That Sh*t Cray
Kanye West & Jay-Z know how to tease: A dramatic entrance, a Beyoncé fake, aleather kilt & an endless encore wow
Photo by Whitney Radley
Photo by Whitney Radley
Photo by Smooth_Eli/Twitpic
Photo by IrwinM10/Twitpic
Photo via Twitpic
Kanye West and Jay-Z introduced Watch the Throne to Houston fans at a packed Toyota Center on Monday night, but not before they made them wait. Energy was high and fans were dressed up and patient, though the show didn't get underway until almost 9:30 p.m. — three hours after the doors opened.
The rappers emerged to "H*A*M" on two small stages, rising in elevated cubes at different ends of the stadium, each spotlighted with a single beam in the dark stadium. Both wore T-shirts specially created by Givenchy designer Riccardo Tisci. West paired his oversized tee with a leather kilt, leather leggings and high top tennis shoes. More understated, Jay-Z wore a Yankees cap and black slim-fitting cargo pants, with a small American flag tucked into a back pocket.
What followed was a nonstop medley of more than 35 songs, intermixing pieces from Watch the Throne with hits from each artist spanning more than a decade, accompanied by pyrotechnics, lasers, flashing lights and projected images on-screen.
Every word introducing "Lift Off" seemed to indicate a pregnant Beyoncé's appearance for a special surprise in her hometown. But, unfortunately, that event never occurred.
For "Who Gon Stop Me," another hit from their recent collaboration, the pair stood atop the cubes that transformed into aquariums teeming with sharks. They paired up on the main stage, in front of an American flag flanked by flames, for "Otis." The flag quickly and gracefully folded up as the beat started for "Welcome to the Jungle," and a Serengeti chase scene illuminated on the stage screens until "Gotta Have It."
From there, Jay-Z and West passed the stage to one another, from "Jigga What, Jigga Who," to West's fancy footwork and medley of hits from Graduation, The College Dropout and Late Registration.
The two joined again for "Run This Town" (set amid a fiery car crash scene) and "Monster" (featuring tight shots of snarling, mouth-foaming animals). The crowd held up lighters and cell phones for "Made in America" and let out a resounding cheer for Jay-Z's lyric "Cause my dad left me and I promise never repeat him," during "New Day."
Jay-Z again took the stage for "Hard Knock Life" and "Izzo." He thanked Houston for the hospitality before introducing the audience to his own hometown with "Empire State of Mind." During each track, lights and fire illuminated the audience, made up of fans who gestured along to the rapped lyrics individually but in unison.
West changed into a jacket, flannel shirt tied around his waist, for "Runaway" and "Heartless," and his pedestaled position on the elevated stage, with the crowd screaming and singing along to every line, made him seem immortal. The same feeling overwhelmed me when Jay-Z returned for "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" and "I Just Wanna Love U" — songs that everyone remembered by heart, still fresh from a decade ago.
Jay-Z and West traded off for intervening songs — including "All of the Lights," which West re-started three times for effect, "Big Pimpin'," "Gold Digger" and "99 Problems" — further solidifying the compatibility of the duo, their seamless coordination and transition from collaborations to personal works and back again. Jay-Z and West's interactions onstage unmistakably indicate a friendship and a mutual respect.
To the infectious rhythm of "No Church in the Wild," West acted out a moving accompaniment to the lyrics of Jay-Z's solo. Every word introducing "Lift Off" seemed to indicate a pregnant Beyoncé's imminent appearance for a special surprise in her hometown. But, unfortunately, that event never occurred.
They played the song five more times after that, and neither the pair nor the audience lost energy or enthusiasm in the process.
The show ended with "In Paris," a bouncing, piercing beat with catching lyrics and an energetic light show. Two thin beams indicated the end, but a dedicated crowd called Jay-Z and West back out for an encore, so they played the song yet again, this time inviting the audience to move from the stands to gather around the stage. Once close, fans passed up gifts — from a golden stiletto (which was returned) to a fat blunt (which West tucked into his shoe). West wished Jay-Z a happy birthday — the artist turned 42 on Sunday.
They played the song five more times after that, and neither the pair nor the audience lost energy or enthusiasm in the process. Grinning, Jay-Z and West seemed to appreciate the special love and attention.
"Thank you for a beautiful night, Houston," Jay-Z said.
"I love this city!" cried West.
On the way home, 97.9 The Box played the encore song on repeat, again and again. It still never lost its allure.
