Brooklyn was definitely in the house at the VH1 Storytellers taping of "Jay-Z: Life of An American Gangster" (premieres Nov. 
Filmed inside a cavernous 16,200 square-foot soundstage at Steiner Studios at the Brooklyn Navy Yard on Wednesday, the show gave Jigga an opportunity to perform selections from his upcoming CD, American Gangster, for an intimate audience — including fans, VIPs (L.A. Reid, Fab 5 Freddy), and hired seat-fillers — while narrating his creative vision for each track.
Casually dressed in blue jeans, black sneakers, and a black T-shirt, the rapper was backed by a dapper nine-piece band that included both a horn section and a DJ, all elegantly attired in black and white formal wear. As Jay spit cinematic rhymes about the ephemeral highs and crushing lows that punctuate a gangster’s life, a collage of corresponding images — ranging from the blood-stained wall of a jail cell to a crumpled pack of Newport cigarettes — flashed across jumbo projection screens that surrounded the stage. But instead of performing American Gangster in its entirety, his set list centered on eight choice cuts:
1. "Pray"
2. "Dreamin’"
3. "Roc Boys"
4. "Sweet"
5. "Party Life"
6. "I Know"
7. "Fallin’"
8. "Blue Magic"
After rocking the mic solo for nearly an hour, Jay playfully asked the audience, "Do you have anywhere to go?" Then, to everyone’s surprise and delight, he performed the whole show all over again! Talk about déjà vu! But while Beyoncé — who reportedly took in the show from the back of the room, though we failed to spot her — didn’t appear onstage, her boo’s second set delivered one of the evening’s most memorable moments. It happened just as Jay began to kick off an encore of "I Know," a trippy track he described earlier as "a song about addiction." "Can I get my Lindsay Lohan on?" he asked, chuckling at his own wisecrack. After pausing to reconsider his harsh but fair barb, he then wondered aloud, "That’s too far, huh? They may have to edit that out."
Comments (1-18) of 18 Add your comment
Ok, does Jay-Z have some kind of contract with EW? What’s with all the coverage of this album? I was looking forward to it, but you guys are killing it for me.
what’s up with the jay-z overdose? i never cared about the guy but now i’m starting to really dislike him. i’ve had enough jay-z for the rest of the decade.
People bug me always saying they’re tired of seeing and/or hearing from this celebrity or that celebrity. That’s comes from a straighter hater in my opinion. If these people entertain for a living, why shouldn’t they be in the spotlight, continuously building their brand and making money. People…it’s what they do. Let them do it, and if you’re tired of them, don’t listen to their music, watch them on t.v. or read about them in magazines.
Good Point. Now how do you feel about BritBrit?
BROOKLYN !
sorry, i just felt an urge to write that.
Big up to Jigga! Do ya thang BOO. I lov eJay because he really is a real artist and is not full of himself like most celebs. And the reason the album is being promoteded so much is because Jay IS THE KING OF WHAT HE DO!!!! And if you dont like him then don’t watch, read, or listen to anything that you know he’s going to be in. I LUV U JIGGA and keep doing ya thang!!
It’d be cool if he drops the album next week – wait is killing me.
Jay-Z keeps being covered because he deserves it! His last album was nothing to write home about but he packs more talent and creativity into his songs than most rappers (i.e. “I can sell a mill sayin’ nothin’ on the track” -Mims). Have you heard “Reasonable Doubt”? I implore you to give it a listen and then see if you feel so much disdain for the man. American Gangster is coming out and the story of how this movie inspired Jay-Z to record an ENTIRE album is worth all the coverage EW decides to give.
Yes, Stephen is right. EW covers Jay-z way too much. What I really want to see is more Lindsay Lohan, Britney,and Paris Hilton stories. And how about that new upcomer Vanessa Hudgens, I’d LOOVE to hear about her.
Give me a break! The man’s the greatest rapper of all time. It’s newsworthy when he drops an album.
Hey, I don’t even LIKE hip-hop but give respect where respect is due. Jay is one of the few artists of his genre that I’ll listen to. He’s creative and talented, I love the sound of his voice, and he built an empire out of nothing. I’d rather read about him than Lindsey and Britney and Paris any day of the week. Oh and by the way, EW features all things entertainment. The coverage of Jay-Z touches on both music AND movies, so the coverage he is receiving is only right. Not to mention that this album is highly anticipated. Has anyone looked at the release schedule for new CDs coming out for the rest of the year? It’s bleak, people.
Roc Boys (And The Winner Is) is like the best song of the year. I swear to God
Oh yeah that’s what I meant. OMG, did u read in US Weekly what happened on The Hills this week? And I like can’t wait to go out and buy Blackout on Tuesday!
more paris, more paris , more paris!!!
i’m sorry i was just trying to translate the 1st 2 posters
this guy’s a d*uche
i think someone i had is thinking of u i saw that web ew the day croatia caused me death on yahoo with best videos i just see now on yahoo
i think someone i had is thinking of u i saw that web ew on msn writting here then happened see that ew on msn of croatia got me my man just now i see the best music videos. worst thing
FYI, in case y’all were wondering the black rhinestone jacket with the skull that Jay was wearing on Storytellers is this new brand called Save Your Vanity. Myspace it. That jacket was dope!
Does anyone know what brand the black shirt Jay-Z was rockin?