How does one measure their own legacy: In a series of shows, in the decades since a debut album, in an exhaustive eight-part docuseries breaking down the intricacies of rhymes laid down years ago? That seemed to be the existential question looming over “Jay-Z 30,” a yearlong celebration that began with a spectacular one-off headlining performance at the Roots Picnic in late May and concluded on Saturday night with the second of two shows at Inglewood, California’s SoFi Stadium.
For Jay, legacy has clearly been weighing on his mind. A new generation of hip-hop artists has emerged, and the decade-long gap since he released an album has opened a space for that generation to question his legacy. So it made sense that he’d revisit his catalog brick by brick, show by show, celebrating a career-long work in progress that crescendoed to a global tour after nearly a decade of artistic dormancy. At SoFi, much like his previous concerts, his performance was a reminder — no, a reinforcement — that nothing at that scale is by accident. And he said as much as the curtain fell on an hour-and-a-half finale of his “Jay-Z 30” series, encouraging those in attendance to believe in what they’ve actually witnessed.
“You gotta be really real with what’s going on in the world,” he said during closer “Encore.” It was a direct rebuttal to the rash of tweets and social media posts claiming that SoFi wasn’t entirely sold out, or that many of the tickets had been given away. “People will tell you that nobody was in here tonight, but you got eyes. You can see. People will tell you that the music wasn’t great, but you got ears. You gotta understand, you gotta question everything. This world with AI and everything, it’s been going on forever. They called it propaganda before. But now, the technology has caught up and people are tricked. A lot of tricknology for us… Make sure you question everything you feel.”
Jay makes that music that you can feel. That’s been the thrill of his shows over the past five months. For those who experienced his rise in real time (and, frankly, many at SoFi probably had, based on their millennial look), Jay has been a pop impresario, a cultural touchstone who helped graft hip-hop culture onto the mainstream. He’s done it through a breathless string of number one albums and hits, and in boardrooms and closed-door meetings. “Jay-Z 30” was an invitation to revisit the path that he took to get there, a way to show that legacy isn’t about the hit that’s next, but rather the ones you landed to get there.
Much like his other performances, the setlist at Jay’s final night at SoFi was somewhat static — “Girls, Girls, Girls,” for instance, once again bled into “’03 Bonnie & Clyde,” while “N—s in Paris” delightfully mashed into “Big Pimpin’.” But the finer details are what make a Jay show such an experience. At each of his shows, he’s found a way to pay homage to the city that’s welcomed him. In Philadelphia, that included guest appearances from Jazmine Sullivan, Bilal and his Roc-A-Fella crew, including Freeway, Beanie Sigel and Peedi Crakk. In New York City, throughout his three-night run at Yankee Stadium, he brought out Alicia Keys for “Empire State of Mind,” as well as Fat Joe and Jadakiss. Naturally, a narrative emerged: Can he really perform a solid headlining set without a supporting cast to sweeten the deal?
Perhaps that’s why the guest count at his SoFi shows was so thin compared to others. On Saturday night, he tapped Too Short to perform “Blow the Whistle,” shouting out the Bay Area. Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg came out to do a medley of their own massive hits, including “Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang” and “Still D.R.E.” But it was mainly Jay, every day, in all his resplendence. He traipsed from era to era, hit to hit, his breath control and spark as refined as ever. This was performance at its peak, a marvel to behold of an artist who helped build hip-hop as an institution while adding to the story still being written.
As for what’s next? Rumors have swirled about a new album from collaborators who quickly backpedaled on their statements. The looming question mark of a Super Bowl Halftime Show performance hung in the air at SoFi on Saturday night. But for a string of concerts and a few activations here and there, it felt only right that Jay-Z justify the experience while rapping “Heart of the City (Ain’t No Love)” near the end of the show: “Jigga held you down 30 summers, damn, where’s the love?”
Check out the full setlist below:
The Watcher 2
Blow the Whistle (Too $hort)
Izzo (H.O.V.A.)
Beach Is Better
FWM
N—a What, N—a Who (Originator 99)
Run This Town
Family Feud
U Don’t Know
On to the Next One
Clique
Dirt Off Your Shoulder
I Know
Never Change
Song Cry
Dead Presidents
Where I’m From
Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)
Lucifer
No Church in the Wild
D’Evils
Murder Was the Case (Snoop Dogg)
The Next Episode (Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg)
California Love (Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg)
Nothin’ but a “G” Thang (Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg)
Still D.R.E. (Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg)
99 Problems
Girls, Girls, Girls
Excuse Me Miss
La-La-La (Excuse Me Miss Again)
Change the Game
I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)
Money, Cash, Hoes
Jigga My N—a
Heart of the City (Ain’t No Love)
Empire State of Mind
N—s in Paris / Big Pimpin’
Public Service Announcement (Interlude)
Encore