Coachella: Jay-Z ascends the throne

Kevin Bronson on April 17th, 2010

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Who: Jay-Z at the main stage.
In 3 or Fewer Words: Rap’s king, crowned.
I’ll remember this set for at least the next year because: Jay-Z’s full-band set was the moment that hip-hop became a fully-functioning member of Coachella nation. Sure, it’s been represented – even exhaulted – before (case in point: a pre-backlash surprise Kanye West set that cemented him as much more than just a promising newcomer). But never has it been the focus of a Coachella day as it was before Jigga took the stage. There he was, though, energetically busting out hit after hit: “Run This Town,” to start, and then in a hurry everything from “Jigga What” to “Dirt Off My Shoulder.” Not only were hardcore fans getting down, but passive passersby realized they knew every word, and the crowd swelled bigger and bigger as the set progressed, til the hip-hop superstar invited Beyoncé – his equally famous wife – to join him on “Forever Young.” No one in the rap game exudes as much class as Jay-Z, who even devoted part of his set to calling out audience members he’d been vibing with for the duration – an acknowledgment that when it comes to getting the crowd on your side, it’s always a two-way (or in this case, 75,001-way) street.
What I’d tell my friend who was at Public Image Ltd.: You missed “Hard Knock Life” to see if Johnny Rotten was gonna spit on you? Not worth it, dude.