The greatest rapper of all time is celebrating his thirty-year career with an all-star weekend at Yankee Stadium and on Saturday night he paid tribute to the twenty-fifth anniversary of his album The Blueprint.
An important part of the legacy of JAŸ-Z's iconic album The Blueprint is that it dropped on September 11, 2001, something that most don't typically recall when playing back one of the greatest rap albums of all time. Sharing a release date with the darkest day in New York City history does, however, add to it's legend. As HOV kicked-off night two of his weekend takeover in the Bronx and the lights went down in the House that Ruth built, the massive screen in center field began by playing news clips from that infamous day as well as flashes of the city in the aftermath. Despite hitting shelves while America was shellshocked, the numbers proved that people still had an appetite for culture even amongst chaos and the music helped to act as a coping mechanism during the worst times in some people's lives. As the Jigga Man took to the stage and dished our the verses to "The Ruler's Back," the night became alive and the intensity sky rocketed to heights where it'd remain for the rest of the evening. After his opening rendition, Jay immediately invited Slick Rick to the stage to also deliver "The Ruler's Back" before diving into his own "La Di Da Di" as the the crowd began to bounce with anticipation for what the rest of the night would have in store. When the Jackson 5 beat hit, the stadium erupted for "Izzo" and it felt like everyone went into a total frenzy as Jay rocked "thank you so much for being here tonight. You could've been any in the world and you chose right here" as minds began to explode as the absolutely triumphant hook sent shock waves throughout the building. An ultimate anthem from the turn of the century, it immediately brought back the vibes of the early millennial days and how this album turned Jay from great rapper into one of the elites. Omitting "Takeover" from the set proved HOV's maturity, especially after having Nas as a guest on Friday night, and he seamlessly moved on to "Girls, Girls, Girls" which kept "Izzo"'s momentum as the stadium continued to shake with excitement. "Hola' Hovito" was another monstrous jam and at this point, security had stopped holding back and fans began to flood the aisles at Yankee Stadium pushing things more towards a party vibe than I've ever seen before. I've also never seen people smoking blunts while walking through security to enter a venue so this really was a one of a kind experience. Going back to the album's release time, "Heart of the City (Ain't No Love)" became a particularly meaningful track and it was a resounding joy to hear the soulful chorus ring through the massive stadium as the 40,000 plus in attendance made the song feel like one embracing sing a long moment. "Never Change" and "Song Cry" were two of the more touching tracks of the night, things slowed down to let people really take in these memories and add for a little relief after such intense spectacles. Throughout the night, two helicopters circled the stadium which really added to the hype and the buzz this show has been bringing to the city. From one, a spotlight shown down on stage to highlight Jay and the other had a camera person to capture the moment and broadcast back down to the jumbo screen behind the GOAT. It was massively impressive move, heightened braggadocios that showed that there really is no one on his level. Another important factor of The Blueprint is the lack of guests, an uncommon move at that time in hip-hop, but the one that does appear is massive and there was no way HOV wasn't going to make this moment happen at Yankee Stadium. When Eminem began to spit his verse as he walked out on stage, the night somehow exploded onto an even higher level and madness descended upon the stadium. As the two through their bars of "Renegade" at each other, it was a truely iconic moment for hip-hop, a killer rarity that seldom gets to happen live being played on one of the biggest stages and being delivered with such tenacity that it was impossible to not be blown away by the performance. Eminem's flow was impeccable and really something to behold and to see these two stand together on stage was really something for the ages. Of course that wasn't going to be it, Marshall Mathers made a quick reappearance to blast through "Lose Yourself" while towering infernos launched around the stadium, an unexpected eruption that obviously sent the crowd into overdrive. After a quick break, Frank Sinatra's "Theme From New York, New York" blasted throughout the stadium before HOV returned with his own, updated anthem for the city (although this time without Alicia Key's who was on hand to sing the chorus for night one of the weekend). Even as one of his poppiest moments, to hear that song in NYC is never something to pass up and always puts a smile on the faces of those who can relish in the moment. Jay quickly followed that by bringing the one and only Pharrell Williams to the stage to run through a segment of their hits, a killer reminded of just how clutch these tunes were in the day as well. "I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)" was a truly unexpected jam that had the crowd once again popping off, everyone just in the best possible mood and living true joy. When the beat dropped for "N***s in Paris" the energy once again launched into the stratosphere and the crowd lit up as we chanted "THAT SHIT CRAY" just like old times. As it segued into "Big Pimpin'" we all lost it again, the use of the previous beat for the later's rhymes was an incredible switch up that made me instantly bummed to not be able to go home and listen to this rendition one more time. "This is the national anthem" Big Hommie informed us before hitting into "Public Service Announcement" another chaotic and bumping jam that had the place shaking one final time. Naturally "Encore" served as the final banger of the night and put the finishing touches ona night that will surely go down as one to talk about for quite some time. 2026 is proving to be the summer for New York City. Knicks winning in five followed up by JAŸ-Z in July has had the best city in the world buzzing for weeks and to be able to see at least one of these events in person will be a story to tell for years. What a time to be alive in the Big Apple.
Set list:
02 "The Ruler's Back" [Slick Rick cover with Slick Rick]
03 "La Di Da Di" [Slick Rick cover with Slick Rick]
04 "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)"
05 "Girls, Girls, Girls"
06 "Jigga That Nigga"
07 "U Don't Know"
08 "Hola' Hovito"
09 "Heart of the City (Ain't No Love)"
10 "Never Change"
11 "Song Cry"
12 "All I Need"
13 "Renegade" [with Eminem]
14 "Lose Yourself" [Eminem coverwith Eminem]
15 "Blueprint (Momma Loves Me)"
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16 "Theme From New York, New York" [Frank Sinatra version]
17 "Empire State of Mind"
18 "Excuse Me Miss" [with Pharrell Williams]
19 "La-La-La (Excuse Me Miss Again" [with Pharrell Williams]
20 "I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)" [with Pharrell Williams]
21 "Frontin" [Pharrell Williams cover with Pharrell Williams]
22 "Allure" [with Pharrell Williams]
23 "Niggas in Paris / Big Pimpin'"
24 "Public Service Announcement"
25 "Encore"
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