Jay-z displays effortless cool, honors Jackson
On the same day that fans and celebrities alike congregated for Michael Jackson's memorial service in Los Angeles, Jay-z paid tribute to the departed pop star in front of a sold-out crowd at Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island.
With his versatile, 10-piece band locked into The Jackson Five's "I Want You Back," Jay-z flashed a broad smile and began dropping verses from "Izzo (HOVA)," adjusting his nimble flow to fit the soul classic. "Let's not wait to mourn death," he announced, images of a young Jackson flashing on a screen behind him. "Let's celebrate life."
He wisely followed his own advice for the entirety of Tuesday's 80-minute set, turning out a spectacular, career-spanning performance. He channeled Clint Eastwood's surly "Gran Torino" vet on a ferocious D.O.A. A second new tune from "The Blueprint 3" delivered a cappella alongside Memphis Bleek, hinted at an even more bare-knuckle direction, Jay-z spitting, "I ain't talking 'bout profit/I'm talking 'bout pain."
Dressed head-to-toe in black Jay-z projected an effortless cool throughout, name-dropping Frank Sinatra and saying he could "do this in [his] sleep." Fortunately, he refused to coast, darting through the syncopated carnival groove of "Big Pimpin".
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