More than any rapper and more than most pop stars, Jay-Z knows the significance of a moment.

The Brooklyn MC’s career is practically defined by them. There’s his Summer Jam obliteration of Mobb Deep’s Prodigy back in 2001, the same year he brought out Michael Jackson for Hot 97’s annual concert. There was his retirement show at Madison Square Garden captured in the documentary Fade to Black. And then there was his Radio City Music Hall show to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of Reasonable Doubt. And who could forget the Best of Both Worlds fiasco with R. Kelly that turned into the celebrated Jay-Z and Friends jaunt. He’s even transformed festivals into his personal showcases, with his appearance at Glastonbury last year and All Points West this year.

But when Hov announced he’d be headlining a September 11th benefit show, to not only coincide with the anniversary of his classic album The Blueprint but also to mark the release of his latest effort, The Blueprint 3, one had to wonder if this ambitious slate reeked of opportunism.

It did not.

Last night at the Garden, Jay-Z delivered a carefully orchestrated and riveting show striking the the impossibly difficult balance of serving the cause and seizing another night that will stand out in his long list of historic performances.

“We celebrating life tonight, we having a good time,” Jay-Z told the sold-out audience, which included Diddy, Justin Timberlake, Katy Perry and Chris Rock, among other celebrities. “But let’s not forget in 2001 when the first Blueprint came out terrorist attacked New York. They thought they would weaken us. They were sadly mistaken. We stand here even stronger. This is our town. We run New York City. We run this town.”

And with that, the blaring Rihanna’s wailing voice boomed over the sound system. The “Umbrella” star then appeared under the spotlight decked out in a dominatrix-like black outfit. “We are, yeah I said it, We are, This is Roc Nation, pledge your allegiance,” Jay-Z rapped.

Kanye West joined the pair toward the end of the song, completing the triumvirate as he jumped from the stairs on the middle of the stage. ‘Ye stuck around for a few more songs, diving into “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” before asking Big Brother if he can keep going.

“Let’s do it,” Jay replied.

“Good Life” then came on, sans T-Pain, and an animated West — complete with a new ‘do, with zig-zag lines cut into his hair — fumbled a few of his lines but saved himself with an impromptu freestyle. “I fucked up the flow, but everybody know, I gotta give a shout out to my big bro,” he spit, drawing a smile from Jay.

The parade of guest appearances continued with Pharell Williams, Swizz Beatz and Mary J. Blige joining Jay-Z. John Mayer also popped up to play guitar for Jay-Z on “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune).”

Throughout the set, Jay-Z dipped into catalog but also performed new songs from his recently released BP3. Upstart Kid Cudi arrived onstage to assist Hov on “Already Home,” where the legendary rapper eviscerates mouthy MCs who say Jay-Z’s tenure on top is in the way of their rise to fame.

“These niggas want me to go, don’t they know that I’m gone/ They know that I’m space shuttle level, they need oxyggggon/Don’t they know that I yawn/ Only time they exciting is when they mentioning Shawn,” he rapped.

The Timbaland-produced “Venus vs. Mars” was another new tracked Jay-Z performed. He closed the song out with a new freestyled verse at the end where he name-checked Kanye’s lady friend Amber Rose and financial villain Bernie Madoff. Seconds after he finished, Beyoncé, featured on the song’s chorus, emerged from the bowels of the Garden rising up through a trap door to perform “Diva.”

The star wattage was bright but the greatest applause of the night came in honor of the service men and women who protect our country on this tragic date eight years ago.

As “Young Forever” spilled out over the arena speakers, a beautiful montage of firefighters and police officers who lost their lives on 9/11 eight years ago appeared behind Jay-Z on a huge screen. “Make some noise for those that lost their lives so we could live ours,” Jay-Z said.

http://www.rollingstone.com/

September 9, 2009 – The Blueprint 3 is the latest release by rapper Jay-Z; it’s the second sequel to one of his best-known releases, 2001’s The Blueprint. It’s also Jay-Z’s 11th solo album in 13 years, making him one of hip-hop’s most prolific artists. Reviewer Oliver Wang suggests that, even this far into his career, the rapper is still finding ways to stay on top.

In a minute-long ad made to promote The Blueprint 3 and the music service Rhapsody, Jay-Z glides through a photo shoot, restaging every iconic pose from his previous 10 album covers. In the background plays his recent hit with singer Rihanna: “Run This Town.” The commercial is all about reminding people where Jay-Z has been; there’s even a song called “Reminder” on the album. But elsewhere, Jay-Z flips things around, urging listeners to stop dwelling on his past.

If Jay-Z can’t decide whether to focus on the past or the future, he’s clear on where he stands in the present. The Blueprint 3 is keenly conversant with contemporary pop trends, though not always in a friendly manner. The album’s first single, “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune),” critiques the ubiquity of the voice-altering software in today’s pop music.

Despite his disdain for Auto-Tune, Jay isn’t anti-pop. If anything, now that he’s signing multimillion-dollar deals with music promoters such as Live Nation, he’s more of a global entertainer than ever — and he knows it. The Blueprint 3 is easily one of his most commercially savvy albums to date, aiming for relevance in Walmart kiosks, Hollywood clubs and Brooklyn bodegas alike. It helps that the songs are generally brighter, less violent and less drug-oriented than past efforts. Jay-Z also invites on a few current 15-minute famers such as Drake and Kid Cudi. But nowhere are the album’s populist ambitions more clear than in its dance-friendly, electronic-infused rhythms. All kinds of minimalist beeps, burps and claps bump alongside huffing synthesizer vamps and blaring banks of horns.

Though The Blueprint 3 is Jay-Z’s strongest release since coming back from retirement in 2006, overall, it’d only rank somewhere in the middle of his catalog. It lacks the singular cohesion of the original Blueprint album, and Jay-Z’s once-unrivaled flow sounds more pedestrian at times. There’s also the matter of basing a song around Alphaville’s 1984 hit, “Forever Young,” a move that says anything but “forever” or “young.”

To be fair, when you’re on your 11th release (not including collaborations with Linkin Park and R. Kelly), Jay-Z has attained the rap equivalent of Bruce Springsteen or U2 status; each new album aspires to be “an event,” but it becomes harder to reinvent yourself when you’re this deep into a career. That’s why The Blueprint 3’s broad appeal is a powerful statement in its own right. Jay-Z has outlived — literally and figuratively — so many of his peers. And yet, in what could easily have been the twilight of his recording days, he’s still standing, still striving, still shining.

http://www.npr.org/