(Kansas
City, Mo.)
“font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;”>– When rap stars Jay-Z and Kanye West teamed to form hip-hop’s ultimate power duo The Throne, fans and hip-hop heads were eager to point out that their CD Watch The Throne was far from classic among either artist’s catalog. But a series of sold-out live shows has served as a silencer to any critics who doubt the power of their partnership.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>After leaving fans at bay for more than 90 minutes from the printed start time and with no opening act to speak of, Jay-Z and West emerged from separate platforms that rose from the ground of the Sprint Center last week – so high that they appeared to give guests in the balcony a close up on the rappers’ faces. Their dramatic entrance was just the first taste of the breathtaking special effects – serving as a show within a show of pyrotechnics, laser lighting, trap doors and video.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>They began their nearly two-hour show with “H.A.M.” from Watch The Throne and, as the acronym suggests, the two went hard from hello. Aside from the delayed start time, The Throne approached their performance with the hunger and passion of emerging artists.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>After running through a few Watch the Throne selections, including “Otis,” Jay-Z and West began a tag team of the stage that showcased their greatest hits. As one would offer a two- to three-song segment, the other would come in on the tail end and take over.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>It was through Jay-Z that Kanye earned a name for himself in hip-hop as a producer with hits like “H.O.V.” Now a star in his own right as an artist, West has returned the favor by hipping Jay to the power of over-the-top stage shows.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Unlike his scaled-down set from 2009’s Blueprint 3 tour, synced laser lighting and pyro chimed in as Jay’s beats pounded through the arena on songs such as “99 Problems,” “Give it To Me,” “Big Pimpin’” and “Empire State of Mind.”
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Both made the most of the sensory overload, but the two couldn’t be more different with respect to rhyme style and subject matter. The contrast among Jay and West added to the appeal of the pairing and presentation for the Throne Tour.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Jay-Z was all about the flow. He was traditional hip-hop from head to toe with a hoodie and fitted cap, pacing the stage to the beat of his music. CGI lighting projecting a digitized image of him as he ascended on the cubic platform during “On To The Next” was about as flash as he was going to get.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>West was another story altogether. His leather kilt and matching leggings couldn’t have been any less gangster, and his raw emotional rhymes about his mother and former muse Amber Rose followed suit.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>He sang his heart out – with the help of auto tune, of course – and hung his head as he recited rhymes that chronicled the media spectacles West has imposed upon himself during the course of his career.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The only evidence of his antics on this night was when he relished in the peaks he caught of himself in the jumbotron as he danced back and forth to selections like “Flashing Lights,” “All of the Lights,” “Jesus Walks” and “The Good Life.”
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The two reunited as The Throne for their current hit (“[n-word expletive] In Paris”). Fans sang along with every word as the two performed the full-length version the song three more times and each time the crowd served more energy than before.
