JAY Z 30 YANKEE stadium was KRUSH GROOVE 2026

Hip-hop has a system, a government of sorts; it has its own Senate. It has a hierarchy of artists, executives, middle management, and worker bees. It has a caste system dictated by finances, just like any oligarchy; most of the richest rappers don’t move unless they have a compelling situation. The chairman of the board held a three-day conference, and all the industry heads showed up.

The most compelling people became the storyline of New York this weekend. It seemed that the most influential artists performed on the final night of the Jay-Z 30 concert in NY. Could this have been the best hip-hop concert ever? Anticipation built to a frenzied level of frustration because the show was delayed almost four hours due to some people "bum rushing" the door. This couldn't have been more of a 90s club/concert scene to me—the headliner deciding not to perform until paying customers got in.

Yankee Stadium is logistically a nightmare. I had a few moments of claustrophobia when getting in and out because there is no rhyme or reason to entering the stadium; it’s like that for games, too. The gates were flooded, and the doors couldn’t handle the capacity. But I digress. There were moments when people in the stadium had to ask themselves, “Is any artist worth the Lauryn Hill-style delay?” I will say last night’s show proved the answer is yes: that artist is Jay-Z, period.

The amalgamation of talent and the compilation of musical coordination were prime artistry and musicology. Bless the person at Roc Nation who had to coordinate all the artists that performed during the "extra innings" show. The determination of the artists to show up and wait to perform three hours behind schedule was impressive. I am sure people left and lost money on tickets, and hopefully, Ticketmaster will work with them. Those who stayed saw the best retro hip-hop concert ever. In true "buy out the bar" fashion, Jay-Z paid overage fees to make sure everything and everyone possible got to see the show. In my opinion, this may have been the best-curated hip-hop concert ever. I saw "Jay-Z 30" on Friday at Yankee Stadium, and the in-person experience was worth the sauna-like temperatures. I have experienced a few Jay-Z performances—some that are lifetime, epic moments, or core memories—grail moments that nobody else will have. I really admire him; he is arguably my favorite contemporary artist. I would give my performance an eight or nine on a scale of 10. There were definitely small technical issues, valid for a first show. I believe he had issues with his microphone at the end; I also think he freestyled some parts, making it a little unorganized, but still on-script. Nothing took away from the quality of this brilliant show.

"Jay-Z 30" is a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the album Reasonable Doubt. I remember going to the record store, HMV, and seeing this album on the wall. Not knowing anything about it, I listened to it and realized, "Oh, this is that guy Jay-Z’s album." He had the “Ain’t No Nigga” single out with Foxy Brown, and I had gone to the Q Club in Queens, where they ran the song into the ground—the crowds kept going crazy! That song was captivating, so listening to the album for the first time, I was amazed. It resonated with me because I had just come back from living in Washington, D.C., half-hustling and half-living, and a lot of the concepts on the album fit my life perfectly. I was like, "This is the kind of music I want to hear when it comes to hip-hop hustler music."

Fast forward to 2026: Yankee Stadium is sold out, packed with fans and revelers to celebrate the anniversary of this album. It is a testament to longevity and good music. I used to wonder what would happen to hip-hop artists and where they would perform. Would we be going to small clubs? Would they only perform at music halls like Radio City? Back in the day, the Four Tops, the Spinners, and those quartet groups played venues like Mount Airy Lodge for holiday shows, which always seemed like “last leg of the journey” shows to me. But the beautiful thing now is that because hip-hop is financially successful, we perform at stadiums—GOATs alongside the youth like Travis Scott, etc. So, we did not get washed away by any other genre of music. Thankfully, it’s easy for me to ignore the "hip-hop is dead" conversations. In my opinion, most of those people don’t listen to music anymore.

During these three New York shows, I don’t think there was a song missed. Hearing “All I Need,” “Dear Summer,” and “Bring It On” cemented my dreams of seeing and hearing these songs performed live. They refreshed a lot of the songs with mixtape-style blends of various instrumentals and lyrics interweaved to sonically satisfy the ear. I was triggered when the band played BDP’s “The Bridge Is Over” while Hov rhymed “Where I’m From”…. I am from Queens, so that song is triggering. Nas performed on the first night with Jay, and it was an amazing performance; they seemed in sync. We watched two rivals be everything we hoped they could be without the rivalry! The band was amazing. I don’t think there was a song that HOV missed.

