Jay-Z was almost completely candid with the source material for his Yankee Stadium 25th anniversary show on Saturday to celebrate “The Blueprint,” setting the guest artists high power but low frequency while introducing Eminem, Pharrell Williams and Slick Rick for a stripped-down 90-minute set. The Brooklyn native had already set a major precedent on Friday
Jay-Z was almost completely candid with the source material for his Yankee Stadium 25th anniversary show on Saturday to celebrate “The Blueprint,” setting the guest artists high power but low frequency while introducing Eminem, Pharrell Williams and Slick Rick for a stripped-down 90-minute set.
The Brooklyn native had already set a major precedent on Friday by commemorating the 30-year milestone of “Reasonable Doubt,” his 1996 debut that elevated him from block-hugging to chart-topping. The first of three shows was full of bells and whistles from the start, with wife Beyoncé coming out for “Can’t Knock the Hustle” as a table for guests like Nas, Jaz-O and Alicia Keys.
Jay-Z’s Saturday night show was less flashy as he ran through the entirety of “The Blueprint” with the very notable omission of “Takeover,” his epic against Nas and Prodigy. That song, which went unrecognized, could have been recast as an attack on his current enemies, much like his freestyle at the Roots Picnic in late May, or turned into a sardonic spectacle, perhaps as a gesture toward the heightened tension that persisted in the rap world at the time.
But no, Jay instead reached out to what he would otherwise put on wax with producers like Kanye West, Bink. and Just Blaze back in 2001, while crafting one of the seminal rap albums of this millennium. The show began with an instant tribute when Jay brought out Slick Rick for “The Ruler’s Back,” launching the line of songs that formed the backbone of “The Blueprint.” There were stadium-sized highs (“U Don’t Know”), somber lows (“Song Cry”) and a very assumed appearance from Eminem, who traded verses with Jay on “Renegade” and reemerged to perform his signature hit “Lose Yourself.”
As Jay finished “Blueprint (Momma Loves Me),” he took a moment to reflect on “The Blueprint” as it coincided with its release on September 11, 2001. “This album came at a really tragic time for New York City and I was prepared to walk away from this album, obviously, given everything that was going on,” he said. “And the way it resonated with the world, it was as part of the healing of New York City and when the first week numbers came back, I was blown away by the support and the love and I was happy to be able to provide some relief in such a difficult time.”
It didn’t end there. Jay then picked up the pace with “Empire State of Mind,” the New York City theme song he performed on Friday with Alicia Keys, before enlisting Pharrell Williams for a series of collaborative hits spanning from “I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)” to “Frontin.” Then, surprisingly, the show ended quickly, with “N—s in Paris,” “Public Service Announcement,” and “Encore.”
All of this, as Jay fans know, leads us into the third and final show at Yankee Stadium on Sunday night. It’s billed as “Extra Innings,” suggesting it’s all the hits (and there are many) left from their solid discography. But after the first show began with a video of Beyoncé shaving her hair, a sign that a new album could be on the way, it still languishes in ambiguity. Until next time.
Full track list:
The ruler is back with Slick Rick
Take control
Izzo (HOVA)
Girls, girls, girls b/w ’03 Bonnie and Clyde
Jigga that N——
You don’t know
Hello Hovito
Heart of the city (There is no love)
never change
crying song
All I need
Renegade with Eminem
Get lost with Eminem
Flat (mommy loves me)
Empire mood
Excuse me miss with Pharrell Williams
La-La-La (Excuse Me Again) with Pharrell Williams
I Just Want to Love You (Gimme 2) with Pharrell Williams
In front of Pharrell Williams
Charm with Pharrell Williams
N— in Paris b/w Big Pimpin’
public service announcement
Bis
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