The Throne Has Been Watched!!!

The time and place had been set in stone for months now. The anticipation was growing. I simply could not wait. Finally, it was Saturday, December 3rd, 2011 @ approximately 9:19pm. The house lights go dark and I see Jay taking his spot on the stage in front of us. The show starts with the drop of the beat of "H.A.M." and the opening line of "It was all good just a week ago." The crowd went crazy as the lights shined on Jay and Ye on two different stages. Their stages started to rise as they performed the first song. Everyone was on their feet. I already knew that I would be up all night. Anyone who knows me knows how much of a fan of Jay Z's I am. I am also a Kanye fan. This was a long time coming to see the two of them on the same stage in person. The arena was rocking from the opening moment.

There was no opening act, no intermissions, just Jay and Ye for almost 3 hours. That alone made the price of admission worth it. This is my third time seeing both men in concert. Each time just gets better. I could clearly be biased but I can't help it. I love the way they performed songs from "Watch The Throne" cd as well as solo songs. I loved seeing Jay being Ye's hype man and vice versa. They were engaging as well as personable on stage. They smiled and had a great time entertaining us. The crowd was loud all night. I know for a fact that I rapped every word to every song. I only sat down during one song (Kanye's "Stronger" which I've never liked). Jay performed some of my favorite tracks by him. He did "Where I'm From," "Hard Knock Life," "Big Pimpin" (also rapping the late great Pimp C's verse), and "99 Problems" (my personal theme song for many years). Ye did all of his hits "Gold Digger," "Al of The Lights," "Runaway," and "Power." The track set for this concert was awesome. They gave you old songs for those day one fans like myself as well as newer hits. Both men gave a great show.



The best part of the show for me was the ending. They ended with "Ni**as In Paris." The arena went wild as soon as the beat dropped. The whole arena was bouncing. I knew that it was gonna end as well as it started. I love Kanye rapping "I got my ni**as in NEW ORLEANS and they going guerilla, haaaaa!" After finishing it, they performed it for a second time. I was loving it. They told us good night and walked off stage. I knew it wasn't over though. The house lights were still off. The crowd started clapping and yelling and screaming "Encore!" Jay Z started talking from backstage. He said "Oh what that mean? Sounds like y'all don't wanna go home. Good cause I don't wanna go home either." Ye and Jay came back out to talk to us to thunderous applause. They were laughing and talking to the crowd. Ye told the dj to drop it again. "Ni**as In Paris" was performed 7 times before it was all over. The crowd bounced and rapped to it every single time. It was a great feeling in the arena that night. After the final performance of NIP, Ye threw his mic.

The show was over. The Throne had been watched. It was everything I thought it would be and more. I was disappointed that they did not do my songs "Why I Love You" and "Gotta Have It." Other than that, I have nothing but great things to say about it. I left the concert with a smile on my face and a strained voice but I was happy. I got to see Jay and Ye again. I got to experience it with my favorite aunt who's never seen Jay Z perform live. She enjoyed it as much as I did. If you are a fan of either or both, I suggest you make your way to this concert. It was just that great. I could not have asked for a better night. I have been to more concerts than I can count. This is up there on my list of greats. Greatest night ever. I think this is the second time I've written about my night at a Jay Z concert. What can I say, I'm a true fan. I can sum it up in about eight words: great artists, great music, great performances, wonderful night