Posted by | Ray Cornelius
If there were ever a time that Jay-Z was proud to represent his beloved Brooklyn, it is now!
The 40-something year old rapper opened the newly built Barclays Center this past Friday night with a star-studded line up and tribute to Brooklyn greats. The Center is home to the Brooklyn Nets basketball team, in which he is an investor.
According to The Huffington Post, Jay-Z emerged on stage wearing a jersey with his last name and the number four, while a video highlighting some of Brooklyn’s finest from Michael Jordon to Aaliyah played in the background.
Carter opened the set with familiar anthems like “Where I’m From” and “Brooklyn Go Hard” and then followed that up with a musical tribute to the late Brooklyn rapper Notorious B.I.G, performing his classic tune “Juicy.”
The crowd was also wowed by hip hop icon, Big Daddy Kane, who performed such nostalgic hits as “Aint No Half Steppin” and “Warm it Up.”
Jay-Z continued his set, accompanied by a seven-piece band, with such songs as “Empire State of Mind,” “Izzo,” “99 Problems” and many more!
“I want to thank you, Brooklyn, New York City, for making me the man I am today,” he said. “Like I said, everybody’s from Brooklyn tonight.”
Jay-Z plays The Barclays Center now thru October 6.