How does one measure one’s own legacy: in a series of shows, in the decades since a debut album, in a detailed eight-part documentary that breaks down the intricacies of a rhyme set years ago? That appears to be the existential question looming over “Jay-Z 30,” a year-long extravaganza that began with a stellar performance at the Roots Picnic in late May and ended Saturday night with the second of two shows at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.
For Jay, the legacy is clearly weighing heavily on his mind. A new generation of hip-hop artists have emerged, and the decade-long gap since releasing an album has opened the door for that generation to question their legacy. So it made sense that he would revisit his catalog brick-by-brick, show-by-show, celebrating the progress of his career-long work that culminated in a global tour after nearly a decade of artistic inactivity. At Sophie, like her previous concerts, her performance was a reminder – no, a reinforcement – that nothing on that scale is accidental. And he said the curtain fell on the hour-and-a-half finale of his “Jay-Z 30” series, encouraging attendees to believe what they actually saw.
“You have to be really real about what’s going on in the world,” he said during the show’s closing “encore.” This was a direct rebuttal to tweets and social media posts claiming that Sophie was not completely sold out, or that too many tickets had been given away. “People will tell you there was no one here tonight, but you got eyes. You can see. People will tell you the music wasn’t good, but you have ears. You have to understand, you have to question everything. This world with AI and everything, it’s been going on forever. They called it hype before. But now, the technology has taken hold and tricked people. There’s a lot of trickery for us… Make sure you question everything you feel. Pick up.”
Jay makes music you can feel. This has been the thrill of his show in the last five months. For those who experienced his rise in real time (and, frankly, many at Sophie’s, probably based on his millennial looks), Jay has been a pop impresario, a cultural touchstone who helped bring hip-hop culture into the mainstream. They’ve done it through a breathless series of number one albums and hits, and in boardrooms and closed-door meetings. “Jay-Z 30” was an invitation to rethink the path he took to get there, a way to show that legacy isn’t about the next hit, but about the people you got there for.
Like his other performances, the setlist for Jay’s final night at Sophie’s was somewhat static – “Girls, Girls, Girls”, for example, once again transformed into “’03 Bonnie & Clyde”, while “N-s in Paris” happily transformed into “Big Pimpin'”. But it’s the fine details that make J Show such an experience. In each of his shows, he has found a way to pay tribute to the city that welcomed him. In Philadelphia, which included guest appearances from Jazmine Sullivan, Bilal and his Roc-A-Fella Crew, Freeway, Beanie Sigel and Peedy Crack. In New York City, during their three-night run at Yankee Stadium, they brought out Alicia Keys as well as Fat Joe and Jadakiss for “Empire State of Mind”. Naturally, a story emerged: could he really perform a solid headlining set without a supporting cast to sweeten the deal?
Maybe that’s why the number of guests on his Sophie show was much less than others. On Saturday night, they tapped Too Short to perform “Blow the Whistle”, giving the Bay Area a shout-out. Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg set out to create a mix of their own big hits, including “Nothin’ But a ‘G’ Thang” and “Still DRE”, but it was mainly Jai, every dayIn all its glory. He flitted from one era to the next, delivering blow after blow, his breath control and spark as refined as ever. This was a performance at its finest, a wonder to see an artist who helped create hip-hop as an institution while also adding to the story that is still being written.
What’s next? There have been rumors about a new album from the collaborators, who quickly walked back their statements. A question mark loomed over the Super Bowl halftime show performance hanging in the air at SoFi on Saturday night. But for several concerts and a few acts here and there, it felt right to have Jay-Z justify the experience by rapping “Heart of the City (Ain’t No Love)” at the end of the show: “Jigga held you down for 30 summers, damn it, where’s that love?”
Check out the full setlist below:
watchman 2
whistle (very low)
Izzo (HOVA)
the beach is better
FWM
n—a What, N—a Hu (Initiator 99)
run this town
family Feud
you don’t know
on the next
gang
dirt off Your Shoulder
I know
never change
singing cry
dead presidents
where am i from
Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)
lucifer
no Church in the Wild
d’evils
It Was a Murder Case (Snoop Dogg)
Next Episode (Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg)
California Love (Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg)
Nothing But a “G” Thang (Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg)
Still Dre (Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg)
99 problems
girls, girls, girls
excuse me Miss
La-la-la (excuse me miss again)
change game
I Just Want Love You (Give It 2 Me)
money, cash, spade
Jigga my n—a
Heart of the City (Ain’t No Love)
Empire State of Mind
N—s in Paris / Big Pimpin’
Public Service Announcement (Interval)
Repeat