From Hollywood to Home: Black Voices in Entertainment
- Jay-Z's residency celebrated the 25th anniversary of his 2001 album The Blueprint with a headline show titled JAŸ-Z 25.
- Surprise guests included Eminem, who performed Lose Yourself, plus Slick Rick and Pharrell Williams on multiple tracks.
- Stars in attendance ranged from athletes to entertainers; Beyoncé and daughter Blue Ivy joined Jay-Z onstage during the prior show.
Turns out there’s actually a lot of love in the heart of the city for Hov — so much so that Jay-Z broke the record for the most tickets ever sold for a concert at New York’s Yankee Stadium.
The rapper’s second night of his three-show residency at the iconic venue on Saturday, July 11 led to a whopping 45,832 tickets sold, according to a press release about the attendance record.
The performance, which celebrated the 25th anniversary of his 2001 album “The Blueprint,” exceeded the sales of his star-studded first night of shows, which, according to Live Nation, boasted 44,916 fans.
Hov’s Saturday show, referred to as JAŸ-Z 25, was one to remember and featured surprise performances from a number of fellow hip-hop icons. And there was no shortage of stars in attendance.
During his performance of “Renegade,” Jay-Z brought out none other than Eminem, who is featured on the track. The Detroit rapper also surprised the crowd with a rendition of his own 2002 hit single “Lose Yourself.”
Others including Slick Rick also joined Hov on stage. Pharrell Williams ended up performing several songs with Jay-Z, including “Excuse Me Miss,” “I Just Wanna Love U” and “Frontin.”
Big names were dispersed throughout the crowd, from athletes to hip-hop idols to other entertainers. Former Yankees Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano were in attendance, according to the press release. Other celebs including Fat Joe, Dave Chappelle, Dwyane Wade, Gabrielle Union, Jayson Tatum and Donovan Mitchell were also in the house for Hov’s Yankee Stadium residency.
While JAŸ-Z 25 boasted record-breaking attendance numbers, the rapper’s previous show, referred to as JAŸ-Z 30 in celebration of the 30th anniversary of “Reasonable Doubt,” was a magical night in its own right. Not only did the rapper bring out fellow icons Nas, Memphis Bleek and Jaz-O, he also had some family members join him on stage.
Beyoncé took the stage during Hov’s first song of the July 10 set, “Can’t Knock The Hustle,” handling Mary J. Blige’s iconic hook. Later on, Blue Ivy Carter, the couple’s eldest daughter, joined her father on stage, playing the piano for the song “Feelin’ It.”
With one remaining show of Hov’s residency at Yankee Stadium left to go on July 12, there’s no telling who — and how many people — will show up for Jigga.
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