Due to a scheduling conflict, The Dogg and Lovely BLT, had to miss Thursday's show. Even though we were not there in person, all reveiws have been consistently strong. This was the concert event of the Labor Day Weekend! Between Eminem/JayZ at Comerica for two nights, we have major National acts at Pine Knob, Royal Oak Theater, Arts, Beats & Eats, Detroit Jazz Festival, Hamtramck Music Festival & Meadowbrook!. Detroit is truly the epicenter of music this weekend (as we are most weeks).
You wanted history? They gave you history.
Detroit was the undisputed center of the hip-hop universe Thursday night, at the first of Eminem and Jay-Z's back-to-back concerts at Comerica Park. In addition to the evening's megawatt headliners, a small army of hip-hop superstars -- including Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Drake and Young Jeezy -- graced the stage before a sold-out audience of 42,000-plus.
The majority of the guests came out during Eminem's 100-minute headlining set, which followed Jay-Z's meaty opening performance. Before long, the cameos were piling up like the junker cars that lined Em's set: Drake joined him for "Forever," returning a favor for when Em appeared at the Toronto rapper's hometown performance earlier this summer; 50 Cent and Lloyd Banks came on for mini-set of 50 Cent songs, including "Patiently Waiting" and "In Da Club"; and Dr. Dre appeared -- wearing a Proof shirt, no less -- and did a small set of songs with Em, including "Nuthin' But a G Thang" and "Still D.R.E." Em got the crowd to chant for Dre's long-delayed "Detox" LP as Dre left the stage, and the reclusive star promised, "I'm comin!"
The guests considerably picked up the energy of Em's set, which began to wane during a mini-set of D12 songs. Earlier, the stadium literally shook as fans jumped in unison during Em classics like "The Way I Am" and "Cleanin' Out My Closet."
"Detroit, I'm back. Did you miss me or what?" Em bellowed from the stage as cheers erupted from the audience.
Em took the stage to a dramatic intro video that laid out the backstory that lead into the concerts: The years of inactivity that followed his last Comerica Park concert in 2005, and his subsequent trip to rehab for drug abuse. When he appeared on stage, wearing a ballcap and a hoodie with a large Olde English D, he tore into the "Recovery" track "Won't Back Down" like it was a fresh piece of meat.
He was soon joined on stage by his Detroit pals Trick Trick (for an amped-up "Welcome 2 Detroit") and D12. Opener B.o.B joined Em on stage for a run through of "Airplanes Pt. II." Jay-Z also joined Em for a run-through of their 2001 pairing, "Renegade."
Near the end of his set, an emotional Eminem nearly teared up while introducing "Not Afraid." He dedicated the song to fans who stuck with him through years of career turbulence, and dedicated the song to his hometown. He closed the show with "Lose Yourself," toying with his live band during the extended outro before a flurry of fireworks marked the close of the show.
The stadium's spectacular production was fitting for the two rap icons: A gargantuan football-shaped stage backed by a truly dazzling array of lights and video screens.
Earlier in the evening, Jay-Z was visibly taken aback by the scene laid out before him.
"Before I start, I gotta take this all in," he said, ordering lights to be shined on the stadium's upper deck so he could see fans up top. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is hip-hop music and this is how far we've come... to rockin' stadiums!" he beamed. "Everybody make some noise!"
He didn't have to ask twice. The crowd was a sea of waving hands and nodding heads during his set, as fans were shook to their core by the absolutely deafening sound system. This felt like one of the most decibel-shaking concerts this city has ever seen; don't be surprised if nearby neighbors in Windsor were complaining about the noise.
Over the last year, Jay-Z has earned his stadium status. The rapper headlined several massive U.S. rock festivals already this year and has proved his ability to manipulate large crowds with ease. Thursday night he was riveting, coolly commanding the stage in his customary all black attire, his eyes hidden underneath a pair of black wayfarer sunglasses. Unlike Eminem, he didn't seem to be relying on pre-recorded tracks to bolster his vocals.
Jay-Z rose from beneath the stage and opened with his "Dynasty" intro, illuminated on the dark stage only by four spotlights. Then came the visual assault, as the stage came to full blinding life during the revved-up "Run This Town."
Jay-Z brought out Atlanta rapper Young Jeezy early in his set and joined him for a mini-set of songs, and was later joined by his hype man Memphis Bleek. He mixed hits from throughout his career and last year's "The Blueprint 3," rocking the crowd with hard-nosed anthems like "On to the Next One," "U Don't Know" and "99 Problems." Backed by a large band, he proved adept with or without them, and impressively rolled through several verses -- including an a capella portion of "Big Pimpin'" -- all by his lonesome.
Midway through his set, he paused to pay tribute to several fallen hip-hop figures, including the Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur, Eazy-E and Aaliyah. "And I need you to make the most noise you've made all evening for Proof one time tonight y'all," he said, referring to Eminem's best friend Deshaun "Proof" Holton, who was shot and killed in Detroit in 2006. The crowd responded by chanting "Proooooooooof" in unison.
During "Empire State of Mind," Jay-Z's 2009 love letter to his hometown of New York, overhead shots of the Big Apple filled the huge video screens; it was a stunning visual, and the Detroit crowd sang along as if it was a tribute to Detroit. "I appreciate you singing 'New York' at the top of your lungs here in Tiger Stadium. I know where I'm at," Jay said. (Comerica may think differently about that statement.)
The love from the crowd was not lost on Jay, and he gave it right back at the end of his 82-minute set. "I wanna say I had an incredible time with y'all tonight, this is one of the best experiences of my entire life," he said. He closed with "Encore" and raised his arms in victory as he walked off the stage.
During B.o.B's 30-minute opening set, many fans were still shuffling in while the chart-topping Atlanta rapper was on stage. As they made their way to their seats, fans snatched up specialized merchandise, which included Eminem-branded University of Michigan and Michigan State University T-shirts and shirts commemorating the once-in-a-lifetime concerts.
By Adam Graham, The Detroit News
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