The only thing I wish could’ve happened was Foxy Brown performing, but given the sheer amount of artists that performed over the last three days, I can only say: Thank you, Jay-Z; thank you, Roc Nation. We thoroughly enjoyed the show. It had that “New York vs. Everybody” feeling. The President of Hip-Hop seems to be making a structured reorganization. “You can’t knock the hustle.” Jay Z 30 Can't Knock the Hustle (with Beyoncé) (Fool’s Paradise remix; contains snippet of Beyoncé's "Love on Top") Politics as Usual JAŸ-Z30 Freestyle (a cappella) Brooklyn’s Finest I Love the Dough (The Notorious B.I.G. cover) Dead Presidents (with Nas) Dead Presidents II (with Nas) The World Is Yours (Nas cover) (with Nas) N.Y. State of Mind (Nas cover) (with Nas) Where I'm From (with Nas) Feelin' It (with Blue Ivy Carter) (and Mecca; Blue Ivy on piano) D'Evils Lucifer No Church in the Wild (JAY Z & Kanye West Can I Live Jigga My Nigga Ain't No Nigga Excuse Me Miss 22 Two's Friend or Foe / Friend or Foe '98 Coming of Age (with Memphis Bleek) Cashmere Thoughts Allure Bring It On (with Jaz‐O) Regrets Encore: New York State of Mind (Billy Joel cover) (with Alicia Keys) Empire State of Mind (with Alicia Keys) Best of Me (Part II) (Mýa cover) (Snippet) Blow the Whistle (Too $hort cover) (Snippet) La-La-La (Excuse Me Miss Again) Mundian to Bach Ke (Beware of the Boys) (Panjabi MC cover) (Snippet) Change the Game Do It Again (Put Ya Hands Up) You, Me, Him and Her Roc Boys (And the Winner Is ...) Public Service Announcement Niggas in Paris Big Pimpin' Jay Z 25 The Ruler's Back (First time since 2006) The Ruler's Back (Slick Rick cover) (with Slick Rick) La Di Da Di (Slick Rick cover) Izzo (H.O.V.A.) Girls, Girls, Girls Jigga That Nigga U Don't Know Hola' Hovito Heart of the City (Ain't No Love) Never Change Song Cry All I Need Renegade (with Eminem) Lose Yourself (Eminem cover) (with Eminem) (Second verse over "Takeover" beat) Blueprint (Momma Loves Me) Encore: Theme From New York, New York (Frank Sinatra song) Empire State of Mind Excuse Me Miss (with Pharrell Williams) La-La-La (Excuse Me Miss Again) (with Pharrell Williams) I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me) (with Pharrell Williams) Frontin' (Pharrell Williams cover) (with Pharrell Williams) Allure (with Pharrell Williams) Niggas in Paris / Big Pimpin' Public Service Announcement Encore Extra innings Intro Brooklyn’s Finest (Contains elements of "Foolish" and "Juicy") Where I'm From Dirt Off Your Shoulder I Know U Don't Know (Contains elements of "Ha Ya (Eternal Life)" and "Family Feud") Can't Knock the Hustle (with Teyana Taylor) Money Ain't a Thang (Jermaine Dupri cover) (with Jermaine Dupri) Seen It All (Jeezy cover) (with Jeezy) Go Crazy (Jeezy cover) (with Jeezy) Hola' Hovito Heart of the City (Ain't No Love) (with Usher) (Contains elements of "Ready Or Not") Throwback / Part II (On the Run) (Usher cover) (with Usher) Play Video Never Change Song Cry Izzo (H.O.V.A.) Beach Is Better Fuckwithmeyouknowigotit Nigga What, Nigga Who (Originator 99) No Church in the Wild (JAY Z & Kanye West song) (with The‐Dream) Clique (Kanye West, Jay-Z & Big Sean cover) Run This Town (with Rihanna) Bitch Better Have My Money (Rihanna cover) (with Rihanna) Dead Presidents Can I Live Girls, Girls, Girls / '03 Bonnie & Clyde (Contains elements of "Girl") 99 Problems Ruff Ryder's Anthem / Welcome to the Jungle / So Appalled (with Swizz Beatz) Jigga My Nigga (with Swizz Beatz) On to the Next One (with Swizz Beatz) Ain't No Woman (Four Tops song) Ain't No Nigga Excuse Me Miss (with Pharrell Williams) La La La (with Pharrell Williams) I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me) (with Pharrell Williams) Frontin' (Pharrell Williams cover) (with Pharrell Williams) Allure (with Pharrell Williams) Grindin' (Clipse cover) (with Clipse & Pharrell Williams) Lift Off (JAY Z & Kanye West song) Play Video Drunk in Love (Beyoncé cover) (with Beyoncé) (“Tom Ford”, “Naughty Girl”, “Beautiful Liar”, "Mundian To Bach Ke" and “Partition”) Niggas in Paris / Big Pimpin' Public Service Announcement Theme From New York, New York (John Kander song) Empire State of Mind (Contains elements of "Down 4 My N's") New York (Ja Rule cover) (with Fat Joe) (also with Jadakiss) Lucifer Dirt Off Your Shoulder Encore

