“Can I take you home for a minute?” Jay-Z posed the question while leading off “Empire State of Mind” at the first of two headlining shows at Inglewood, California’s SoFi Stadium. So he did so, as he has for the last hour and a half, by bringing Brooklyn to Los Angeles, tracing the corners of his vast discography, the backbone of a career that has spanned 30 years with countless hits.
Jay touched down on the West Coast for a live set on Friday night as part of the year-long “Jay-Z 30” celebration, which kicked off with a one-off headlining show at Philadelphia’s Roots Picnic in late May. This was followed by three consecutive sold-out nights at Yankee Stadium, shows in London and Paris, and a powerful eight-episode HBO docuseries chronicling the finer points of his catalogue. Given all the rumors that Jay might have booked himself as the halftime show performer at Super Bowl 2027 (which would make sense, given an unusually high year of activity nearly a decade after releasing his last album), it was hard not to treat 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 being held at the same venue where he performed.)
As consistently demonstrated, Jay was in excellent shape as he ran through hit after hit throughout a two-hour set at SoFi, changing up the set list from previous shows while keeping the focus on the electricity between himself, the audience, and his band. Fans, of course, expected high-voltage surprise stars: His Yankee Stadium shows crowned the 25th and 30th anniversaries of “The Blueprint” and “Reasonable Doubt,” respectively, with cameos from wife Beyoncé, Rihanna, Eminem and daughter Blue Ivy Carter.
The SoFi show, meanwhile, seemed scaled back in purpose. There were very few guest stars throughout the night; Blue Ivy was playing the keys to “The Story of OJ” and “Dead Presidents,” not unlike when she tickled the ivories on “Feelin’ It” at Yankee Stadium. In addition to “This Life Can’t Be,” Scarface also took to the stage for his own classic, “The Mind Plays Tricks on Me.” John Legend and DJ Khaled showed up to close out the night; The song “God Did” originally featured Fridayy, Lil Wayne and Rick Ross.
(By the way, having witnessed a rare performance of “This Can’t Be Life,” I can’t help but point out that Scarface’s verse is one of the most touching lines I’ve ever heard in a rap song. If you haven’t listened to it, listen now.)
Among the talking points surrounding Jay’s potential Halftime Show was whether he could carry a performance of this magnitude without highlighting the guests. With the sheer driving force of the night and the beats 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 and one of the few hip-hop artists who can book stadium shows around the world after lying dormant for so long. Think of him as an elder statesman if you like, but the courage and showmanship he continues to display feels like more than a plausible justification for his continued relevance, regardless of what any detractors on the internet might deign to claim.
Jay comes from an era where success was primarily based on skill and business acumen went along with it. That’s why he’s managed to build an empire around his talents, and that’s why thousands of fans continue to watch them. The SoFi show was no exception; a show that comes alive with the opener “Hovi Baby,” a masterful display of lyrical acuity and charm, giving way to tracks like “Izzo (HOVA)” and “Run This Town.” Most of the visuals were the same as their show at Yankee Stadium, right down to the opening scene where Beyoncé shaves her head, but they still had an elevated and unique feel with her world-building performance of songs like “Song Cry” and “Lucifer.”
It’s likely that Jay will be pulling out all the stops for the final night of his “Jay-Z 30” tour on Saturday night. (Fans watched Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams’ Destiny’s Child reunion in one of the SoFi suites on Friday.) But if his debut performance is any indication, Jay is up to the task, no matter how big the platform gets.
Check out the full set list below:
hi baby
Izzo (HOVA)
Beach is Better
FuckWith MeYouKnowI Got It
N—a What, N—a Who (Originator 99)
Rule This Town
OJ’s Story (with Blue Ivy Carter)
Dead Presidents (with Blue Ivy Carter)
Where am I from
Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)
Lucifer
No Church in the Wilderness
can i live
Family Feud
you don’t know
to the next
clique
Dirt on Your Shoulder
I know
Never Change
This Life Can’t Be (with Scarface)
The Mind Is Playing Tricks on Me (with Scarface)
Song Cry
99 Problems
Girls, Girls, Girls
Excuse Me Miss / La-La-La (Excuse Me Again Miss)
Change the Game
Give It to Me / Money, Cash, Bitches
Jigga My N—a
Heart of the City (It’s Not Love)
Empire’s State of Mind
N’s in Paris / Grand Pimping
God Did It (with DJ Khaled and John Legend)