Jay-Z Calls in Favors for New York Concert

[Emerald City]

By Nekesa Mumbi Moody



Shortly after Jay-Z took the stage for his final hometown performance on "The Best of Both Worlds" tour — now down to just one world after the acrimonious departure of co-headliner R. Kelly — the sound of a gunshot boomed out.

Just in case any of the 25,000-plus fans inside Madison Square Garden on Monday night didn't realize it was a sound effect, Jay-Z calmly intoned: "Everybody, you O.K., you safe — THERE ARE NO GUNS IN THE BUILDING!"

With that not-so-subtle dig at Kelly, who bolted from the same stage last Friday after claiming he saw two audience members waving guns, Jay-Z managed to make the "Pied Piper of R&B" an afterthought at the concert where he was supposed to be the main attraction.

At the same time, the spectacular show cemented Jay-Z's status as rap's revered king. Not only for his deft skill at entertaining his loyal subjects, but for his formidable ability to call on his royal court — an all-star cast of about 18 performers, including P. Diddy, Mary J. Blige, Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, Q-Tip and Pharrell.

"One monkey don't stop a show, I'll tell ya," Jay-Z boasted at the top of the concert. "We're going to have even more fun tonight!"

There hadn't been much fun in his partnership with R. Kelly. They kicked off a long-awaited joint tour in October, but the pair barely performed on stage together amid rumors of discord and canceled dates. Then, after Kelly fled the stage Friday, he said that someone from Jay-Z's entourage Maced him in the face backstage.

Kelly's mix of raunch and R&B, along with his gifts as a songwriter and producer, have made him one of the most popular figures on today's music scene. Even child pornography charges have failed to dent his multiplatinum album sales.

But he was hardly missed on Monday night, the tour's third show at the Garden. Part of that is due to Jay-Z's own heavy arsenal of hits. Jigga only had to play a snippet of one of his songs to get the Garden boiling, and few fans sat during the three-hour plus concert.

But he's not known as the most dynamic of performers. Jay-Z depends on his lyrical gifts to wow the audience, and has been knocked for being too stationary on stage. Though he seemed more animated at Monday's show, to fill in what Kelly had added — silky R&B, sex appeal, raw energy — he got by with a little help from his friends.

[Emerald City]

It truly has been an honor to be on the stage with Jay-Z," gushed Blige, who not only sang backup for Hova on "Song Cry," but added an almost 30-minute set of her own hits, like "Real Love" and "I'm Going Down." Later, Diddy got the crowd hyped during a mini-concert of his own, and explained his presence by jokingly warbling a few lines of "That's What Friends Are For."

The show of solidarity was the equivalent of a group hug from hip-hop — rap's Oprah moment. In a genre where feuds seem fiercer than friendship, a posse of hip-hop's finest showed they had Jigga's back.

"It don't surprise me what homie did," Busta Rhymes sneered to the crowd about Kelly. "He ain't hip-hop. We're gonna do this right for hip-hop!"

And do it right they did. Q-Tip came out with Busta Rhymes to perform the classic "What's the Scenario"; Ja Rule rumbled on stage for "Can I Get A ..." with Jay-Z; old-school pioneers Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh teamed up for "The Show" and "La Di Da Di"; Snoop Dogg postured his way through his latest hit, "Drop it Like It's Hot." Other guests included Fabolous, T.I., Jay-Z's old duet partner and current reclamation project Foxy Brown, Raekwon, Black Rob, and of course the Roc-A-Fella crew: Memphis Bleek, Freeway and Young Gunz.

While no one bent down to kiss his ring, it was hard not to visualize Jay-Z as a godfather, as he depicted himself in the opening clip, able to call in many favors at the drop of a hat.

It wasn't the "Best of Both Worlds." It was the best of many, all revolving around one superstar.