Jay-Z In Paris Live Concert Footage

Jay-Z enjoyed the French Open by day then rocked Paris by night with his concert at Palais Omnisports de Bercy Sunday, June 6.

Photo links:
Wire Image
Photo Sonore
Rex Features

Jay-Z upcoming live dates:
June 7 - Manchester Arena, U.K.
June 9 - Birmingham LG Arena, U.K.
June 11 - Isle of Wright Festival, U.K.
June 12 - Bonnaroo Music Festival, Manchester, TN
July 2 - Eurockeennes Belfort, France
July 4 - Wireless Festival, U.K.
July 9 - Oxygen, Ireland
July 10 - Frauenfeld, Switzerland
July 11 - T in the Park, Scotland
Sept. 2 - Comerica Park, Detroit, MI (with Eminem)
Sept. 13 - Yankee Stadium, Staten Island, NY (with Eminem)

(video courtesy of TheArnaudh & pattykwakernaat )

Jay-Z: Las Vegas The Pearl At The Palms BP3 Close Out Concert Review

Jay-Z Las Vegas, NV The Pearl At The Palms concert closes out the 2nd leg of the BP3 Tour.

As reported by Jason Bracelin / Las Vegas Review-Journal

He fancies himself hip-hop's pre-eminent huckster, three-card monte personified, a used car salesman with beats instead of beaters.

"I sell ice in the winter, I sell fire in hell," Jay-Z informed a sold-out Pearl at the Palms on Saturday night (Saturday, March 27). "I am a hustler, baby, I'll sell water to a well."

The song was "U Don't Know," a shout-along banger with shotgun-blast percussion where the emcee in question testifies to his marketing prowess, which lies somewhere between the calculating number crunching of a one-man ad agency and the smooth-talking savvy of a street urchin with a bunch of gold watches for sale inside his trenchcoat.

"Put me anywhere of God's green Earth, I'll triple my worth," he announced matter-of-factly, with little aplomb.

"I. Will. Not. Lose," he continued, each utterance doubling as its own declarative sentence.

And true to his words, Jay-Z is a master salesman, saving his best work for his toughest charge: himself.

Hip-hop, like professional sports, is an unforgiving vocation: Rhymers age like dogs, one year may as well be seven.

Just look at 50 Cent's shelf-life: Dairy products tend to last longer. It's the rare rapper who can continually reinvent himself and even unimpeachable greats like Nas, the Wu-Tang Clan, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg and dozens of others eventually seem to lose a measure of their vitality, not to mention their commercial luster.

In rock 'n' roll, nostalgia is often embraced and celebrated, as cherished as some ragged old concert T-shirt that reminds its wearers of their youth.

But in hip-hop, the past is mostly significant only as a prelude to the present. You don't see pioneering veteran acts such as Run-DMC or Public Enemy still packing arenas the way that, say, even the Journeys of the world do.

And this is one of hip-hop's best attributes and greatest strengths.

Nevertheless, Jay-Z's been consistently topping the charts for almost 15 years now, throwing off rap's evolutionary bell curve like maybe only Tupac Shakur or Biggie Smalls might have done had they lived long enough to attempt as much.

He's done it all by never putting on any airs about himself as he's gone from small-scale drug dealer –– at least that's how he tells it –– to big-time record seller and entrepreneur with his own clothing line and sneaker endorsements.

For a lot of rappers, "keeping it real" means continually revisiting the street-level exploits that form the preface to many of their careers.

For Jay-Z, it just means being forthcoming about where he's at in his life at a given moment, and so he doesn't try to relate to his audience so much as give them a behind-the-curtains peek at his own celebrity.

Hence, his latter-day catalog is a bit like the "Robb Report" set to a beat.

"If you grew up with holes in your zapatos, you'd celebrate the minute you was having dough," he explained during the chest-pounding bravado of "99 Problems," a line that encapsulates much of Jay-Z's recent repertoire.

That song segued into "Show Me What You Got," a pop trifle that was the inverse of the tune that preceded it, with images of yachts and girls in bikinis flashing across the video screens at the back of the stage.

It's this balance of grit and glamour, skewed to the latter nowadays, that forms the basis of Jay-Z's appeal.

On the mic, he's an incredible technician, swinging between a cool nonchalance and an overheated spray of boasts.

"I'm so far ahead of my time, I'm 'bout to start another life. Look behind you, I'm 'bout to pass you twice," he rhymed acapella during "Hovi Baby," his 10-piece backing group momentarily silenced as his words packed just as much thunder as his band's substantial percussive might.

A cool, cocksure presence, Jay-Z donned a smile as wide as his vocabulary through it all, commanding the stage with a loose-shouldered, easygoing gait, bouncing on the back of his heels the way some prizefighters do just before springing into action.

He fired off his songs one right after the other with barely a pause. Perhaps the show's only dull moment over close to two hours was when Jay-Z ceded the stage for a brief interlude by run-of-the-mill gangsta Young Jeezy, who possesses abundant energy, but little else.

And then the man of the night ambled back on stage.

This was the last stop of his "Blueprint 3 Tour," and he ended his set by drinking champagne with his tourmates and pointing out crowd members individually by what they were wearing and thanking them for showing up.

A multimillionaire superstar, Jay-Z's no longer a man of the people, but for a night at least, he seemed happy enough to be among them. He took off his shades, doffed his hat, and stopped selling himself just long enough to be himself.

Show photo links:
Corbis Images
Wire Image

After party photo links:
Wire Image - Jay-Z
Wire Image - Trey Songz

Jay-Z concert appearances are as follows:

Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival appearance.
Apr 16 Indio, CA - Empire Polo Club

Jay-Z European Tour Dates:

Jun 4 Rock am Ring, Germany
Jun 5 Rock im Park, Germany
Jun 6 Paris Bercy, France
Jun 7 Manchester, UK - Manchester Evening News Arena
Jun 9 Birmingham, UK - LG Arena
Jun 11 Isle of Wright, UK - Seaclose Park
Jul 2 Eurockeennes Belfort, France
Jul 4 London, UK - Hyde Park - Wireless Festival
Jul 9 Oxygen, Ireland
Jul 10 Frauenfeld, Switzerland - Openair Frauenfeld
Jul 11 T in the Park, Scotland

Jay-Z BP3 San Jose, CA At HP Pavilion Concert Review

As reported by Jim Harrington / San Jose Mercury News

One song into his set Wednesday night (March 24), Jay-Z was already flashing that killer smile.

"I like how this is going," he beamed to the capacity crowd at HP Pavilion in San Jose. "We're going to take this all the way to the top." And he proceeded to do just that, moving from the solid opener "Run This Town" to the even-better "On to the Next One," both of which hail from last year's album "The Blueprint 3."

