Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

BY RICK MASSIMO
Journal Pop Music Writer

UNCASVILLE, Conn. -- Early in Jay-Z's show Friday night show at the Mohegan Sun Arena, the Brooklyn rapper performed in front of a projected video of himself enjoying the high-rolling life of the entrepreneur that he is (Roc-a-Fella Records, Roca Wear and more).

At the same time, the man himself was tearing through "Show Me What You Got" wearing a black T-shirt and jeans, backed by a live band that was taking the classic song in new directions.

The entire short, sharp show went like that. While Jay-Z is the very model of a modern major rap mogul (and his opening act Lupe Fiasco pushed him hard), he still delivered the goods Friday night.

Starting with the new single, "D.O.A. (Death of Autotune)" -- released last month -- a declaration of war on the current rap game ("This is anti-autotune, death of the ringtone/ This ain't for iTunes, this ain't for sing-along ... I'm a multimillionaire/ So how is it I'm still the hardest (expletive) here?"), the band gave extra dimension to the lyrics, whether it was the rock thrash of "D.O.A.," the drum ornamentations on "Show Me What You Got" or the funky R&B horns on "I Know" and "Roc Boys."

Jay-Z stuck a Michael Jackson tribute into the middle of the show, rapping the lyrics to "IZZO (H.O.V.A.)" while the band played "I Want You Back." He then went back to his debut record, 1996's Reasonable Doubt, for "Can I Live."

There's no lack of self-regard; after finishing the regular set with "Dirt Off Your Shoulder," in which he proclaims himself "the best rapper alive," the first encore was an a capella intro to The Blueprint 3, scheduled to be released in September. It was a stirring manifesto, where he claimed "I'm a small part of the reason the president is black" but also challenged himself, saying "The conversation has changed; let's talk about that/ I don't run rap anymore; I run the map."

Big words, but with his cracking band, his no-nonsense delivery (aided and abetted by hype man Memphis Bleek) and his sense of urgency, it was hard to argue last night. At least, the ambition was refreshing.

As mentioned, Chicago's Lupe Fiasco (a late replacement for Ciara) gave Jay-Z a run for his money, with a stripped-down sound (only himself and a DJ), a wiry, kinetic stage presence and old-school couplets on hits such as the breakthrough "Kick, Push" and "Superstar," as well as a rapid-fire "Go Go Gadget Flow" and a complicated, psychedelic organ sample on the new single, "Shining Down." He deserved more time than he got, particularly considering how opener Fabolous sleepwalked through his short set.

Rick Massimo / (401) 277-7206

 Tags  Ciara Fabolous Jay-Z Lupe Fiasco

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