Watch the Throne, Kanye West and Jay-Z at United Center: Live rev

JayZ Kanye West

Jay-Z and Kanye West- Watch The Throne Tour, United Center 11/30/2011

Jay-Z and Kanye West- Watch The Throne Tour, United Center 11/30/2011
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Jay-Z and Kanye West- Watch The Throne Tour, United Center 11/30/2011
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Jay-Z and Kanye West- Watch The Throne Tour, United Center 11/30/2011
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Jay-Z and Kanye West- Watch The Throne Tour, United Center 11/30/2011
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Jay-Z and Kanye West- Watch The Throne Tour, United Center 11/30/2011
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Jay-Z and Kanye West- Watch The Throne Tour, United Center 11/30/2011
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Jay-Z and Kanye West- Watch The Throne Tour, United Center 11/30/2011
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Jay-Z and Kanye West- Watch The Throne Tour, United Center 11/30/2011
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Jay-Z and Kanye West- Watch The Throne Tour, United Center 11/30/2011
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Jay-Z and Kanye West- Watch The Throne Tour, United Center 11/30/2011
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Jay-Z and Kanye West- Watch The Throne Tour, United Center 11/30/2011
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Jay-Z and Kanye West- Watch The Throne Tour, United Center 11/30/2011
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Jay-Z and Kanye West- Watch The Throne Tour, United Center 11/30/2011
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Jay-Z and Kanye West- Watch The Throne Tour, United Center 11/30/2011
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Jay-Z and Kanye West- Watch The Throne Tour, United Center 11/30/2011
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Jay-Z and Kanye West- Watch The Throne Tour, United Center 11/30/2011
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Jay-Z and Kanye West- Watch The Throne Tour, United Center 11/30/2011
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Jay-Z and Kanye West- Watch The Throne Tour, United Center 11/30/2011
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Jay-Z and Kanye West- Watch The Throne Tour, United Center 11/30/2011
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Jay-Z and Kanye West- Watch The Throne Tour, United Center 11/30/2011
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Jay-Z and Kanye West- Watch The Throne Tour, United Center 11/30/2011
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Jay-Z and Kanye West- Watch The Throne Tour, United Center 11/30/2011
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Jay-Z and Kanye West- Watch The Throne Tour, United Center 11/30/2011
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Jay-Z and Kanye West- Watch The Throne Tour, United Center 11/30/2011
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Jay-Z and Kanye West- Watch The Throne Tour, United Center 11/30/2011
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Jay-Z and Kanye West- Watch The Throne Tour, United Center 11/30/2011
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Jay-Z and Kanye West- Watch The Throne Tour, United Center 11/30/2011
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Jay-Z and Kanye West- Watch The Throne Tour, United Center 11/30/2011
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Jay-Z and Kanye West- Watch The Throne Tour, United Center 11/30/2011
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Jay-Z and Kanye West- Watch The Throne Tour, United Center 11/30/2011
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Jay-Z and Kanye West- Watch The Throne Tour, United Center 11/30/2011
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Jay-Z and Kanye West- Watch The Throne Tour, United Center 11/30/2011
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Jay-Z and Kanye West- Watch The Throne Tour, United Center 11/30/2011

Photo: Erica Gannett

11/30/2011

A few hours before Wednesday night’s visit from the Kanye West/Jay-Z Watch the Throne tour at the United Center I told a friend I’d heard the hip-hop megastars weren’t planning to take the stage until 9pm, despite the show’s stated 7:30pm start. He scoffed and said no crowd would stand for that without an opening act. Who did these guys think they were?

And yet, there I was at 8pm, 8:30, 9, 9:15, watching the crowd drink cocktails and laugh under the bright lights of the UC. No DJ to entertain them. No opening act. And no complaints. It was if everyone got together and decided we should be honored by their lateness. Clearly, these two could get away with just about anything, and when they finally took the stage at 9:20pm, it was immediately evident why.

Appropriately, the Watch the Throne tour begins each show with the two self-proclaimed kings rising up above the crowd on large cubes placed on opposite sides of the arena. Images of rabid dogs and peaceful doves flash across the cubes, and as the duo launches into “Throne Music,” it’s hard not to be just a little honored by their lateness. They are, after all, the biggest stars in hip-hop, and arguably the music industry today. That’ll buy you a late start any day of the week, but even kings need to work for their loyalty now and then, and Kanye and Jay-Z worked their asses off Wednesday, on the first night of their two-show stop in Chicago. They’ll do it again at 7:30ish Thursday.

Over the course of three hours, they ran through 46 monster hits and covers before ending the night with even more proof that this team is writing its own rules and everyone else is just following along. At every stop on the tour, they’ve performed the song “Niggas in Paris” multiple times in a row. They started with three, then five, then seven. This Chicago crowd was clearly in on the bit and milked it for all it was worth when the duo left the stage and said goodnight after only singing the song twice. They came back, of course, chanting “That shit’s cray!” for a third time, as Jay-Z told security to back off so the crowd could swarm the floor, fill the aisles and turn the arena into a giant club.

At the end of each song, Kanye or Jay-Z said, simply, “Again.” And, “Again.” And, “Again.” By the record-tying seventh time, it was obvious Kanye wanted to bring the prestigious record for most consecutive performances of “Niggas in Paris” home to Chicago.

“Again,” they ordered the DJ.

