He hit up Atlanta, Philadelphia, Washington, New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, and finished in Las Vegas early Sunday. The Associated Press was along for the ride with the recently unretired rapper, whose comeback album, "Kingdom Come," will be released Tuesday. 5:15 a.
m. EST - This is a time when if you're a hip-hop star and one of the biggest celebrities in the world, you may be heading home from an exclusive private club or an after-hours A-list party. This is not the time when you start preparing for a concert.
But at this ungodly hour, Jay-Z is getting ready for the first in a series of concerts spanning both coasts - in a single day. The first stop is Atlanta, where Hova was scheduled to give a concert at 6 a.m.
, when most people haven't eaten their breakfast. The last stop is Las Vegas at 3 a.m.
Sunday. How will the Jigga Man do it? 6:15 a.
m. EST - After waiting around for a bit, Jay-Z comes downstairs and we're ready to go. We load in the car.
Among the entourage are an MTV crew and Jay-Z's main sidekick, Memphis Bleek. When asked how the crew rolls, Memphis Bleek jokes, "We roll tired." The energy kicks up as we head to Atlanta's Centerstage for the first concert.
There are at least 100 people waiting outside - they will not get in. There are a hundred more inside, already hyped for the early morning performance. Did these people even go home?
Jay-Z hits the stage, and the crowd flashes diamond signs. "ATL, what's up?" Jay-Z says as he launches into a series of his hits, the crowd jumping along the way.
"First of all, y'all crazy," Jay-Z says to the crowd. "I know I'm already crazy. But y'all crazy.
" 7:45 a.m. EST - The road trip has officially begun.
Instead of a car, a G5 is the official caravan - a luxurious jet with cream-coloured leather seats, a couple of couches and a wood table. There's no safety demonstration, apparently assuming that when you're on the G5, you're not going to crash. And if it does, hey, you're with Jay-Z, what better way to go?
Jay-Z relaxes on board, sunglasses still on, stretching out. But there won't be much rest on this leg. MTV personality Sway begins to talk to Jay-Z about the end of his retirement.
Phrases like "Michael Jordan" and "comeback" are used. Certainly it's an apt analogy. Jay-Z has long been the MVP of the rap game, and his departure a couple years back left hip hop lagging in superstars, like when Jordan hung up his No.
23 jersey. 9:45 a.m.
EST - Jay-Z's superstar status is in full effect as he arrives in Philadelphia for show No. 2, and it's not even 10 a.m.
Once again, the venue is packed with hundreds of fans and the mere sight of the rapper gets the crowd riled up - so much so that Jay-Z doesn't even need to recite a verse from "Big Pimpin"' - the crowd does it for him. It's a raucous performance.
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