Jay-Z Brings The Roc To ACC

Air Canada Centre

Toronto, ON

on Oct 31 2009

Noah Love (CHARTattack)

11/02/2009 4:18pm

There's a hilarious debate raging on the internet every day and it goes something like this: why would Beyonce, a phenomenally attractive woman, marry Jay-Z, who looks like a camel?

Putting aside for a second that Jay does kind of look like a camel, the argument against him is ridiculous for one simple reason: Jay-Z is the coolest man alive.

Think about it. Name one person on Earth more unassailably cool than Hov. He's rich, his style is impeccable and he's arguably the greatest living MC. I'd argue it isn't even much of a competition. Judging by the capacity crowd at the ACC on Saturday night, I'm not alone.

It's impressive Jigga could draw this kind of crowd promoting a middling new record at roughly $90 a pop during a time of financial uncertainty. But here's what makes the Jay-Z live experience one worth your time and money: he tries. When so many performers are charging for the big bucks and simply going through the motions, Jay wants to make sure everybody leaves the building and tells everybody else to go see him the next time around.

I could sit here and rattle off the list of hits that made appearances on Saturday night, but if you know J-Hova, you know them all. So instead, I'll tell you why you should make an effort to see him at least once in your life if you care about hip-hop at all.

1. In concert, Jay-Z is larger than life.
He's rocking a highly skilled 11-piece band on this tour and I doubt you would notice them once. The group sit on a series of platforms near the back of the stage while Jay stands up front, prowling the stage accompanied by sideman Memphis Bleek with the energy of an MC half his age.

2. You have never seen an arena crowd so ready to have a great time.
Look, I get the U2 or Radiohead or Coldplay or Oasis or even Nine Inch Nails experiences. They are huge spectacles with overwhelming musical moments. But none of them have party atmospheres. Not even the audiences at the two Kanye West shows I've seen were this revved up. And the 10-minute countdown that preceded Jay's appearance? A masterstroke. I can't think of a better way to build anticipation than actually telling your fans when you are going to hit the stage. Everybody should do this.

3. Fine, there are some really, really great hits.
The Blueprint 3 material translates much better on stage than it does on the album, but nobody was there for "D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-Tune)" or "So Ambitious." No, the people came for "H To The Izzo (H.O.V.A.)," "Big Pimpin'," "Hard Knock Life" and "Can I Get A..." and none of them left disappointed. Jay's catalog is so stacked that any time there was a lull, he could just spit a verse from "Swagger Like Us" and push the room into hysterics.

If you like Hov even a little, if you love watching a performer own a room, if you enjoy feeling like you haven't wasted a single penny of your concert dollar, I urge you to see Jay-Z.

Side rant: The only disappointing part of the show? Toronto's own Drake, who came out to perform his inexplicably popular single "Successful" mid-set and sucked the air out of the room. Whatever it is people are seeing in this kid, I am blind to it. He has a grating vocal tone, his music is sulky and boring, he has a weird, nervous stage presence and a slouchy stature.

And all of this couldn't be more apparent when he stood next to the pillar of a man who possesses the most swagger on the planet. If Lil Wayne really needed a protege, I have to believe he could have done better than this.