Music

Jay-Z at SoFi Stadium, Night 1: Scarface, John Legend and More Perform

The first night of Hov's JAŸ-Z30 Los Angeles shows brought out the celebrity fans with Kendrick Lamar and Rihanna among those spotted in the crowd.

Jay-Z.
Press/JAŸ-Z30

Key Takeaways

  • Jay-Z opened his two-night SoFi Stadium run with Blue Ivy Carter playing piano on "Dead Presidents" and "The Story of O.J."
  • Scarface, DJ Khaled and John Legend joined Hov onstage, while he also honored Nipsey Hussle by weaving the late rapper’s songs into his set.
  • Beyoncé, Destiny’s Child, Tia Mowry, Kendrick Lamar and Rihanna watched from the crowd ahead of the tour’s closing show at SoFi.

Jay-Z’s JAŸ-Z30 Tour has officially touched down on the West Coast for a two-night engagement.

On Friday (October 23), Hov took to the stage at Los Angeles' SoFi Stadium to a sold-out crowd, following performances in New York, London and Paris. Like all of his previous shows on the tour, the 25-time Grammy winner brought out a bevy of surprise guests.

One of the guests included his oldest daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, who played the piano as her father performed his Reasonable Doubt classic "Dead Presidents," and then again on "The Story of O.J.," the lead single from Jay-Z’s 2017 album 4:44.

Since Hov was in the hometown of late rapper Nipsey Hussle, he paid tribute to the rhymer by incorporating his songs "Hussle & Motivate" into Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life hit "Hard Knock Life," and then "Last Time I Checc’d" into "On to the Next One" from The Blueprint 3.

Also joining the upcoming Super Bowl LXI halftime show headliner onstage was Scarface, who performed "This Can’t Be Life" with Hov, along with Geto Boys signature "Mind Playing Tricks On Me."

DJ Khaled came out for a performance of "God Did," while John Legend — whose new album Muse arrives on Friday (October 23) — also dropped by for a surprise performance. Elsewhere, Jay-Z ran through his solo material, including "Izzo," "Dirt off Your Shoulder," and opener "Hovi Baby."

Jay-Z’s wife Beyoncé, along with Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams and Tia Mowry were among the celebrities in the crowd. Kendrick Lamar and Rihanna also pulled up in support. Jay-Z’s L.A. stop continues for its second and final night on Saturday (October 24) at SoFi, bringing the tour to a close.

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