Newspaper Article

Showman Jay-Z back to his best ; And with Beyonce, he's crazy in love

Elwell-Sutton, Chris, Lukowski, Andrzej

2006

Overview

[Jay-Z] showed last night that he fully deserves his extraordinary rise from humble beginnings as a Brooklyn crack dealer to all-time-great status as a rapper, as well as becoming half of hip-hop's premier power couple alongside Beyonce who drove the crowd berserk when she joined her man on stage. Always a favourite with UK audiences, Jay-Z's hip-hop version of Beware Of The Boys, the classic British Asian bhangra track, created a storm, provoking a particularly strong response with the line \"Leave Iraq alone!\" Confusion briefly took over as the DJ threw on the unmistakable beat of Made You Look, a track by fellow New York rapper, Nas. This turn of events was especially puzzling, since Jay- Z and Nas have engaged in bitter verbal warfare over the past few years. Those of us who were aware that Jay-Z, who is CEO of Def Jam Recordings, signed Nas to the label earlier this year, were slightly less surprised by this rapprochement, but watching these all-time greats share the stage was a thrilling experience nonetheless.

• Publisher: Evening Standard Limited
• Subject: Jay-Z