Jay-Z’s Yankee Stadium residency went out the only way it could: late, loud and stacked with superstars. Variety reported that the rapper closed out the run Sunday night with a nearly three hour set that didn’t wrap until around 3 a.m., capping a weekend built around the 25th and 30th anniversaries of “The Blueprint” and “Reasonable Doubt.”
The night nearly didn’t happen on schedule. According to Variety, fans were stuck in unmoving lines both inside and outside the venue, pushing the start well past midnight. Jay didn’t take the stage until roughly 12:20 a.m., and when he did, he addressed the delay head on, explaining that a crowd surge outside forced organizers to close the gates. He said he refused to start the music while thousands remained stranded, prioritizing safety over the clock, before promising the crowd a night worth the wait.
He delivered. Per the outlet’s account, Jay powered through nearly 50 songs across the evening for a crowd of more than 40,000, moving fluidly between eras of his catalog. The guest list read like a hall of fame roll call. Beyoncé returned for a sultry take on “Drunk in Love.” Rihanna handled the hook on “Run This Town” before launching into her own material, telling the crowd she’d missed the stage.
Usher covered hook duties on “Heart of the City (Ain’t No Love)” and performed “Throwback.” Teyana Taylor stepped in on “Can’t Knock the Hustle,” a slot Beyoncé had occupied earlier in the run.
The parade didn’t stop there. Variety noted that Pharrell Williams surfaced for a medley of collaborations, Clipse ran through “Grindin,” The-Dream covered Frank Ocean’s portion of “No Church in the Wild,” and Jeezy, Swizz Beatz, Jermaine Dupri, Fat Joe and Jadakiss all took their turns, with the latter two closing things out on “New York.”
Still, the night belonged to Jay. He remained the anchor of the whole affair, delivering an acapella “Dear Summer” before finishing with “Encore” as fireworks lit up the sky above the Bronx. Nearly a decade removed from his last album, he looked entirely at home, closing a residency that fans are unlikely to forget anytime soon.