As for getting to the top, let's just say Jay-Z has been there so many times it's probably where he gets his mail delivered.

With each passing year, Jay-Z gives us new reasons to call him king. He's sold some 40 million records worldwide, won 10 Grammy Awards and is part owner of the New Jersey Nets (hey, some day that might seem like a good idea). He owns the popular clothing line Rocawear, is worth a half-billion dollars and is married to Beyonce, one of the world's most popular and beautiful entertainers.

"The Blueprint 3" became his 11th No. 1 album, setting a record for most chart-topping platters for a solo artist (topping the King of Rock, Elvis Presley).

One thing he's never been able to claim, however, is the distinction of being a consistently great concert artist. Bay Area fans have seen Jay-Z turn in many mediocre performances over the years, but he was downright brilliant during his previous local visit, a co-headlining tour with Mary J. Blige at Oracle Arena roughly two years ago.

Jay-Z wasn't nearly as focused or as entertaining on Wednesday, but still turned in a pretty enjoyable show.

Following a set by overrated R&B crooner Trey Songz, Jay-Z cut a dramatic entrance as he was lifted by a platform through the stage floor. As his 10-member band, complete with a three-piece horn section, snapped into action, Jay-Z started dropping the difficult tongue-twisters everyone in the house seemed to know by heart.

He performed in front of a sleek, uncluttered stage design, which consisted mainly of a video backdrop cut to look like the Manhattan skyline. The live band paid big dividends early and often, propelling the beats with two percussionists and flexing its horn-section muscle on "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)." Jay-Z's marginally talented sidekick Memphis Bleek — aka,"the Ringo Starr of rap" — joined him on vocals on several numbers, including crowd favorites "U Don't Know" and "99 Problems."



Right as things were rolling along smashingly, Young Jeezy arrived, a la Jay-Z, riding the elevator up through the stage floor. That was really an amazing feat of hydraulics, given the amount of heavy metal Jeezy wore around his neck. The headliner then departed to let Jeezy do his own set.

Talk about throwing a monkey wrench into the gears — going from Jay-Z's incomparable flow to Jeezy's rough ride is, to say the least, jolting. Jeezy used part of his time to tell us how important it is to proudly represent our hometowns. "I put on for my city," sang the Georgia rapper wearing a Chicago White Sox hat.

Jay-Z returned to perform a few really meaty tunes, including "My President is Black" and "Dirt Off Your Shoulder," then announced that the main set was done. The problem was, Jay-Z himself had only been onstage for about an hour. He then sent the show into what he dubbed "overtime" and performed another half-hour of music, none of which was memorable. He clearly had no game plan drawn up for OT.

Still, Jay-Z can get away with a lot simply through his charisma. Plus, it doesn't hurt when the crowd fawns at your every move.

It must be good to be king.

Photos:
Getty Images
Corbis Images
San Jose Mercury News - Jay-Z BP3 San Jose Concert
Bay Area's Movin 997 radio station set 1
Bay Area's Movin 997 radio station set 2

more fan shot footage below.





(video courtesy of kode701 & Notoriousted)

Jay-Z's BP3 2010 Tour dates:

Mar 26 Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center
Mar 27 Las Vegas, NV - The Pearl

Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival appearance:
Apr 16 Indio, CA - Empire Polo Club

Jay-Z European Tour Dates:

Jun 4 Rock am Ring, Germany
Jun 5 Rock im Park, Germany
Jun 6 Paris Bercy, France
Jun 7 Manchester, UK - Manchester Evening News Arena
Jun 9 Birmingham, UK - LG Arena
Jun 11 Isle of Wright, UK - Seaclose Park
Jul 2 Eurockeennes Belfort, France
Jul 4 London, UK - Hyde Park - Wireless Festival
Jul 9 Oxygen, Ireland
Jul 10 Frauenfeld, Switzerland - Openair Frauenfeld
Jul 11 T in the Park, Scotland

Jay-Z BP3 Chicago Dedicates Freestyle To LeBron James & Holds Court At After Show Party

At last night's (Thursday, March 18) BP3 tour stop in Chicago, Ill, Jay-Z delivered a not yet heard freestyle dedication to Cleveland Cavilers superstar LeBron James. Lebron is in town as the Cleveland Cavs play the Chicago Bulls tonight.

LeBron James returned the favor by hosting an after-party (LeBron's BlackOut) for Jay-Z at the Shrine, check out the photos here:

NBC Chicago - LeBron's BlackOut / Jay-Z After Show Party

Read both Chicago's newspaper Jay-Z concert reviews here:

Chicago Sun Times - Review

Chicago Tribune - Review

Photos from the concert:
PR Photo
WENN Photo

Jay-Z's BP3 2010 Tour dates:

Mar 19 St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center
Mar 20 Indianapolis, IN - Conseco Fieldhouse
Mar 22 Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
Mar 24 San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion
Mar 26 Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center

Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival appearance:
Apr 16 Indio, CA - Empire Polo Club

Jay-Z European Tour Dates:

Jun 4 Rock am Ring, Germany
Jun 5 Rock im Park, Germany
Jun 6 Paris Bercy, France
Jun 7 Manchester, UK - Manchester Evening News Arena
Jun 9 Birmingham, UK - LG Arena
Jun 11 Isle of Wright, UK - Seaclose Park
Jul 2 Eurockeennes Belfort, France
Jul 4 London, UK - Hyde Park - Wireless Festival
Jul 9 Oxygen, Ireland
Jul 10 Frauenfeld, Switzerland - Openair Frauenfeld
Jul 11 T in the Park, Scotland

Jay-Z In Detroit ROC City BP3 Tour Concert Review

As reported by Adam Graham / Detroit News

A sold-out Palace crowd of 15,000-plus was in a Jay-Z state of mind Sunday night, as rap's top performer brought his rousing BP3 tour to Auburn Hills (Sunday, March 14).

Backed by a massive 10-piece band that included a three-piece horn section and a wall of video screens fashioned into a city skyscape, Jay -- dressed in his standard-issue all black everything -- took the stage to "Run This Town," one of several hits lifted from last year's "Blueprint 3" album.

He rolled into his verse from "Diamonds from Sierra Leone," positioning himself at center stage, where he stood still, shifting his weight from his front to his back foot, motioning through the lyrics with his hands. A suite of "Blueprint 3" tracks followed, with Jay working both sides of the stage and looking customarily cool behind a pair of darkened shades.

