Jay-Z at Webster Hall
photo by Theo Wargo, Getty Images for Roc Nation

watch Jay-Z bring out Nas and Cam'ron at Webster Hall ++ pics/setlist

NYC’s Webster Hall re-opened Friday night (4/26) with a very intimate show from hometown hero Jay-Z, who did one of his “B-Sides” sets — like he did at Terminal 5 in 2015 — which have him playing older songs and deep cuts. A huge Roc-a-Fella chandelier hung from the ceiling, illuminating the crowd and set the mood as DJ Clark Kent opened the show with hip hop classics. After the crowd was warmed up, Jay-Z finally came out, backed by a full band and DJs Just Blaze and Young Guru. Hova opened with “The Prelude,” which is the first track from his album Kingdom Come, clearly letting the crowd know from the jump that this was indeed for the die-hard fans. Throughout the night, Jay didn’t play a single “hit,” and no one seemed to mind. The crowd sang along with all the tracks, no matter how deep the cut.

During his set, a huge surprise came when he brought out his influence-turned-enemy-turned-friend Nas for their collaborative “Success,” a mashup of Nas’ “The World Is Yours” and Jay-Z’s “Dead Presidents II” (which samples “The World Is Yours”), and Nas’ “N.Y. State of Mind.” After the Queens legend left the stage, it was time to go uptown. The intro to Cam’ron’s “Welcome to New York City” started and out came Killa Cam. The track, which also has Jay on it, was featured on his first album with Roc-a-Fella Records, Come Home With Me. After that, the beat for Dipset’s “I Really Mean It” dropped and Jim Jones joined the party.

Another highlight was when Jay did a new freestyle about the late Nipsey Hussle. The crowd was silent and focused on every new bar the living legend spit. There was no encore, not many huge hits, and that didn’t matter. This was a night Jay wanted to give his die-hard fans and he didn’t leave anyone disappointed.

Watch some videos and see the full setlist below and see even more videos at the BrooklynVegan Instagram story. Pictures in the gallery above.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BwvrqFMH3h2/

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bwvvpt3AC7f/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BwvwD9LHDVi/

https://twitter.com/jaysonrodriguez/status/1121981478370521088

Setlist (via)
Some People Hate
Don’t U Know
Come and Get Me
People Talking
Lucifer
Some How Some Way
So Ambitious
Allure
This Life Forever
Young G’s
What’s Free
Sweet
American Dreamin
Success (with Nas)
World Is Yours (with Nas)
Dead Presidents II (with Nas)
Empire State of Mind
Where I’m From
Marcy Me
Welcome to NYC (with Cam’ron)
I Really Mean It (with Cam’ron and Jim Jones)

photos by Theo Wargo, Getty Images for Roc Nation, review by Kyle Lamberty