Beyoncé, Eminem, Rihanna & Many Others Join Jay-Z At Yankee Stadium Concerts

Jay-Z played three consecutive nights at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York over the weekend. The first two shows were tied to album anniversaries, while the third was added after the initial two sold out.

The July 10 concert, billed as “JAY-Z 30,” marked the 30th anniversary of Jay-Z’s debut album, Reasonable Doubt. The show opened with “Can’t Knock the Hustle,” on which Jay-Z’s wife, acclaimed vocalist Beyoncé, sang Mary J. Blige’s original vocal part.

Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, played piano during “Feelin’ It.” One-time Jay-Z foe, fellow NYC-native rapper Nas, joined for a medley of “The World Is Yours” and his own “N.Y. State of Mind.”

The encore included Alicia Keys joining Jay-Z for “Empire State of Mind.” Other guests who appeared during the show included Jaz-O and Memphis Bleek.

The July 11 concert, “JAY-Z 25,” celebrated the 25th anniversary of The Blueprint. Jay-Z opened the show with the album’s opening track, “The Ruler’s Back,” before bringing out Slick Rick who performed his classic “La Di Da Di.” Eminem joined for “Renegade” and his own “Lose Yourself.”

Pharrell Williams came out for an extended encore appearance, which included his “Frontin'” alongside several other collaborations. Breaking the record he set on night one, Jay-Z’s second Yankee Stadium performance set another new record for the most tickets sold (45,832) to a Yankee Stadium concert.

The third show, dubbed “Extra Innings,” was added to the run after the first two nights sold out and was delayed more than four hours by a security breach at the stadium’s gates. The concert was scheduled for 8 p.m. but did not begin until 12:20 a.m. Upon taking the stage, Jay-Z explained the situation that pushed back the show’s start.

“New York City what’s up? So, let me explain the delay to you guys,” he told the crowd. “It was like 10,000 people outside, and we closed all the doors, and then somebody rushed the door. They closed the door for you guys’ safety and everybody’s safety outside — there’s 10,000 people outside — I don’t want to start music and people get trampled. I’m really sorry for the inconvenience, but I had to make sure everybody was O.K. I appreciate your patience. We’re gonna have a good time tonight. I’ve got some shit for y’all, I promise you. Let’s go!”

Once underway, the show ran past 2:30 a.m. and pulled from across Jay-Z’s catalog, with guest performers including Teyana Taylor, Jermaine Dupri, Jeezy, Usher, The-Dream, Swizz Beatz, Pharrell Williams, Clipse, Fat Joe, and Jadakiss.

Rihanna came out for “Run This Town” and a cover of her “Bitch Better Have My Money,” while Beyoncé returned to the stage to perform “Drunk in Love.”