As reported by Gary Greff / The Oakland Press

That wealth of material certainly worked to Jay-Z's advantage on Sunday, allowing him to survey an entire career of flavors and forms from the in-your-face material of his 1996 debut "Reasonable Doubt" -- including a particularly hot "Can I Live" -- to mainstream crossover fare such as the show-opening "Run This Town," "Empire State of Mind" and "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)." He mixed tight medleys with full-length song performances, confidently swaggering through favorites such as "On to the next One," "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)," "99 Problems," "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" and "Swagga Like Us" and issuing his trademark command -- "Bounce!" -- to keep the Palace crowd rocking from note one to the final bows. And he kept things even more "real" by ending several of the songs with forceful a capella raps

He had a little help, too. Memphis Bleek served as Jay-Z's hype man for about a third of the show, while opening act Trey Songz sang during "Heart of the City (Ain't No Love)" and "Already Home." Young Jeezy's appearance during "Real As it Gets" led to a 25-minute solo set that somewhat stalled the show's momentum, but Jay-Z brought the energy back quickly with "My President."

Read each Detroit Newspaper full concert review here:
Detroit News - Jay-Z staying on top of his game
Oakland Press - Jay-Z's rap blueprint pays off at Palace

(Quality footage courtesy of 2 short skirts)

Jay-Z's BP3 2010 Tour dates:

Mar 16 Pittsburgh, PA - Mellon Arena
Mar 18 Chicago, IL - United Center
Mar 19 St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center
Mar 20 Indianapolis, IN - Conseco Fieldhouse
Mar 22 Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
Mar 24 San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion
Mar 26 Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center

Jay-Z BP3 Tour At The TD Garden In Boston Concert Recap

As reported by Lauren Carter at the Boston Herald

(Thursday, March 11) For roughly two hours, the God MC delivered one of the liveliest sets in recent memory, rolling out a staggering parade of hits to a sold-out crowd of more than 15,000.

From the time he rose up out of the floor for “Run This Town” to the close-out track “Encore,” his delivery stayed clear and crisp. Longtime hype man Memphis Bleek flanked Jay-Z for the majority of the set, but his presence was more of an interesting addition than a necessary support, as Jay-Z ruled stage with seemingly effortless cool.

Backed by a live band, Jay-Z performed several tracks off “Blueprint 3,” including a spirited “On to the Next One,” “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)” and “Empire State of Mind,” which featured Bridget Kelly on fill-in duty for Alicia Keys.

The night’s set list spanned his 14-year career, with hits such as “99 Problems,” “I Just Wanna Love U (Give It to Me)” and the hyperspeed “Jigga What, Jigga Who” appearing alongside a few a cappella segments that spotlighted his lyricism in case fans were overdosing on hooks. Diamond signs came out for a thunderous “Public Service Announcement.”

The set was long but never monotonous. To shake things up, opener Trey Songz appeared for hook duty on “Heart of the City (Ain’t No Love)” and “Already Home.”

Minutes later, Young Jeezy rose up out of the floor for “As Real As It Gets” wearing roughly 17 chains, then took over the stage for his own set, playing counterpoint to Jay-Z’s East Coast sound with grimy, crunk-flavored hits including “Who Dat,“ “Put On” and “My President is Black,” Jay-Z’s cue to reappear.

The closing segment of Jay-Z’s set was a virtual victory lap, as he transformed the venue into a nightclub and ran through snippets of about 20 hits, from “Money Ain’t a Thing” and “Can I Get A” to “Big Pimpin’ ” and “Hard Knock Life” before turning the spotlight on the crowd and acknowledging fans.

As reported by James Reed at the Boston Globe

Jay-Z’s energy alone kept the crowd in his pocket, starting with “Run This Town,’’ and his insistence on having a live band makes a huge difference, ensuring that his performances crackle and quake with thunderous bass and beats. A trio of horns infused some soul into “Heart of the City,’’ while “99 Problems,’’ “Swagga Like Us,’’ and “Empire State of Mind’’ rang out as the expected sing-alongs (with Bridget Kelly ably filling in for Keys on the last).

At the end of the exuberant two-hour set, when Jay-Z said it was the best show he had ever had in Boston, you believed him. The feeling was mutual.

Young Jeezy, the night’s second opening act, was almost all bark and no bite. Sometimes his music, cued by a DJ, dropped out with the intention of the audience finishing the rhymes, but too often the crowd wasn’t up to the task.

Meanwhile, R&B singer Trey Songz was the flip side to his tour mates, a hypersexual lover man in thrall to the sound of ladies screaming his name. He was so enamored with them that at one point he invited a woman onstage and poured what appeared to be champagne into her mouth. Only a guy this smooth could get away with a pick-up line as tired as this one: “Can we make love?’’ Audience survey says: Yes.

Full article/reviews here:
Boston Herald - Jay-Z dazzles in diamond of show
Boston Globe - Jay-Z shows he’s not the retiring type

more fan shot footage below.



(video footage courtesy of Hot 106.3 Boston & 2021Drew)

Jay-Z's BP3 2010 Tour dates:

Mar 12 Uniondale, NY - Nassau Coliseum
Mar 14 Detroit, MI - The Palace of Auburn Hills
Mar 16 Pittsburgh, PA - Mellon Arena
Mar 18 Chicago, IL - United Center
Mar 19 St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center
Mar 20 Indianapolis, IN - Conseco Fieldhouse
Mar 22 Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
Mar 24 San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion
Mar 26 Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center

Jay-Z BP3 Madison Square Garden NYC After Show Party At The 40/40

Rapper Jay-Z hosted an after-party at his famous 40/40 club in New York City following his sold out concert in Madison Square Garden on Tuesday March 2nd. His wife Beyonce was there, and so was Michelle Williams, Lebron James, Drake, BETs Stephen Hill and his tour-mate Young Jeezy.

(video courtesy of theshorteshow)

Related:
Jay-Z Hometown Show At Madison Square Garden Concert Recap

Jay-Z BP3 Washington DC Concert Recap

Photo courtesy of Ricky Carioti / Washington Post

As reported by Sarah Godfrey at the Washington Post

(Wednesday, March 3 at the Verizon Center) Despite that rap star entry, he seemed way too mellow during “Run This Town,” “D.O.A” and “On to the Next” from “The Blueprint 3.” Jay, who has been treading that fine line between getting his grown man on and getting his old man on for a while now, took the ultra-cool, laid-back “new Sinatra” thing a bit too far. Is 30 the new 20 or…the new 70? Watching an over-zealous fan rush the stage and get tossed by security was more thrilling.

The lull continued with the new school New York anthem “Empire State of Mind,” as a singer who wasn’t Alicia Keys appeared to sing the hook. Things looked up when Georgia rapper Young Jeezy emerged and the two men dug into “Real As It Gets,” but, again, Jay seemed to be sleep-rapping.

