With “Made in America” playing in the background, Jay-Z had his Rocky moment atop the steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art before he took the stage in front of 50,000 people at the first-ever “Made in America” festival in Philadelphia on Saturday. Wearing a silky shirt, the Roc Nation boss closed out the first day of the two-day festival with an hour-long set filled with surprises.
President Carter kicked things off with “Public Service Announcement” before making way for President Obama, who praised Jay-Z and asked his fans to vote in a pre-taped message.
“I have a long love affair with Philadelphia, so I’m happy to be here tonight,” said Jay. “We made some amazing music in Philadelphia.”
He ran through his hits, bringing out Swizz Beatz for “On to the Next One” and Philly’s own Young Gunz and Freeway. Beyoncé was seen repping the Roc from the VIP section, while Drake also watched from the audience.
The concert was filmed by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer for a film to be released in 2013.