TWO NIGHTS OF HISTORY!

King Hov

MTV

The EmJay extravaganza kicked off Thursday night in Detroit's Comerica Park and closed out on Friday night.  And it was one for the history books!  Completely two nights of epic proprtion. Jay & Em did the city of Detroit proud!  Putting on their own hit parade for the sold out crowd!  Jay called it one of  "the best experiences of his life." And to many in the crowd they felt the same way.  Jay brought out Jeezy and Memphis Bleek, who put on his Pippen.  Em brought out Dr. Dre and his Shady/Aftermath family.

EmJay

MTV

Drake performed on Friday and Gaga was one of the big names in the audience to witness history.  Not only were the fans raving about the show, so were the critics! Who said, It was a big night for hip-hop!  And of course Jay couldn't pass up an homage to his chosen genre, as his paused his set to take in the 42,000 strong, then declaring, "This is hip-hop music and this is how far we've come!"

Here's some quotes from critics about the two-night show-stopper!

USA Today:
Rock 'n' roll has its enduring concert superstars, its Springsteens and Stones. But for hip-hop — whose live legacy has been comprised mostly of flash-and-burn young acts and retro-circuit oldies — Thursday's confident, high-quality production represented something unique. It was loud, resounding evidence that hip-hop can do the larger-than-life thing, too.

Detriot Free Press:
For his part, Jay-Z delivered a commanding 80-minute set that was heavy on the hits and fast with the pacing. Against the backdrop of a huge -- and fantastically sharp -- video screen, he bounced through signature tunes like the majestic "Empire State of Mind" and the emphatic but resigned "Hard Knock Life," part of a medley dedicated to fallen rappers like Proof, Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur.

Having conquered Detroit -- and any doubts about hip-hop's ability to pull off spectacle in the grandest sense of the word -- rap's two all-time best-selling artists next play shows at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 13 and 14.


Read more: Em, Jay-Z wow fans at Comerica Park's concert finale | freep.com | Detroit Free Press http://www.freep.com/article/20100903/ENT04/100903093/1318/Em-Jay-Z-wow-fans-at-Comerica-Parks-concert-finale#ixzz0ycaVirra


Spin

"Take a look around," commanded Jay-Z, as he brought the house lights up on the 42,000 gathered fans Thursday night at Detroit's Comerica Park. "This is hip-hop!"

He was mid-way through a set of hits that played like the soundtrack to pop's last decade. The crowd was coming up on its buzz and Shawn Carter's infectious grin was beaming. This was, indeed, hip-hop's night. The first in a four-concert "home-and-home" set from the genre's biggest names—Jay-Z and Eminem. For Jay-Z, it was a chance to cement his status as music's kingmaker. For Eminem, it was a homecoming on the grandest scale—and his shot at proving himself after a tumultuous and dark couple of years.

Spin Magazine

Billboard
It's a motif the New York visitor returned to often, as he did his part to get the stadium shows off on a good foot with an energetic, aggressive and loud 80-plus minutes, during which he and his band throwed through more than 30 songs -- all without making the set feel crammed or rushed. Dressed all in black (of course) and sporting sunglasses (of course), Jay-Z came out swinging hard with an opening salvo of "Dynasty," "Run This Town," "Free Mason," "On to the Next One" and "D.O.A.," prowling the front of the centerfield stage as a large oval screen mixed live close-ups with video images.



--Princess Carter

Sources: MTV, Spin & USA Today & Billboard



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