Only in the DMV could Jeezy bring up the energy level at a Jay-Z show. As the rapper said over and over again, quoting “Circulate” from “The Recession”: "They love me out in D.C., just like go-go.” Truth in advertising: the Snowman’s powerhouse solo set included “I Luv It” and “Put On,” which brought the first real insane crowd reaction of the night.

And at that point, S. Carter seemed to realize that he must try harder: when Jay-Z reemerged, he and Jeezy performed the remix of “My President,” followed by Jay’s rousing “Dirt Off Your Shoulder” (preceded by the famous clip of President Obama, on the campaign trail, dismissing haters by brushing the dirt off of his suit jacket).

After “Thank You” from “BP3,” and a fake “goodnight!” Jay announced, “[Expletive] it -- let’s go into overtime,” and launched into a magical set just for fans of 1996’s “Reasonable Doubt,” 1997’s “In My Lifetime, Vol. 1” 1998’s “Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life” and 1999’s “Vol. 3: Life and Times of S. Carter.”

For someone who has been critical of fans who prefer his early material over his new stuff, Hov perked up considerably during “Excuse Me Miss,” “La La La,” “Big Pimpin’” and other older hits. Quiet during the early part of show, he began bouncing around and letting off the little bragging asides he’s known for: “Let me know if I’m going too far back!” “I’ve got a million of these!”

After the classic “Can I Live,” the crowd finally starts chanting “Ho-va! Ho-va!” and for an encore, there was “The Black Album”’s “Encore,” which showed that Hov definitely still has the goods.

Read the full review here:
Washington Post - In concert: Jay-Z

Fan shot video below.





(video courtesy of mikeinbmore & DCABESHA)

Photos:
Getty Images
Flickr - Brandon Wu

Jay-Z's BP3 2010 Tour dates:

Mar 05 Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun
Mar 06 East Rutherford, NJ - Izod Center
Mar 07 Norfolk, VA - Scope Arena
Mar 11 Boston, MA - TD Garden
Mar 12 Uniondale, NY - Nassau Coliseum
Mar 14 Detroit, MI - The Palace of Auburn Hills
Mar 16 Pittsburgh, PA - Mellon Arena
Mar 18 Chicago, IL - United Center
Mar 19 St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center
Mar 20 Indianapolis, IN - Conseco Fieldhouse
Mar 22 Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
Mar 24 San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion
Mar 26 Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center

Jay-Z, Lil Wayne: More From The Madison Square Garden 2010 BP3 Tour NYC

Here's what another major press outlet, New York Post said about Jay-Z triumphant return to NYC on his BP3 2010 concert tour:

Through the entire concert, Jay paced the stage like an unleashed tiger, while images that illustrated his music flashed overhead on the mock skyscrapers.

The video graphic work during this show was so good, had Z not given as dynamic a performance as he did, he might have been upstaged by his own visuals.

He wasn't.

In fact, his presence conjured the same kind of concert excitement and pure devotion that Sinatra managed to extract form his fans years ago and that Springsteen draws from his army today. As sacrilegious as it may seem, with everyone in Madison Square Garden raising their arms and pressing their hands together to make a diamond shape to praise Jay-Z, it's as if the audience was experiencing the second coming.

In New York, the rapper's hometown, Jay couldn't do any wrong. The early peak was when he belted "Empire State of Mind," which made the house churn.

New York Post - King of NY-Z



And lots to be said about Lil Wayne's guest spot at the Garden:

With a courthouse fire giving Lil Wayne at least another day’s reprieve before going to jail on gun charges, Weezy enjoyed his surprise freedom by making what will likely be his last pre-incarceration live appearance at Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3 tour stop in New York City last night. After Jay-Z handed the mike over to his tourmate Young Jeezy about 45 minutes into his set, Jeezy informed the crowd of Weezy’s unexpected situation and brought out Wayne’s Young Money teammate Nikki Minaj, dedicating “Bedrock” to Tha Carter III rapper.

Rolling Stone - Lil Wayne Cameos at Jay-Z Show After Evading Jail One More Day

More fan shot footage below.













(video courtesy of LegendsUnlimited,1SHOT2002, joylorraine505, FRANK2HOT4U & Danared234)

Related:
Jay-Z Hometown Show At Madison Square Garden Concert Recap

Jay-Z's BP3 2010 Tour dates:

Mar 03 Washington, DC - Verizon Center
Mar 05 Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun
Mar 06 East Rutherford, NJ - Izod Center
Mar 07 Norfolk, VA - Scope Arena
Mar 11 Boston, MA - TD Garden
Mar 12 Uniondale, NY - Nassau Coliseum
Mar 14 Detroit, MI - The Palace of Auburn Hills
Mar 16 Pittsburgh, PA - Mellon Arena
Mar 18 Chicago, IL - United Center
Mar 19 St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center
Mar 20 Indianapolis, IN - Conseco Fieldhouse
Mar 22 Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
Mar 24 San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion
Mar 26 Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center

Jay-Z Hometown Show At Madison Square Garden Concert Recap

via MTV

NEW YORK — There is always palpable exhilaration whenever Jay-Z plays Madison Square Garden. Tuesday night (March 2) was another sold-out show at MSG as Hov's Blueprint 3 Tour arrived in town.

After Trey Songz played up to the ladies with his set, there was a short intermission. Like lightning -- boom! The Beastie Boys' "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" video began playing on two big screens that hung over the stage, and a 10-minute countdown began perfectly in sync with the classic hip-hop track. Hova chants started several minutes prior to that.



Finally, with no time left on the clock, Jay's music began. He was greeted with a deafening roar of approval. "Feel it coming in the air," Rihanna's recorded voice from "Run This Town" blasted through the arena.

Jay rose from underneath the stage, rolling his head around his shoulders like a young Mike Tyson getting ready for a prize fight. Jay, like Tyson in the '80s, knows he's a dominant force in any ring, any arena, but especially at the Garden, he's unstoppable.

Jay then brought out Memphis Bleek and told his former neighbor in the Marcy Projects he wanted him to see something special. Like a wizard, Jigga waved his hand around the arena and made fans scream.

"I wanna be careful how I phrase this, because it's one of my heroes," Jay said. "Madison Square Garden used to be Run's House. But 'Run's House' is now on MTV. Madison Square Garden is now 'The House That Hov Built.' "

His assertion was backed up with triumphant showings of "On to the Next One," "U Don't Know," "99 Problems" and "Show Me What You Got."

"Empire State of Mind" felt special in the Garden. Jay's performance of the record filled the arena with hometown pride. It's the closest feeling the crowd at the Garden will get to the Knicks winning the championship ... at least until LeBron James signs with the team next year (fingers crossed).



