“Can I take you to my place for a second?” asked Jay-Z as he introduced “Empire State of Mind” during the first of two headlining shows at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. So, as he had for the past hour and a half, he brought Brooklyn to Los Angeles while tracing the recesses of his vast discography, the backbone of a career that spans 30 years with countless hits to match.
Jay landed on the West Coast for a reinvigorated set Friday night as part of his year-long “Jay-Z 30” celebration, which began with a one-off headlining show at Philadelphia’s Roots Picnic in late May. What followed were three consecutive sold-out nights at Yankee Stadium, plus shows in London and Paris, as well as a solid eight-episode HBO documentary series showcasing the intricacies of his catalog. Given all the rumors that Jay might have booked himself for the 2027 Super Bowl as a Halftime Show performer — which would make sense, given an unusually high year of activity nearly a decade after the release of his last album — it was hard not to view Friday’s concert as a test run for what could potentially be the biggest performance on the biggest stage next February. (After all, the Super Bowl is in the same venue where it happened.)
As he consistently showed, Jay was in tip-top shape as he belted out hit after hit after hit on SoFi for two hours, rocking the setlist from previous shows while keeping the focus centered on the electricity between him, the audience and his band. Fans are, of course, expecting surprise high-powered stars: At his Yankee Stadium shows, he capped off the 25th and 30th anniversaries of “The Blueprint” and “Reasonable Doubt,” respectively, with appearances from his wife Beyoncé, Rihanna, Eminem and daughter Blue Ivy Carter, to name a few.
His SoFi show, meanwhile, seemed stripped-down and focused. There were few guest stars throughout the evening, with Blue Ivy playing keys on “The Story of OJ” and “Dead Presidents,” a change from when she tickled the ivories on “Feelin’ It” at Yankee Stadium. Scarface came out for “This Can’t Be Life” as well as his own classic “Mind Playing Tricks on Me.” John Legend and DJ Khaled appeared for the closing night, “God Did”, a song that also featured Fridayy, Lil Wayne and Rick Ross.
(As an aside, after witnessing the very rare performance of “This Can’t Be Life,” I can’t help but note that Scarface’s verse is one of the most emotional I’ve ever heard on a rap song. Listen if you haven’t, immediately.)
Amid the discussions surrounding Jay’s potential Halftime Show, the question arose whether or not he could pull off a performance of this magnitude without bringing in guests. And by the sheer propulsion of the evening, as well as the successes that accompanied it, Jay once again reinforced that he is the star of his own show, no matter which direction he points. At 56, he’s a seasoned veteran, one of the few hip-hop acts who can book stadium shows around the world after such long periods of inactivity. Consider him an elder statesman, if you will, but the bravado and showmanship he continues to display seems more than a decent justification for his continued relevance, despite what any detractor on the internet might deign to claim.
Jay comes from an era where success was based primarily on skill, accompanied by business acumen. It’s why he’s managed to build an empire around his own talents, and why fans continue to come by the thousands to admire them. The SoFi show was no exception, a deft display of lyrical acuity and magnetism that came to life with opener “Hovi Baby” and gave way to tracks like “Izzo (HOVA)” and “Run This Town.” Many of the visuals were the same as those from her Yankee Stadium shows, right down to the opening shot of Beyoncé shaving her head, but they still felt elevated and unique to her performance, building the world of tracks like “Song Cry” and “Lucifer.”
It’s likely that Jay will pull out all the stops for the final night of his “Jay-Z 30” tour on Saturday night. (Fans saw Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams reunite for Destiny’s Child in one of the SoFi suites on Friday.) But if his first performance was any indication, Jay is up to the task, no matter the size of the platform.
Check out the full setlist below:
Hovi baby
Izzo (HOVA)
The beach is better
FuckWithMeYouKnowIGotIt
Na What, Na Who (Author 99)
Run this city
The OJ Story (with Blue Ivy Carter)
Dead Presidents (with Blue Ivy Carter)
where I come from
Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)
Lucifer
No church in the wild
Can I live
Family feud
You don’t know
Let’s move on to the next one
Click
Dirt on your shoulder
I know
Never change
This Can’t Be Life (with Scarface)
The Mind Plays Tricks on Me (with Scarface)
Scream Song
99 problems
Girls, girls, girls
Excuse me miss / La-La-La (Excuse me miss again)
Change the game
Give it to me / Money, Cash, Hoes
Jigga my Na
Heart of the City (Ain’t No Love)
State of mind of the Empire
N—s in Paris / Big Pimpin’
God Did It (featuring DJ Khaled and John Legend)
Gn entert
