Fat Joe, Mary J. Blige, Wu-Tang Clan and More Rock New York Knicks’ Victory Parade With Tag-Team Performance

There may be no more striking demonstration of fandom than climbing onto a New York City Department of Sanitation garbage truck with a friend and enduring a three-hour wait for the New York Knicks to appear—unless, of course, that involves vaulting over steel barriers, defying NYPD restrictions, and pushing through a crowd of thousands of fervent supporters to get within arm's reach of the team. According to official figures, the New York Knicks, ending a 53-year championship drought, attracted over a million people to their first-ever ticker-tape parade through lower Manhattan’s historic Canyon of Heroes. This iconic route, framed by towering skyscrapers and known for its confetti-filled celebrations, has previously honored figures like astronaut Neil Armstrong and World Series-winning baseball teams, adding a rich layer of legacy to the event. The floats carried team stars such as Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Josh Hart, alongside Mayor Zohran Mamdani and celebrity supporters including Chris Rock, Spike Lee, Timothée Chalamet, and Fat Joe. The parade served as a powerful symbol of the city's renewed pride, a sentiment that had been building throughout the playoffs.

Fat Joe, a lifelong Knicks enthusiast and the artist behind the 2004 hit "Lean Back," arrived with a large entourage, bringing along Mary J. Blige, Havoc of Mobb Deep, Remy Ma, Jadakiss (with his group The Lox), Ja Rule, Teyana Taylor, Yung Miami, and members of the Wu-Tang Clan. He turned his float into a mobile concert, curating a lineup where each performer had a chance to shine. "We had three hours worth of songs," said DJ Ted Smooth, who acted as the event's musical director. "Of course we couldn’t get to all of them, but we were ready for everything." The ensemble delivered about 90 minutes of hits along Broadway. Yung Miami opened with her new track "Spend Dat," followed by a rotating cast: Mary J. Blige sang "Real Love," The Lox performed "Mighty D-Block (2-Guns Up)," and Remy Ma contributed "Conceited." A remix of "Family Affair" featuring Fabolous and Jadakiss kept the energy high, while Styles P from The Lox stepped in with "Good Times." Wu-Tang Clan offered "Triumph," and Joe and Remy Ma reprised "Lean Back" and "All The Way Up." Joe, Jadakiss, and Ja Rule then energized the crowd with "New York," a track that has become a Knicks anthem. Teyana Taylor delivered "Rose In Harlem," Melle Mel performed "The Message," Havoc played "Quiet Storm" and "Shook Ones PT. II," and Wu-Tang closed with "C.R.E.A.M." "It was like a dope ass live mixtape," Smooth explained. "I treated it like that—play their records, two verses, next record. I was going round-robin." Joe also used the day to shoot scenes for a video of "Victory Lap (Him)," featuring Jadakiss and Yung Miami. The performance was a testament to hip-hop's enduring role as the soundtrack to New York's biggest moments, a tradition dating back to the genre's birth in the Bronx.

"It meant everything to me to watch the Knicks win the championship," Joe told Variety. "I’ve been going to games since I was a kid sitting in the nosebleeds, so it still feels like a dream to have been part of this ride. There was a time that I wasn’t sure if I’d ever see the Knicks win a title during my lifetime. As long as I’m alive, I will always stand with the Knicks." Method Man of Wu-Tang Clan echoed the sentiment, telling Variety: "Basketball has been synonymous with hip-hop for a long time. Kurtis Blow, anybody?—'Bassssssketballl.' Even if you aren’t a New York Knicks fan, you became one during their run because it was so magnificent to see." Joe and some of his companions later joined the crowd to watch the official ceremony, hosted by Mayor Mamdani and featuring a performance from Alicia Keys. "This is our time!" Keys exclaimed. "We are the champions! We on fire today!" She sang a short snippet of Billy Joel’s "New York State of Mind" before transitioning into her solo rendition of "Empire State Of Mind," her classic with Jay-Z that has become a city anthem. The ceremony highlighted how the Knicks' victory has become a cultural touchstone, uniting generations of New Yorkers through shared music and sports history.

Multiple Knicks-specific anthems have emerged this year: French Montana, Max B, and Remy Ma released the "Big Bronx Remix" of "Ever Since U Left Me," which played during the NBA Finals, and Busta Rhymes dropped "The Championship Anthem" at midnight. Nems, who created the 2021 Knicks anthem "Bing Bong" (Knicks Remix) and attended the parade as a fan, noted the unifying effect. "It’s united the city like crazy," Nems said. "New York is a place where you can have a Black neighbor, a Puerto Rican neighbor, next door over is Arabs, and then Greeks and Asians, and sometimes, not all the time, but sometimes groups of people stay to themselves. But not when the Knicks are on! The energy is out of this world." New York rapper Maiya the Don added, "Everyone is so unified, it’s really beautiful to see. New York culture is hip-hop culture by default, and every true New Yorker is a Knickerbocker." The parade underscored the deep connection between basketball and the city's musical heritage, a bond that has only strengthened with the team's historic victory. This fusion of sports and music, experts note, reflects a broader trend where major athletic achievements become catalysts for cultural expression, reinforcing community identity in diverse urban landscapes.