James was in attendance, along with his Cleveland Cavaliers teammate Shaquille O'Neal, Rick Ross, Gwyneth Paltrow, Diddy and Cash Money Records CEO the Birdman. Birdman was on hand to cheer on his "son" Lil Wayne. Wayne, Drake, and Nicki Minaj had the show-stealing moment as part of Young Jeezy's set. The Snowman also brought out Akon.

Jeezy came out about 40 minutes into Jay's show, and the two did "Real as It Gets" from Blueprint 3. After handing Jeezy the keys to MSG for a while, Jay came back and traded rhymes with his Southern partner on the remixes of "Put On" and "My President." Trey Songz came out with Jay as well to help out on "Heart of the City" and "Already Home."

The Blueprint 3 Tour stopped with an "overtime" session that saw Jay take his fans back as far as the Reasonable Doubt days with "Ain't No N---a" and "Can I Live."

"Am I going too far back? This moment is only for us," he added of himself and fans of his first LP.

Hov then brought it up a few years for "Big Pimpin'," with Jay urging everyone to wave whatever they had from rags to bandanas to hats in the air, Carnivale-style.

"I don't take it for granted," Jay said of the fan love. "I appreciate everyone in the building tonight. Thank you, and I hope we return the love tenfold.

The legendary MC then asked to do one more record: "Encore."

Hov is going to be in the Tri-State Area with a few shows during these next two weeks. He plays Atlantic City's Borgata Hotel as well as the Nassau Coliseum in Long Island next week.

Photos:
Getty Images
Rex Features
Miss Info
Patrick McMullan
Metro NY

After party photos:
Getty Images
Wire Image
Film Magic

(video courtesy of mistertroyf)

Jay-Z's BP3 2010 Tour dates:

Mar 03 Washington, DC - Verizon Center
Mar 05 Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun
Mar 06 East Rutherford, NJ - Izod Center
Mar 07 Norfolk, VA - Scope Arena
Mar 11 Boston, MA - TD Garden
Mar 12 Uniondale, NY - Nassau Coliseum
Mar 14 Detroit, MI - The Palace of Auburn Hills
Mar 16 Pittsburgh, PA - Mellon Arena
Mar 18 Chicago, IL - United Center
Mar 19 St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center
Mar 20 Indianapolis, IN - Conseco Fieldhouse
Mar 22 Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
Mar 24 San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion
Mar 26 Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center

Jay-Z Performs With Young Jeezy & Trey Songz Live In Atlanta, GA 2010 BP3 Tour

Plies shows up for a rap duet of sorts during Young Jeezy's set performing "Lose My Mind" around the 5:45 mark in the above fan shot video taken at Philips Arena Saturday, February 27.

Photos & mini show report here:
Atlanta Journal Constitution - Jay-Z 2010 BP3 Tour

More Photos:
Getty Images

(video courtesy of MarionFrank & exclusiveaccess)

Jay-Z's BP3 2010 Tour dates:

Feb 28 Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Coliseum Complex
Mar 02 New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
Mar 03 Washington, DC - Verizon Center
Mar 05 Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun
Mar 06 East Rutherford, NJ - Izod Center
Mar 07 Norfolk, VA - Scope Arena
Mar 11 Boston, MA - TD Garden
Mar 12 Uniondale, NY - Nassau Coliseum
Mar 14 Detroit, MI - The Palace of Auburn Hills
Mar 16 Pittsburgh, PA - Mellon Arena
Mar 18 Chicago, IL - United Center
Mar 19 St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center
Mar 20 Indianapolis, IN - Conseco Fieldhouse
Mar 22 Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
Mar 24 San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion
Mar 26 Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center

Jay-Z Live At New Orleans Arena Concert Review

As reported by Keith Spera at The Times-Picayune

The James Bond theme music preceded Jay-Z's arrival on stage at a full New Orleans Arena Thursday night (February 25). Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter is arguably the black Bond. He possessed sufficient charm, style, strength and means to marry Beyonce, among the most desired women on the planet, and, with a spy's discretion, refused to blab about it in public.

Carter long ago graduated from New York's mean streets to its penthouses. Like Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, he has built an empire of music and fashion -- but is far better on the microphone.

How much better? Jay-Z conceivably could record the first meaningful rap concert album. Traditionally, "live" rap consists of an MC spitting verses over pre-recorded tracks. But on his current tour for "The Blueprint 3," Jay is backed by a 10-piece band: Drums, percussion, two keyboards, guitar, bass, three horns and a DJ.

The difference between rapping to tracks and rapping to a band is the difference between pro wrestling and boxing. The urgency and unpredictability of the latter generates the electricity.

A black-clad Jay opened with the anthemic "Run This Town," which he accomplished even before saluting the Saints on their Super Bowl victory. His flow cut like a diamond, equally sharp and hard.

An alto sax snaked through "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)." Just when I started to think the hard-working drummer could use a bit more syncopated stutter, he brought the funk to "I Just Wanna Love You." Bridget Kelly, a flesh-and-blood backing singer, even filled in for Alicia Keys on "Empire State of Mind."

For the snazzy stage backdrop, video towers formed an ever-changing skyline. They depicted massive stacks of Marshall amps -- with booming subwoofers -- for "99 Problems."



Memphis Bleek functioned as Jay's hype man. Opening act Trey Songz guested on "Heart of the City (Ain't No Love)." Jay and his band took a break while Young Jeezy delivered his own 30-minute set. Jeezy brought a wild-eyed swagger to bear, but the "make some noise" exhortations of his DJ were no substitute for live musicians.

Jay returned to rap the Katrina-themed "Minority Report" a cappella ("helicopter swooped down just to get a scoop through his telescopic lens/but he didn't scoop you " poor kids, just cause they was poor kids/left 'em on they porches, same ol' story in New Orleans").

He saluted President Barack Obama and urged the prison-bound Lil Wayne to hold his head up. (He might have directed a similar shout-out at another New Orleans rapper. Earlier Thursday, St. Bernard Parish sheriff's deputies busted Juvenile for pot possession.)



Toward the evening's conclusion, he took time to point out and thank individual fans for their support: "I don't take any of you for granted."

He invited one young woman to join him. A form-fitting black mini-dress and spiked high heels are not conducive to climbing over four rows of seats. But Lyiena McMillan, a 25-year-old aspiring singer and rapper from New Orleans, would not be denied.

When Jay-Z performed at the New Orleans Arena in 2004, she found her way on stage; now she wanted an encore. So after Jay-Z helped her gingerly navigate a subway-style grating at the edge of the stage, she squared off on "Song Cry," a profession of love normally sung from his perspective.

