Rapper Jay-Z celebrated the biggest gig of his career so far with a three-night residency at the Yankee Stadium in New York City from July 10 to 12. More than 45,000 people gathered at the stadium each night to witness one of the most iconic rappers perform all the greatest hits.
Jay-Z’s label, Roc Nation, revealed back in March that the rapper would play three hometown shows at Yankee Stadium in celebration of his debut album Reasonable Doubt, released in 1996, along with 2001’s The Blueprint.
On the opening night, Jay-Z not only performed songs from both albums in full, but also brought out special guests throughout the show. The performances range from musical legends to an entire family taking center stage.
Who Performed Alongside Jay-Z at Yankee Stadium
The concert kicked off with his 1996 song “Can’t Knock the Hustle.” Instead of the original featured artist Mary J. Blige, R&B icon and his wife Beyoncé took the stage to sing her parts while adding her own take on the performance. Their daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, played the piano during her father’s Reasonable Doubt hit “Feelin’ It.”
Another New York legend, Nas, joined Jay-Z on stage during “Dead Presidents,” which famously sampled Nas’ vocal line, “I’m out for dead presidents to represent me,” from “The World Is Yours” off his landmark debut album Illmatic. Jay-Z capped off the opening night by performing “Empire State of Mind” alongside Alicia Keys.
On the second night, July 11, Jay-Z opened with “The Ruler’s Back,” the introductory track from The Blueprint, joined by hip-hop legend Slick Rick. Later in the show, Eminem appeared to perform “Renegade” alongside Jay-Z. Singer and producer Pharrell spent the most time onstage, joining him for five songs, including “Excuse Me Miss,” “La-La-La (Excuse Me Again),” “I Just Wanna Love U,” “Allure,” and “Frontin’.”
For the third and final show of the residency on July 12, billed as Extra Innings, more notable surprise guests include R&B singer Usher, who sang “Heart of the City (Ain’t No Love)” and “Throwback.” The latter half of the setlist brought in more guests with Rihanna singing hits like “Run This Town” and “Bitch Better Have My Money.” Rap duo Clipse go on stage alongside Pharrell and Jay-Z for “Grindin’” and hip-hop legends Jadakiss and Fat Joe join in for “New York.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Jay-Z is a Grammy Award-winning rapper, songwriter, and entrepreneur from New York.
Jay-Z held a three-night residency at Yankee Stadium to celebrate two of his landmark albums, Reasonable Doubt, released in 1996, and The Blueprint, released in 2001.
More than 45,000 fans attended each night of the three-show residency at Yankee Stadium from July 10 to 12.
Special guests included Beyoncé, Blue Ivy Carter, Nas, Slick Rick, Eminem, Alicia Keys, Pharrell, Usher, Rihanna, Jadakiss, and Fat Joe, who joined him on different nights of the residency
Roc Nation is an entertainment management company founded by Jay-Z in 2008.
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