Star Mega Jam
Encyclopedia
The Star Mega Jam is an annual musical concert organized by Star lager beer which is manufactured by Nigerian Breweries Plc. The show features international artistes who perform alongside the best of Nigerian artistes.
Star Mega Jam was staged in 2000 to introduce the new Star Lager beer bottle. It has since been described by Star as an avenue to reward loyalists of the beer brand for their patronage by bringing international music stars; whose performance they may not have the chance of witnessing, except brought to Nigeria to perform at the Star Mega Jam concert.
Since 2000, the brand has invited top international musical stars every year to Nigeria to perform. Star Mega Jam is usually held in two cities – Lagos and Abuja. As a means of getting the input of Nigerians in Star Mega Jam, they are allowed to vote for the international artistes who would eventually come to perform in Nigeria.
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Star Mega Jam (SMJ) is the longest running, biggest and most exciting musical activation in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...

. The first edition of the musical concert was held in the year 2000; and it has been held yearly ever since. Star Mega Jam is organised yearly by Nigerian Breweries
Nigerian Breweries
Nigerian Breweries Plc, incorporated in 1946, is the pioneer and largest brewing company in Nigeria. Its first bottle of beer, STAR Lager, rolled off the bottling lines of its Lagos Brewery in June 1949. Other breweries were subsequently commissioned by the company, including Aba Brewery in 1957,...

 Plc. Nigerian Breweries Plc, the pioneer and largest brewing company in Nigeria, was incorporated in 1946. Its flagship product is Star lager beer, first produced in 1949, thus becoming the first locally manufactured beer in Nigeria.

The Star Mega Jam was instituted in 2000 as a pivotal activation to launch the introduction of a new Star bottle and brand identity. Over the years, it has evolved into an established brand in its own right; and a foremost platform to promote the Star brand image as a fun, bright and sociable brand to celebrate. Held in December every year since 2000, it annually features world-class international musical artistes, live on Nigerian soil. These international acts are complemented by the best of Nigerian musical super stars.

The first edition featured the Makossa
Makossa
Makossa is a type of music that is most popular in urban areas in Cameroon. It is similar to soukous, except that it includes strong bass rhythm and a prominent horn section. Makossa, which means " dance" in Duala, originated from a type of Duala dance called kossa, with significant influences...

 music exponent – Awilo Logomba, followed in 2001 with the performance of Mr. Lover, Lover – Shaggy
Shaggy
Shaggy may refer to:*Shaggy Rogers, a fictional character from the Scooby-Doo series*Shaggy , Jamaican American reggae rapper & singer*Shaggy , radio personality and producer of 2 Live Stews...

. The 2002 edition featured Grammy Awards winner Usher Raymond. In 2003, Koffi Olumide, the acclaimed father of Soukous
Soukous
Soukous is a dance music genre that originated in the two neighbouring countries of Belgian Congo and French Congo during the 1930s and early 1940s, and which has gained popularity throughout Africa...

, was on hand, while American rap sensation, 50 Cent
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...

 featured in 2004.

The next year 2005 brought the duo of Ja Rule
Ja Rule
Jeffrey Atkins , better known by his stage name Ja Rule, is an American rapper, singer, and actor.Born in Hollis, Queens, he began his career in the group Cash Money Click and debuted in 1999 with Venni Vetti Vecci and its single "Holla Holla"...

 and Kevin Lyttle
Kevin Lyttle
Kevin Lyttle is a soca artist hailing from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, who had a worldwide hit with the interpellative soca ballad "Turn Me On", which was recorded by Lyttle and the dancehall artist Spragga Benz.-Career:Previously, Lyttle had subsisted on day jobs, such as customs officer...

. Another duo, LL Cool J
LL Cool J
James Todd Smith , better known as LL Cool J , is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor...

 and Akon
Akon
Aliaune Damala Badara Thiam, better known as simply Akon , is a Senegalese American R&B recording artist and songwriter.According to Forbes, Akon grossed $21 million in 2010, $20 million in 2009 and $12 million in 2008. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up", the first...

, took the stand in 2006 and in 2007, the Multi-Grammy Awards winner and American sensation Kanye West and T-Pain were on hand to thrill consumers in a breath taking, all-time best performance that took them to both Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...

 and Abuja
Abuja
Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria. It is located in the centre of Nigeria, within the Federal Capital Territory . Abuja is a planned city, and was built mainly in the 1980s. It officially became Nigeria's capital on 12 December 1991, replacing Lagos...

. In 2008 Nelly
Nelly
Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr. , better known by his stage name Nelly, is an Grammy Award winning American rapper and actor. He has performed with the rap group St. Lunatics since 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Under Universal, Nelly began his solo career in 2000 with his debut album...

 and Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...

 thrilled Nigerian music lovers to the best of entertainment that only Star Mega Jam offers, while in 2009 Busta Rhymes
Busta Rhymes
Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...

 and Ludacris
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...

 took the show to a whole new level, giving the nation a memorable experience of fun and brightness.

For the 2010 edition, American R & B sensation, R. Kelly
R. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...

 is scheduled to perform. To perform alongside R. Kelly are wave making Nigerian artistes such as P Square, D’ Banj, Mo Hits crew, Faze
Faze
Faze means to frighten or cause hesitation to someone.Faze may also refer to:* Faze , a Canadian magazine* Faze , a Nigerian musician* FaZe , a trickshotting team in Call of Duty...

, MI, Timaya
Timaya
Timaya is a Nigerian singer and songwriter...Timaya is an award winning Nigerian musician popular for socially conscious music that constantly references the role of God in overcoming difficult circumstances.-Early life:...

, Sound Sultan and 9ice
9ice
9ice was born on Thursday, January 17, 1980. He is a very popular Nigerian Musician with a classic style of music. 9ice is a south-westerner from Ogbomoso in Oyo State but he grew up in the district of Bariga in Lagos....

. Also scheduled to join them are KC Presh, Diamonds, The Pulse and Jukebox, all past winners of Star Quest. Star Quest is a talent hunt programme introduced by Star, to discover and promote young and budding Nigerian artistes and nurture them into musical stardom.

The 2010 edition which is the 11th in the series, will hold in Polo Club Grounds Ikoyi on Friday, December 17; while the second show is scheduled for the Old Parade Grounds in Abuja on Saturday, December 18.
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