Jay-Z celebrates 'The Blueprint' at Yankee Stadium with star guests
Jay-Z celebrates The Blueprint's 25th anniversary at Yankee Stadium on Saturday with a curtailed 90-minute set featuring Eminem, Pharrell Williams and Slick Rick. The Brooklyn rapper largely performed the 2001 album start to finish—omitting Takeover—before closing with New York anthems and Pharrell collaborations ahead of Sunday's final Extra Innings show. The Saturday concert followed a flashier Friday show marking 30 years of Reasonable Doubt.
Key Takeaways
- Jay-Z performed nearly all of The Blueprint at Yankee Stadium on Saturday for the album's 25th anniversary.
- Eminem joined for Renegade and Lose Yourself; Pharrell Williams and Slick Rick also appeared.
- The set notably omitted Takeover, Jay-Z's diss track aimed at Nas and Prodigy.
- A third and final show, billed as Extra Innings, closes the residency on Sunday night.
What happened at Jay-Z's Blueprint anniversary show?
According to Variety, Jay-Z was almost entirely truthful to the source material for his Saturday night concert. He trotted through the spine of The Blueprint with stadium-sized highs like U Don't Know and somber moments including Song Cry.
The show opened with instant homage as Slick Rick joined for The Ruler's Back. Jay then moved through the factory line of tracks built with producers Kanye West, Bink! and Just Blaze. Eminem traded verses on Renegade and returned for his signature hit Lose Yourself.
Why was Saturday's show different from Friday's?
Friday's Reasonable Doubt 30th anniversary concert set a tall precedent with bells and whistles from the start. Beyoncé came out for Can't Knock the Hustle, and guests included Nas, Jaz-O and Alicia Keys.
Saturday's Blueprint celebration was less flashy by design. Jay hewed close to what he laid on wax in 2001 rather than reworking material for spectacle. For more live music coverage, see our Streaming & TV Alerts section.
Which songs did Jay-Z skip or add?
The very notable omission was Takeover, Jay-Z's epic diss against Nas and Prodigy. Variety noted the track could have been reconfigured as commentary on current foes or turned into a sardonic spectacle, but Jay left it unacknowledged.
After closer Blueprint (Momma Loves Me), Jay reflected on the album's September 11, 2001 release during a tragic period for New York City. He said he was prepared to walk away from the project, but its reception became part of the city's healing.
How did the set end and what comes next?
Jay kicked back up with Empire State of Mind, the New York torch song he performed Friday with Alicia Keys. Pharrell Williams then joined for collaborative hits spanning I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me) to Frontin.
The show finished quickly with N—s in Paris, Public Service Announcement and Encore. All of this leads toward the third and concluding Yankee Stadium show on Sunday night, billed as Extra Innings for the hits left over from his discography.