previewing a few new songs. She too hopped off stage during the show, rapping her way through the entire crowd while the dancers kept it moving on stage.

The evening was fun for all involved, giving fans a rare chance to get up close and personal with artists who typically play larger venues. A few miles away, Madonna may have been putting on a gigantic spectacle at the Izod Center, but actually interacting with the performers was worth all the pyrotechnics in the world.


Photo Credit:   Jack Sparrow