With his blessing, McMillan took over, wailing successive lines with increasing confidence. In place of the lyric "so now we travel first class " never in bunches, just me and you," she freestyled, "not with Beyonce, just me and you."

That's the sort of showbiz chutzpah and ambition Jay-Z can appreciate.

More fan shot video below.





Jay-Z's BP3 2010 Tour dates:

Feb 27 Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena
Feb 28 Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Coliseum Complex
Mar 02 New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
Mar 03 Washington, DC - Verizon Center
Mar 05 Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun
Mar 06 East Rutherford, NJ - Izod Center
Mar 07 Norfolk, VA - Scope Arena
Mar 11 Boston, MA - TD Garden
Mar 12 Uniondale, NY - Nassau Coliseum
Mar 14 Detroit, MI - The Palace of Auburn Hills
Mar 16 Pittsburgh, PA - Mellon Arena
Mar 18 Chicago, IL - United Center
Mar 19 St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center
Mar 20 Indianapolis, IN - Conseco Fieldhouse
Mar 22 Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
Mar 24 San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion
Mar 26 Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center

(video courtesy of shawnleblanc49, primovideo1

Jay-Z: Dallas, TX American Airlines Center BP-3 2010 Tour Concert Recap

As reported by Mario Tarradell at the Dallas Morning News

Jay-Z commands a stage. The influential rapper performed for 12,000 fans Tuesday (February 23) night at American Airlines Center, bringing with him a full band including a horn section, percussionist and DJ.

A skyscraper-like light display at the back of the stage immediately looked like the New York skyline, a nod to his hometown, of course. A variety of images were projected throughout the two-hour show, making it all the more striking.

Jay-Z had the lower platform to himself and he filled it up robustly. He's tall, imposing, an intense presence. His rapping flow is fast but clear. He doesn't chew his words. There's an engulfing quality to his music, from the thunderous beats to the rhymes, which have messiah-like potency.

Disciples are more than understandable. The crowd was with him from the onset, even with bill-sharer Young Jeezy's 25-minute set sandwiched between Jay-Z's stage time. Assisting Jay-Z was perennial sideman Memphis Bleek. Singer Bridget Kelly offered the Alicia Keys chorus on "Empire State of Mind," a definite highlight that arrived early in the gig. R&B vocalist Trey Songz was the opening act.

Jay-Z pulled out many cuts from The Blueprint 3 such as "Run This Town," "On To the Next One" and "Already Home." Otherwise he focused on fan favorites – "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)," "Big Pimpin' " and "Dirt Off Your Shoulder," to name a few.

Before he left the stage, Jay-Z seemed genuine when he thanked the crowd. He acknowledged specific sections of the arena, even having the house lights turned on so he could see his fans better.

"I am so overwhelmed," he said. "I appreciate all of you. I appreciate your love."

Photos:
Dallas Morning News

more fan shot footage below.







(video courtesy of mundoecko817)

Jay-Z's BP3 2010 Tour dates:

Feb 25 New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Arena
Feb 27 Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena
Feb 28 Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Coliseum Complex
Mar 02 New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
Mar 03 Washington, DC - Verizon Center
Mar 05 Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun
Mar 06 East Rutherford, NJ - Izod Center
Mar 07 Norfolk, VA - Scope Arena
Mar 11 Boston, MA - TD Garden
Mar 12 Uniondale, NY - Nassau Coliseum
Mar 14 Detroit, MI - The Palace of Auburn Hills
Mar 16 Pittsburgh, PA - Mellon Arena
Mar 18 Chicago, IL - United Center
Mar 19 St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center
Mar 20 Indianapolis, IN - Conseco Fieldhouse
Mar 22 Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
Mar 24 San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion
Mar 26 Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center

Jay-Z Descends On Toyota Center In Houston; Bun B Joins In Concert Recap

(photo courtesy of Karen Warren / Chronicle)

via the Houston Chronicle

Jay Z kicked off his Monday (Feb. 22) night set at Toyota Center with the anthemic Run This Town -- and it proved a fitting theme for the evening.

The rap mogul's entrance sent a jolt of energy through the venue, and he was aided by a terrific band and an expanse, elaborate stage. The jagged screens morphed into everything from a skyline to booming speakers. (This was Jay-Z's second stop on his BP3 2010 tour.)

The Beastie Boys' No Sleep till Brooklyn cued Jigga's intro, and a clock counted down from 10 minutes until his arrival (well after 9 p.m.). He thundered through On To the Next One and D.O.A. (Death of Autotune) with a commanding, confident grace.

The crowd was on its feet and sang along with every word -- 99 Problems, Show Me What You Got, I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me). Diamonds, of course, were frequently up in the air.



Rapper Memphis Bleek made an early appearance and stuck around for most of the two-hour show, a dutiful sideman to his former Roc-A-Fella boss. And local hero Bun B checked in for a winning version of Big Pimpin' dedicated to the late Pimp C.

Even if rap isn't your game, a Jay-Z show is a must-see -- if only for the nonstop frenzy of male groupies that linger on his every word and lip-sync every lyric. Beyond that, however, Houston's most famous in-law manages a perfect balance of qualities onstage. He's alternately gruff and gentlemanly, unprecticable and laser-focused, humble and confident. It's impossible to take your eyes off him.





Singer Bridget Kelly was a solid sub for Alicia Keys during the still-gorgeous Empire State Of Mind. Young Jeezy took over halfway through the evening and turned the venue into a rump-shaking, wild-n'-out party. It was energetic but overlong and quickly dwindled into a (hot) mess.

Jigga returned -- not a moment too soon -- with a set that included Dirt Off Your Shoulder, a rapid-fire medley (Fiesta, Excuse Me Miss, La-La-La) and a quick chastising of the front rows for not feeling his groove.

"You can stand your (expletive) ass up," he said amid cheers. There's no sitting at a Jay-Z concert. Indeed. If the criminally catchy refrain of set closer Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem) didn't have you at full attention, something was wrong.

Opener Trey Songz has an emotive voice that could be intriguing with the right material. Alas, he offered stock R&B loverboy fluff. His brief set's most engaging moment was an all-too-brief rock riff.

For now, Songz seems content uttering, "Say aah!" And why not? It seemed to send female fans into orbit (and may have thrown out a few hips.)