It was a “cray” display of excess in a night that was otherwise somewhat understated.

Aside from the hydraulic platforms and a stunning laser light show, there were no gimmicks or elaborate sets—just two amazing rappers busting out rhymes that everyone in the house knew by heart.

Kanye largely stuck to the script, but was obviously happy to be home again. Standing under the six Chicago Bulls championship banners and wearing a huge grin across his face, he gave shout outs to Scottie Pippen and Derrick Rose. “Scottie, I know you are up in the booth. I told you to sit in the V.I.P. area,” he said while perched above the V.I.P. area for a spectacular solo set of some of his biggest hits, including “Runaway,” “Heartless” and “Stronger.”

Though Kanye clearly had more stage time on Wednesday, Jay-Z wasn’t about to forfeit the throne, bringing the crowd to its feet for hits like “Empire State of Mind” and “On to the Next One,” among others.

There were touching moments as well. After heart-thumping renditions of “Power” and “Made in America,” Kanye and Jay-Z sat down next to one another on the stage and delivered an emotional “New Day.” Kanye West, arguably the most arrogant man on the planet, rhymed about how he would never let a child of his own have an ego, while expectant father Jay-Z seemed to be speaking directly to his unborn child with lyrics like, “My dad left me and I promise I’ll never leave ya.”

It was a night filled with powerful words and performances, but perhaps the most thought-provoking moment came when the two rappers let Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” speak volumes against a series of less-than-wonderful images such as Vietnam, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the bombing of Hiroshima and a video of a small boy and a woman who appears to be his proud mother dressed head to toe in Klu Klux Klan attire. Two men who have so much to say ironically delivered their strongest message by not saying a word.

Now that shit’s cray.

Comments

TWO hours late? And you're "honored by their lateness"? You'd probably let them take a dump in your mouth and thank them for it. Get some self-respect, America.

By Anonymous (not verified) on 12/01/2011 at 9:33 am

I love this article. I was there last night, and this depicted last night's event to perfectly. I am still getting chills from the breathtaking performance. so amazing!!!

By Maria Chaidez (not verified) on 12/01/2011 at 9:58 am

Do you write press releases for these rappers? Or do you just blow them when they come to town? I'm glad you enjoyed blowing them. In the future, please save the fanfare for your blog.

By joe banks (not verified) on 12/01/2011 at 10:53 am

I would love to see these two Artist get down! I'm up here in MinneSnowDa! Chicago is probably as close as they're going to get? Don't be haters!!! If it's not your thing don't listen but don't hate what you don't understand! Peace

By J. Robinson (not verified) on 12/01/2011 at 12:07 pm

Yo even though there was a late start on the show, it was still beastly. They sang non-stop for three- hours straight. No intermission, no nothing. The late start was worth it. All of you haters better shut up, and recognize. These two are some of, if not, the greatest. So stop with yo stupid comments. And even though 'Ye says says he loves his haters, you still better be quiet.

By Yo (not verified) on 12/01/2011 at 10:04 pm

I've been to enough shows to know that headliners go on anywhere between an hour to three hours after the official start time. But while acts this big may not 'need' an opening act, it's pretty awkward to not have any music playing in the meantime, even if a DJ plays offstage to avoid setup-change delays. I don't know about the shows in other cities, and I could be mistaken, but it seemed like Kanye had more stage time, I assume because this show was in his 'home' of Chicago. I was really disappointed that they didn't have any guests and/or a band (like when I saw Jay at Coachella), but it just reinforces their message that no one is good enough to share the stage with them. And the "What a Wonderful World" segment was ridiculous indulgence-- these two are ENTERTAINERS. I paid $112 (for the last row in the house, mind you) to be ENTERTAINED, not to be educated by video montage on the horrors in our American history. I DID learn these things in school, of which I did NOT drop out, unlike Mr. West. And speaking of costs, not only were these the most expensive drinks I've ever paid for at a show, but I've also never been served two different drinks when only asking for one and then being charged for both. I didn't argue since it saved me a trip to the bar, but even the BARTENDERS here were full of themselves. And to top it all off, I think it's great that they played a long show, but after two and a half hours, the LAST thing I want to hear is an octuply repeated encore. In my book, a repeat is acceptable if it either (a) makes up for a flawed first attempt or (b) is rife with variation. I was previously informed of the juvenile stunt, and so I would have left after the second iteration if I hadn't been with my sister. So then as it happened I suffered through the entire self-inflated indulgence which has since ruined my enjoyment of the song and left a terrible taste in my mouth after what would have been a still otherwise enjoyable show. All said, these guys are great performers, but after what I paid and for what I got (as much ego-tripping as musical entertainment), I won't be spending another dime on these two cash cows.

By D.W. (not verified) on 12/07/2011 at 1:14 pm

@ D.W. I think you are overthinking too much. You know what you paid for and you should not have expected anything less. Kanye and Jay are two of the best artists of our generation and if they want to not share the stage with anyone, I command them. I personally enjoyed the fact that there was no opening act. I enjoyed it greatly! I was there to see Kanye and Jay and to hear them that song as many times as possible. They worked their asses off and I didn't feel the video montage was uncalled for, but just a component of their artistry and music. So stop the HATING! I don't understand you people who buy tickets to see these musical geniuses and then have the nerve to sit there and nip pick every detail. It's ridiculous!

By Maria (not verified) on 12/08/2011 at 10:31 am

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