On Friday night, Jay-Z re-opened the doors of New York’s newly refurbished Webster Hall with an epic two-hour performance filled with hits, rarities, collaborations, and a new freestyle.
Dressed for the occasion in a tuxedo, the Brooklyn rapper strolled through his back catalogue before reuniting with former foe Nas for a jaw-dropping medley that included “Success”, “The World Is Yours”, and “Dead Presidents II”. “I don’t know if we’ll ever be able to duplicate that again,” Jay-Z admitted shortly after. “But that was special.”
Also special were the two guest spots that followed — Cam’ron for “Welcome to New York City” and Jim Jones for a cover of The Diplomats’ “I Really Mean It” — in addition to a new freestyle tribute to the late Nipsey Hussle.
He dropped the freestyle between “Some How Some Way” and “So Ambitious”, echoing many of the sentiments he shared in his recent tribute to the fallen rapper, as he said:
“Gentrify your own hood before these people do it/ Claim eminent domain and have your people move in/ That’s a small glimpse into what Nipsey was doing … I told Neighborhood Nipsey stay close/ There’s a 100 million dollars on your schedule, lay low/ Tell your team to be on point in the places that they go/ I never dreamed he’d get killed in the place that he calls home.”
Watch video highlights below, in addition to the full setlist shortly after.
JUST IN: Jay-Z just performed with Nas 🚨🚨 https://t.co/AvkvvOnDzH
— XXL Magazine (@XXL) April 27, 2019
Hov brought out @Nas at B Sides 2.
🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/JG6LDa28oW
— Complex (@Complex) April 27, 2019
WELCOME TO NEW YORK CITY.
Hov just brought out KILLA CAM at #BSides2 pic.twitter.com/offC42jqWl
— Complex (@Complex) April 27, 2019
https://twitter.com/NigelDPresents/status/1121979460633407488
Setlist:
Some People Hate
Don’t U Know
Come and Get Me
People Talkin’
Lucifer
Some How Some Way
So Ambitious
Allure
This Life Forever
Young G’s (Diddy cover)
What’s Free (Meek Mill cover)
Sweet
American Dreamin’
Success (with Nas)
The World Is Yours (with Nas)
Dead Presidents II (with Nas)
Empire State of Mind
Where I’m From
Marcy Me
Welcome to New York City (with Cam’ron)
I Really Mean It (The Diplomats cover) (with Jim Jones)
The Watcher 2