Photos here:
Jay-Z Toyota Center Houston, TX

(video courtesy of caj128 & angie040404)

Jay-Z's BP3 2010 Tour dates:

Feb 23 Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
Feb 25 New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Arena
Feb 27 Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena
Feb 28 Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Coliseum Complex
Mar 02 New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
Mar 03 Washington, DC - Verizon Center
Mar 05 Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun
Mar 06 East Rutherford, NJ - Izod Center
Mar 07 Norfolk, VA - Scope Arena
Mar 11 Boston, MA - TD Garden
Mar 12 Uniondale, NY - Nassau Coliseum
Mar 14 Detroit, MI - The Palace of Auburn Hills
Mar 16 Pittsburgh, PA - Mellon Arena
Mar 18 Chicago, IL - United Center
Mar 19 St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center
Mar 20 Indianapolis, IN - Conseco Fieldhouse
Mar 22 Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
Mar 24 San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion
Mar 26 Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center

Jay-Z BP-3 2010 Tour 1st Night BankAtlantic Center Sunrise, FL Concert Recap

(photo courtesy of Sayre Berman / Miami New Times)

As reported by Adrian Ruhi at the Miami Herald

Rarely do superstars Diddy, Beyonce Knowles and Alex Rodriguez experience what it's like to be on the other side of the big stage. But at the BankAtlantic Center Saturday (February 20), the three watched as Jay-Z kept a sold-out crowd on its feet for almost two hours.

The Sunrise, Fla. venue, renamed the Jay-Z Center for the first night of the rapper's nationwide BP3 Tour, pulsated with every bassline and guitar lick emitted from his 10-piece band, the Roc Boys.

The 40-year-old Brooklyn-bred mogul, born Shawn Carter, rose from under the stage to the brooding piano chords and rolling drum snares of Run This Town. As per the song's lyrics, Jay-Z and his band band wore ``all black everything.'' A New York Yankees fitted cap and Wayfarer sunglasses concealed the face of the rapper, who has tried to keep his personal life -- including his marriage to Beyonce -- as low-key as possible.

The show's staging was anything but subtle, though. The Grammy winner's backdrop was a giant screen shaped as New York City's skyline, with visuals reflecting the songs' music videos and lyrics.

Jay-Z's performance was worthy of his stature as an artist: He has the record for the most number one albums on the Billboard 200 charts, recently ousting Elvis Presley with his 11th studio album, The Blueprint 3, for which the tour is named after. Onstage, he commanded the band, the microphone and the audience.



The first half of the set was the strongest: He barreled through a mix of hits (99 Problems and I Just Wanna Love U), album cuts (Already Home and U Don't Know) and remixes to other artists' songs (Kanye West's Diamonds From Sierra Leone and Snoop Dogg's I Wanna Rock). He was assisted by long-time protege and sidekick Memphis Bleek for the early half, as well as up-and-coming singer Bridget Kelley. The latter, signed to Jay-Z's new Roc Nation label, provided vocals on the underrated 2001 soul jam, Heart of the City (Ain't No Love), and filled in for Alicia Keys on Empire State of Mind, the ode to New York City that was Jay-Z's first number one single as a solo artist on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

But the BP3 Tour wasn't without its flaws: Towards the end of the first half, he began losing his voice, and noticeably stopped to drink water. The three-piece horn section, crucial to songs like Show Me What You Got and D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune), was essentially muted.



The problems only continued as Atlanta-based rapper Young Jeezy emerged for Real As It Gets. Billed as a special guest of the tour, Jeezy should have been an opening act instead of a halftime sideshow for the vastly more talented and better performing Jay-Z. Whereas Jay clearly enunciated every word of every song, Jeezy rarely finished a line.



At 30 minutes, Jeezy's set was bloated and hampered the rhythm of the show (although it did give Jay an opportunity to rest his hoarse voice). Even with the Roc Boys doing a superb job of backing Jeezy for songs like Hard and Put On, it took Jay re-emerging for My President for the crowd to get back into pace.

Dirt Off Your Shoulder was preceded by a comical video clip of President Barack Obama quoting the song during a speech. As if to imply his dominance in hip-hop, Jay-Z instructed his DJ and studio engineer, Young Guru, to play more of his hits, which led to a brief medley of a dozen more songs he could have easily performed in his main set.

Between the crowd sing-along of Big Pimpin' and the show ending Encore, Jay-Z took time to acknowledge the audience.

``I'm not jaded, I appreciate every one of you being here,'' he said, as he removed his hat and sunglasses to reveal his face for the first time. He spent the next several minutes identifying individual fans and personally thanking them for supporting his career.

It was a surprisingly humble moment: One of the most successful -- and wealthy -- musicians of the modern era, showing his appreciation for the people that helped him get to this point in his career.

Earlier in the night, Virginia R&B singer Trey Songz and his five-piece band opened the show with a 35 minute set of hypersexual slow jams like I Invented Sex and Say Aah.

Photos:
Getty Images
Corbis Images
Film Magic
Wire Image
Miami New Times
WENN Photo 1
WENN Photo 2

More fan shot footage below.







(video courtesy of TheShayScene, bluefairy1971 & PressWrap)

Here is the setlist from the show:

Jay-Z set (first half)

Run This Town
Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix) (Interlude)
On To The Next One
D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)
U Don’t Know
99 Problems
Show Me What You Got
I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)
I Wanna Rock (Snoop Dogg remix)
Jigga My N****
Hovi Baby
N**** What, N**** Who (Originator 99)
Public Service Announcement
Heart of the City (Ain’t No Love) (featuring Bridget Kelly)
Dear Summer (Interlude)
Already Home
Empire State Of Mind (featuring Bridget Kelly)
Real As It Gets (featuring Young Jeezy)

Young Jeezy set:

Medley: (Get Ya Mind Right, Bottom Of The Map, Welcome Back, Dey Know [Remix], I’m Goin’ In, Who Dat, My Hood, Bang, Trap Star)
I Luv It
Go Crazy
Hard
Crazy World
Go Getta
Soul Survivor
Put On
My President (featuring Jay-Z)

Jay-Z set (second half)

Dirt Off Your Shoulder
Swagga Like Us
Thank You
Medley: (Fiesta [Remix], Excuse Me Miss, La-La-La [Excuse Me Miss Again], Venus vs. Mars, ‘03 Bonnie & Clyde, Ain’t No N****, The Best Of Me [Remix], Money Ain’t A Thang, Lucifer, Where I’m From, Some People Hate, Hate)
Can I Get A…
Big Pimpin’
Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)
Encore

(source - Miami Herald)

Jay-Z's BP3 2010 Tour dates:

Feb 22 Houston, TX - Toyota Center
Feb 23 Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
Feb 25 New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Arena
Feb 27 Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena
Feb 28 Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Coliseum Complex
Mar 02 New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
Mar 03 Washington, DC - Verizon Center
Mar 05 Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun
Mar 06 East Rutherford, NJ - Izod Center
Mar 07 Norfolk, VA - Scope Arena
Mar 11 Boston, MA - TD Garden
Mar 12 Uniondale, NY - Nassau Coliseum
Mar 14 Detroit, MI - The Palace of Auburn Hills
Mar 16 Pittsburgh, PA - Mellon Arena
Mar 18 Chicago, IL - United Center
Mar 19 St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center
Mar 20 Indianapolis, IN - Conseco Fieldhouse
Mar 22 Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
Mar 24 San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion
Mar 26 Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center

Jay-Z: More Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN Video Footage Posted Online

Related:
Jay-Z: Vanderbilt University Concert In Nashville, TN Show Recap

Jay-Z Cancels Remaining 2009 'The BP3' Tour Dates

As seen on Live Daily

Jay-Z has scrapped the remainder of his 2009 tour dates behind his latest studio set, "The Blueprint 3," citing conflicts in scheduling.

