JAŸ-Z has heard the chatter about his concerts, and he’s encouraging fans to trust their own eyes and ears. During his final Los Angeles performance, Hov addressed criticism of the shows while offering a broader warning about artificial intelligence and the narratives circulating online.
The Brooklyn rapper spoke on the subject during the second night of his JAŸ-Z 30 celebration at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Saturday, October 24. Addressing claims about the concerts’ attendance and reception, he reminded the people standing in front of him that they had experienced the evening themselves.
“People will tell you that nobody was in here tonight, but you got eyes, you can see,” he told the crowd. Hov applied that same logic to criticism of the music, encouraging concertgoers to make their own assessment of what they had heard. His advice was straightforward: “You got to question everything.”
From there, JAŸ-Z expanded the conversation to propaganda and technology’s ability to imitate people. In footage Hollywood Unlocked also shared, he emphasized the human connection of a live performance, pointing to the crowd’s reaction to the evening’s guests as something they felt firsthand.
And Saturday’s show gave that audience plenty to react to. According to the concert’s press release, both nights of the Los Angeles celebration sold out, following sold-out performances in New York, London and Paris. The shows celebrated a catalog spanning three decades, with Saturday’s set moving through early favorites, crossover hits and records built for a stadium crowd.
JAŸ-Z opened with “The Watcher 2” before welcoming Too $hort for “Blow the Whistle.” He continued with “Izzo (H.O.V.A.)” and “Beach Is Better,” and the evening also featured staples like “Song Cry,” “Dead Presidents,” “Dirt Off Your Shoulder,” and “U Don’t Know.”
The performance also paid tribute to Nipsey Hussle. Hov incorporated elements of “Hussle & Motivate” into “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)” and used the instrumental from “Last Time That I Checc’d” during “On to the Next One,” bringing the late Los Angeles rapper’s music into the celebration.
The West Coast salute continued when Snoop Dogg appeared for “Murder Was the Case.” Dr. Dre then joined Snoop for a run through “The Next Episode,” “California Love,” “Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang” and “Still D.R.E.” Hov’s closing stretch included “Empire State of Mind” and “Big Pimpin’” before “Public Service Announcement (Interlude)” and “Encore” brought the night to an end. And yes, “Heart of the City (Ain’t No Love)” made the set list, too.
Throughout the performance, JAŸ-Z wore bespoke ensembles designed by June Ambrose. Lizzo, Kelly Rowland, Vanessa Bryant, Yo Gotti, DJ Khaled, Tiffany Haddish and ScHoolboy Q were among the celebrity attendees named in the release. With guest appearances and a career-spanning set, Hov had plenty to celebrate. His parting message to fans was to hold on to their own experience when the next round of commentary hits their feeds.
Watch JAŸ-Z address the crowd below.