Dear God Easter Ver

a dangerous mind is a bad thing to waste.

A dangerous mind is a bad thing to waste. Spring has not shown up yet and its late April evening the sun is setting in NY. I'm in Harlem absorbing the atmosphere. Sitting in a restaurant behind a group of older black adults that probably meet every Sunday after church. The women in there best head dresses. Talking about green tea, the gentleman having small talk while enjoying the food. I wonder if I make it to see grey hair and milky eyes, what and who my circle of friends will be. I never ponder getting old, these days and times, there are more then enough hazards that most men of color don't think long range. We live for today because tomorrow CNN will be covering the latest police related riot over a accidental homocide they have committed. But back to the wonderful enjoyment I felt absorbing the sights and the sounds. Walking on Lenox from 125th and you run into a restaurants

 row.

Of course the classic Sylvia's 

The one oddly familiar discrepancy that signaled, this is not the New Jack City crack riddled Harlem anymore. I noticed an abundance of comfortable white folks. Young couples, fashionable hipsters that have taken residents in the newly built condos and reasonable brownstones. The feeling flashed me back to Ft.Green 10 years ago. The Ft.Green and Harlem of 10 years ago. If you were not coming to cop some drugs, then you wouldn't see a white person. With good reason , there was a fair chance the would have gotten robbed. Don't get me wrong , as a New Yorker there are many white people that have grown up next to and with us. Speak the language walk the walk accepted because their condition was as bad as any ghetto child. The current whites in Harlem are the grassroots that I see will eventually uproot those native to Harlem. They will prove them out just as the outrageous housing costs in Ft.Green. But at the end of the day it's all about the money. 

This current soliloquy was inspired by my boy Creature and his boy Sav Kills. I saw them like I saw them a few years ago randomly in a public place, pushing there music one CD at a time. We stood and talked in Union Square about Hip Hop. We had the kind of conversation about current emcees and emcees that are not so popular but dope. Not the type of conversation that you argue over the best emcee just, how each persons taste is different.  

We spoke on Action Bronson, Kendrick Lamar, Mayhem Lauren, Remy Banks, Sean Price, Oddisee and others, but needless to say and eclectic group. 

http://youtu.be/jeq1ZuOklSg

Creature asked why I had not been blogging. The term blogger bothered me, most blogs have content that is critical of artist. Most these bloggers are haters. Some people blogging are looking in, when you are looking out some of the pre conceived notions uninformed and ridiculous. I can only quote DallasPenn quoting me " The word Business is long then the word show" ; with that said it time to get back to business "EPMD" style. 

So with that's said welcome to the "GudWord", I welcome you back to my world. Some say I keep it a little to real. Let's walk and talk on this new journey. 

Summer 2017 : Ca$h me outside Bish

Summer in the City NYC 2017 Sun, BBQ food , shorts , water sports, love , adventure I wish you all of these, if it is summer in your part of the world Make sure you go out and dance
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It still amazes me how global hiphop has become.

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GUDWORD.net Capricorn flow

Capricorn Flow THe beginning of another year, trying to shed all the BS and focus on me this year. #GUDTHINGSFORGDPEOPLE NAS X SLICKRICK Ostrich Pillow is the shit