Jay-Z celebrated the 25th anniversary of his classic album The Blueprint with a star-studded concert at Yankee Stadium on Saturday night.

The rap icon performed songs from the influential 2001 album and welcomed Eminem, Pharrell Williams and Slick Rick to the stage. The show formed part of his ongoing anniversary celebrations in New York City.

Jay-Z Revisits a Classic Album

Jay-Z opened the concert with “The Ruler’s Back” alongside Slick Rick. He then performed several tracks from The Blueprint, including “Izzo (H.O.V.A.),” “U Don’t Know,” “Heart of the City (Ain’t No Love),” “Song Cry”, and “All I Need.”

The set closely followed the original album and highlighted the record that helped shape modern hip-hop.

Fans responded enthusiastically as Jay-Z worked through the project’s biggest songs.

Eminem and Pharrell Join the Celebration

One of the night’s standout moments came when Eminem joined Jay-Z for “Renegade.” The Detroit rapper later performed his hit song “Lose Yourself,” drawing a loud reaction from the crowd.

Pharrell Williams also made a special appearance. He joined Jay-Z for a series of collaborations, including “Excuse Me Miss,” “La-La-La (Excuse Me Again),” “I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me),” “Frontin’” and “Allure.”

Their performances added extra energy to the anniversary celebration.

Jay-Z Reflects on a Difficult Time

As he closed “Blueprint (Momma Loves Me),” Jay-Z reflected on the album’s release in September 2001.

“This album dropped on a real tragic time for New York City, and I was prepared to walk away from this album, obviously, given everything that was going on,” he said.

“And the way it resonated with the world, it was like part of healing for New York City, and when the numbers came back for the first week, I was blown away by the support and the love, and I was happy to hopefully provide some relief for such a tough time.”

His remarks reminded fans of the album’s significance during a challenging period in New York City’s history.

Show Ends With Fan Favourites

After sharing his reflections, Jay-Z performed “Empire State of Mind.” He later closed the concert with fan favourites including “N**** in Paris,” “Public Service Announcement”, and “Encore.”

The Yankee Stadium performance marked the second of three anniversary shows. The final concert, titled “Extra Innings,” is expected to feature more hits from Jay-Z’s extensive catalogue.