Jay-Z kicked off the weekend with a surprise, intimate performance ahead of his highly anticipated headlining appearance at the Roots Picnic.
The exclusive event took place on Friday (May 29) at The Foundry, where a small group of fans and close friends were invited to attend. Although it wasn’t billed as a full concert, the show served as a preview of what festivalgoers could expect from his Roots Picnic set the following evening. Backed by The Roots, just as he will be at the festival, Jay-Z delivered a memorable performance.
The rap icon treated attendees to classics including “U Don’t Know” and “Big Pimpin,” celebrating the 25th anniversary of his groundbreaking album The Blueprint. Adding to the moment, his wife and Everything Is Love collaborator, Beyoncé, was seen dancing along and showing her support from the crowd.
Also showing support for the performance was Talib Kweli, who hinted in a Facebook post that Roots Picnic attendees were “in for a treat” when Jay-Z takes the stage at Belmont Plateau in Fairmount Park.
The Roots Picnic appearance is just one of several major performances on Jay-Z’s schedule this summer. The 4:44 rapper is also set to mark the 25th anniversary of The Blueprint and the 30th anniversary of his debut album, Reasonable Doubt, with a three-night residency at Yankee Stadium next month. Following overwhelming demand, a third and final date was added in late March under the title JAŸ-Z EXTRA INNINGS.
Meanwhile, on Friday, Questlove shared his excitement for the upcoming collaboration with Jay-Z during an interview with FOX 29. The Roots co-founder described the performance as a “1-of-1” experience, adding, “He’s family and he did us a solid by making his special for us.”
