Jay-Z Joins Kanye West for MoMa Garden Performance
Jay-Z made a surprise appearance at Kanye West's intimate concert at New York City's Museum of Modern Art last night (May 10), to help raise money for MoMA's general operating fund, which supports the museum's educational programs and exhibitions.
Reports had the pair holed up in a Big Apple hotel earlier this month working on 'Watch the Throne,' their oft-postponed joint album led by the aggressive, in-your-face single 'H.A.M.' Jigga and 'Ye performed the track to the dolled up crowd of 1500 in MoMA's Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden, after which Kanye backed up his "big brother" on his fitting-for-the-moment love letter to NYC, 'Empire State of Mind.'
The last time hip-hop's most notorious pseudo big brother/little brother duo took to the stage was two months ago at SXSW, during the G.O.O.D. Music VEVO party in Austin, Texas.
The only other surprise during Kanye's set came at the beginning, when the 'Runaway' singer opened with a cover of Stevie Wonder's 'They Won't Go When I Go.' West pulled from all over his discography for what the New York Times called a "moody, dour, even irritated" set. He played 'Hell of a Life,' 'All of the Lights' and 'Power' off 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy' and went back to 'Graduation' for 'Can't Tell Me Nothin'' and 'Flashing Lights,' and even further back with his 2005 hit 'Gold Digger.' West also went solo with his features on Katy Perry's 'E.T.' -- he also performed it last month at Coachella -- and Jay-Z's 'Run This Town.'
If you wish you could have been there, take to YouTube. The whole performance is already viewable there after loyal fans uploaded their clips. The folks over at Brooklyn Vegan have compiled them all.
West next plays Milwaukee's Summerfest at the end of June.
Watch Kanye and Jay-Z Go 'H.A.M.'