What made it all such a blast was that the acts returned to the original spirit of hip hop, which was music for celebration.

Irv Gotti was the mastermind behind songs from Ja Rule, Ashanti, DMX, Jay-Z and more. Here are 25 of the best tracks he produced.

The answer on a balmy Tuesday evening was Blossom Music Center, as a quartet of turn-of-the-century hip-hop stars Nelly, Eve, Ja Rule and Chingy gave an age-eclectic, ready-to-party crowd most of ...