This post was originally published on this site.
Jay-Z closed out night two of his three-show stand at Yankee Stadium by running through The Blueprint from top to bottom, marking 25 years since the album reshaped what a rap record could sound like.
The Brooklyn legend opened with “The Ruler’s Back” before bringing out Slick Rick for “La Di Da Di” and “Children’s Story,” setting the tone for a night built entirely around one classic body of work. The 90-minute set moved fast, sticking close to the original tracklist Jay built with Kanye West, Bink and Just Blaze back in 2001.
Eminem walked out next, joining Jay-Z for “Renegade,” the only feature on the original album and a song that’s carried plenty of debate since Nas took aim at it on “Ether” back in 2001.
Em stuck around to perform “Lose Yourself” for the crowd before Jay pushed forward into “Izzo (H.O.V.A.),” “Song Cry,” and “Takeover,” working through the tracklist track by track.
Pharrell Williams showed up later in the set for a run through “Excuse Me Miss,” “I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me),” “Frontin’” and “Allure,” stacking one hit on top of another.
Jay closed the night with “Empire State of Mind,” “N##### in Paris,” “Public Service Announcement,” and “Encore,” wrapping a set that ran shorter than Friday’s opener but hit just as hard. He also took a moment to reflect on the album landing on September 11, 2001, telling the crowd he almost walked away from releasing it given what the city was going through at the time.
Night two was reportedly the most in-demand of the three shows, and it’s easy to see why given the guest list and the history behind “Renegade.”
Fans who caught the Yankees gear and hometown energy from Friday’s opener, where Beyoncé, Nas and Blue Ivy all made appearances celebrating Reasonable Doubt’s 30th anniversary, got a very different, more stripped-down show for round two.
Sunday’s “Extra Innings” finale closes out the New York run, according to PIX11, before the celebration heads overseas and back to the West Coast, with stops at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on September 4, Stade de France in Paris on September 10, and SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on October 23.
