Nostalgia is a powerful thing on the 90s Cruise. It turns hallways into dance floors and strangers into instant friends. When Kid ‘N Play hit the stage for their highly anticipated set, the room was primed for a full-on golden era hip-hop celebration. And for a while, that’s exactly what we got.
They opened with “Ain’t Gonna Hurt Nobody,” and the reaction was immediate. The beat dropped, and the crowd surged forward, hands in the air. Kid and Play still know how to work a room — the chemistry is intact, the smiles are genuine, and the call-and-response came naturally. It felt less like a formal performance and more like a house party that just happened to be on a ship.
“Last Night” kept the momentum rolling. The groove was tight, and the audience rapped along word for word. There’s something about hearing those old-school hooks live that hits differently — they’re simple, catchy, and built for crowd participation. At this point, it felt like the duo had the night locked in.
They followed with “Do This My Way,” which brought a bit more swagger to the stage. The delivery was sharp, and the crowd energy stayed high. Play’s charisma remains a major asset — he moves like someone who genuinely enjoys performing, and that enthusiasm carries the room.
“Gittin’ Funky” was another highlight early on. The beat bounced, and for a few minutes, it felt like the 90s had fully taken over the deck. The audience was dancing without self-consciousness, drinks sloshing, shoulders swaying. This was the Kid ‘N Play people came to see — upbeat, playful, and in control.
And then things got… strange.
Without much explanation, the duo drifted into a sprawling, 10-plus-minute medley of old-school hip hop and 70s R&B snippets. In theory, this could have been a clever tribute segment. In execution, it felt disjointed. They cycled through fragments of recognizable hooks, occasionally shouting out artists, but instead of leaning into the performance, they mostly stood center stage, intermittently yelling random phrases and hyping the crowd in a way that felt unfocused.
It wasn’t interactive enough to be a true DJ-style party break, and it wasn’t structured enough to feel like a polished mashup. The band looped grooves while Kid and Play seemed oddly static, pacing in small circles, throwing out half-finished lines. The crowd, initially enthusiastic, started to waver. Some people danced through it anyway, determined to keep the vibe alive. Others exchanged confused glances.
It wasn’t disastrous — just awkward. The energy dipped, and for a stretch, it felt like the show had lost its direction.
Thankfully, they snapped back into form with “Kid vs. Play (The Battle).” This is where the duo thrives — the playful rivalry, the theatrical back-and-forth, the rhythm of the exchange. The crowd perked up immediately. It’s structured, it’s familiar, and it works. The banter felt sharper here, more intentional, and the audience fed off that renewed clarity.
They closed with “Funhouse,” bringing the tempo up and ending on a more cohesive note. By then, the room had mostly recovered from the mid-set lull. People were smiling again, dancing, clapping along. It wasn’t the explosive finale it could have been, but it was solid and satisfying enough to send everyone back into the cruise corridors in good spirits.
Overall, Kid ‘N Play’s 90s Cruise 2026 set was a mixed bag. The highs were genuinely high — when they stuck to their core material, the performance was fun, charismatic, and undeniably nostalgic. Their presence still carries warmth and authenticity, and those early songs reminded everyone why they mattered in the first place.
But that extended medley segment disrupted the flow in a way that’s hard to ignore. Instead of elevating the show, it stalled it. In a tighter 60-minute set, momentum is everything, and giving up that much time to an unfocused stretch was a gamble that didn’t quite pay off.
Still, there’s goodwill built into a Kid ‘N Play performance. Even with the odd detour, the crowd left mostly happy. On a cruise built around reliving the 90s, sometimes familiarity and charm are enough to carry the night — even if the ride gets a little weird in the middle.
Setlist:
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Ain’t Gonna Hurt Nobody
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Last Night
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Do This My Way
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Gittin’ Funky
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Old School Hip Hop & 70s R&B Medley
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Kid vs. Play (The Battle)
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Funhouse