S. Samuel
Rap mogul Jay-Z is making sure one of his top priorities is packing thrills and non-stop energy into his current Watch the Throne tour alongside fellow rhyming partner Kanye West.
Asked about their experience since kicking off the tour earlier this fall, Jay said a sore throat is proof of his dedication to fulfilling every fan’s expectations.
“We’re having a great time,” Hov said in an interview. “The most important thing is that the people that are coming to the concert are leaving there thrilled and we’re having an amazing time. As you see, I don’t have a voice,” he laughed. The tour, which kicked off last month in Atlanta, has been running for less than a month but has been met with rave reviews on each outing. Noted for its dual elevated stages and artsy video montages, Hov and ‘Ye’s grandiose WTT run has been one worthy of the royal rap duo. Aside from their Throne cuts, Jay and Kanye have pulled from their respective solo catalogs, performing early hits like “Where I’m From” and “Through the Wire,” as well as new favorites like “Empire State of Mind” and “Runaway.” (MTV)
During last week’s Madison Square Garden concert, Jay excited his fellow New Yorkers by showing off his pro-Occupy Wall Street t-shirt.
Jay-Z isn’t trying to Occupy Wall Street, he’s trying to Occupy All Streets. While backstage at his Watch The Throne concert, Jay rocked an “Occupy All Streets” t-shirt, as he snapped a few pictures with his good friend Russell Simmons. Jay-Z and Kanye West told us that somebody watch the throne, and the critics should have listened. While backstage at their Watch The Throne concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City, Jay-Z and Kanye were presented with platinum plaques for selling over a million records for Watch The Throne. (Global Grind)
Last year, Jigga credited DMX for inspiring his on-stage live set skills.
“In hip-hop, there’s not many great performers,” Jay said in an interview. “I look outside the genre, measuring myself against others. I look at Madonna’s production and envy that. Daft Punk’s set…ll my early years? Forget it. I was a horrible performer. DMX tore me to pieces. I remember being stunned. [DMX] had me really working. But I had to figure this out. If you want to be a headliner, you better put on a headline show.” (Los Angeles Times)
Earlier in the same year, Jay said he had continued to perfect his on-stage presence.
“I’ve been working on my live show for 10 years now, just trying to get it better and better. I used to come out with just a DJ, now I got a band. The production’s gotten bigger and the lighting guy takes off his shoes and he plays to the beat,” he laughs. “The whole thing is being upgraded every single year.” (Rap-Up)
Check out footage from one of the recent Watch the Throne concerts below:
