The contentious issue of Jay Z’s headlining slot at Glastonbury was still making headlines when the Jigga rolled into Cork for what would be his final practice-run before taking to that Pyramid Stage, where he would do battle with the traditionalists in the presumably muddy trenches of the English countryside.
And while that overblown controversy will be consigned to the history books and internet forums by the time you read this, it should be said that, on this evidence at least, Jay Z was heading in all guns blazing.
Backed by his impeccably ‘on-the-money’ group, Jay Z gave the capacity crowd of 5,000 a truly stadium-sized rap show – big hits, huge mash-ups, wide-eyed visuals, MCs working the crowd, and of course the mainman himself further winning over an already partisan crowd with rebel declarations as well as some compulsory Bush-baiting and waving of Irish flags.
They in turn gave the rap legend the perfect send-off, reciprocating the love back ten-fold, waving hands in the air on demand, volleying back responses to the ring-leader's calls and spitting out every turn of phrase in sync with the man formerly known as Shaun Carter.
Rap staples ‘I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)’, ‘Show Me What You Got’, ‘99 Problems’, ‘Roc Boys’, ‘Blue Magic’, and ‘IZZO’ were belted out in quick succession, some faithful to their origins, others reinvented with samples from Amy Winehouse’s ‘Rehab’, Rihanna’s ‘Umbrella’, AC/DC’s ‘Back In Black’ and The Prodigy’s ‘Smack My Bitch Up’. All were delivered with total conviction and absolute confidence, by a rapper assured of his own legendary status. A triumph.
Graham Lynch