The hip-hop star's upcoming shows in Lubbock, TX (11/17); Albuquerque, NM (11/19) and El Paso, TX (11/20), have all been canceled due to an "unforeseen scheduling conflict," according to concert promoter Live Nation. Refunds for the shows will be made available immediately at the point of purchase.

Jay-Z--whose real name is Shawn Carter--earlier moved a Nov. 22 show in Austin, TX, up to Nov. 10 in order to make a live appearance at the 2009 American Music Awards, which are scheduled to take place in Los Angeles on the same day as the original Austin date.

The early 2010 leg of the performer's "BP3" tour continues to gather steam, however, with a handful of fresh dates recently added to an already full-sized schedule. The tour is currently set to kick off Feb. 20 in Sunrise, FL, and will hit 17 cities through late March. Dates are below.
(source)

Jay-Z 'The Blueprint 3' 2010 World Tour dates:
Feb. 22 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center
Feb. 23 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
Feb. 25 - New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Arena
Feb. 27 - Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena
Feb. 28 - Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Coliseum Complex
Mar. 03 - Washington, DC - Verizon Center
Mar. 07 - Norfolk, VA - Norfolk Scope Arena
Mar. 11 - Boston, MA - TD Garden
Mar. 16 - Pittsburgh, PA - Mellon Arena
Mar. 19 - St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center
Mar. 20 - Indianapolis, IN - Conseco Fieldhouse
Mar. 22 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
Mar. 24 - San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion At San Jose
Mar. 26 - Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center

Jay-Z's last 2009 'BP3' date seen here:
Jay-Z: Vanderbilt University Concert In Nashville, TN Show Recap

Jay-Z Sits Down And Talks DJ Hero & 'The BP3'

Jay-Z sits down and talks with Time Magazine/Online Tech Editor Peter Ha to discuss DJ Hero, The Blueprint 3 and others topics.

(video courtesy of Techland)

Jay-Z: Vanderbilt University Concert In Nashville, TN Show Recap

(photo courtesy of Heather Byrd at the Tennessean)

As reported by Dave Paulson at the Tennessean

According to the man himself, Jay-Z's crowd at Vanderbilt University's Memorial Gym on Friday night was the best he had on his entire fall tour.

But that doesn't mean the crowd couldn't do better. When the rapper and his band launched into "Big Pimpin'" the audience went appropriately berserk, but he stopped the song before the first chorus to playfully chastise his fans.

"That's 'Big Pimpin'!" he told them. "That's a cultural phenomenon."

Jay (né Shawn Carter) then instructed the nearly packed house to take whatever they had — jackets, towels, hats — and spin it around their heads. When the song resumed, the gym came close to lifting off the ground.

He (Jay-Z) frequently turned his songs into spoken word, dropping the band down to a murmur and having the audience fill in the lyrics. He also got a hand from special guest and former Roc-A-Fella labelmate Memphis Bleek, who didn't deliver a single verse, but acted as a killer hypeman on songs like "U Don't Know."

Another well-known rapper was in the building, but he didn't take the mic: Nashville's own Young Buck (!) took in the show from backstage.

Over the last few years, Vanderbilt has done a better job of bringing hip-hop's A-list acts to Nashville, but their Memorial Gym isn't an ideal venue for the music. It's disheartening to hear music that thrives on lyrical nuances and air-tight grooves ricocheting haphazardly around all corners of the room.

On the other hand, the school setting let Carter — a few weeks shy of his 40th birthday — get up close with a still very youthful fanbase. He thrilled a number of audience members at the end of the show by pointing them out personally and thanking them for coming.

Carter made his exit as the final strains of Blueprint 3 closer "Forever Young" played. "Forever young, i want to be forever young," went the song's sampled chorus." It's a wish that Carter seems to share, and so far, it looks like he's getting his way.

Read the full review here:
Tennessean - Jay-Z shows Vanderbilt crowd why he's a cultural phenomenon

Photos:
Tennessean
Vanderbilt Hustler

Fan shot footage below.







Jay-Z Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN set list:
Run This Town
D.O.A.
Takeover
U Don't Know
Show Me What You Got
Give It To Me
Diamond Is Forever
Jigga My N——
Izzo (H.O.V.A.)
Jigga What
P.S.A.
Heart Of The City
Already Home (Acapella)
Empire State of Mind
A Star Is Born
Haters
Dirt Off Your Shoulder
--------------------------
Thank You

(Playback set)
(songs that were most likely played based on previous show's set list)

On to the Next One
Excuse Me Miss
Venus Vs. Mars
‘03 Bonnie & Clyde
Lucifer
Swagga Like Us
Can I Get A?

Big Pimpin'
Hard Knock Life
Encore
Forever Young

Jay-Z 'The Blueprint 3' World Tour dates:
Nov. 17 - United Spirit Arena - Lubbock, TX
Nov. 19 – Tingley Coliseum – Albuquerque, N.M.
Nov. 20 – Don Haskins Center – El Paso, TX
Nov. 22 – Frank Erwin Center Arena – Austin, TX (?)

And the second leg of the tour starts in 2010 with Young Jeezy opening the show.
Feb. 22 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center
Feb. 23 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
Feb. 25 - New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Arena
Feb. 27 - Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena
Feb. 28 - Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Coliseum Complex
Mar. 03 - Washington, DC - Verizon Center
Mar. 07 - Norfolk, VA - Norfolk Scope Arena
Mar. 11 - Boston, MA - TD Garden
Mar. 16 - Pittsburgh, PA - Mellon Arena
Mar. 19 - St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center
Mar. 20 - Indianapolis, IN - Conseco Fieldhouse
Mar. 22 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
Mar. 24 - San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion At San Jose
Mar. 26 - Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center

(video courtesy of flyestmike & skdenduluri)