Jay-Z is the man! LOL Who else can do an seven-city tour in one day? I sure as hell can’t think of anyone. On November 18, 2006, Jay-Z performed seven 30-minute concerts in seven different cities as a part of his “Hangar Tour” over a time-span of only 24 hours! Check out a few pics of his show in New York above. And follow the break to check out a timeline of that day!
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5:15 a.m.: At this ungodly hour, Jay-Z is getting ready for the first in the series of concerts. 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.: After waiting around for a bit, Jay-Z comes downstairs and we’re ready to go. We pile 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. There are at least 100 people waiting outside — they will not get in. There are a hundred more inside, already hyped. 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.
7:45 a.m.: 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. The name “Michael Jordan” comes up. Certainly it’s an apt analogy. Jay-Z has long been the MVP of the rap game.
9:45 a.m.: Once again, the venue is packed, 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… Outside, two women are pleading to get a picture with Jay-Z. As he leaves, one of the women bangs on a fence and screams at him: “Jay-Z! Jay-Z! I’m your No. 1 fan!”
12:30 p.m.: The hardest part about the tour so far? Keeping together the multi-car motorcade, which now includes a few contest winners picked up along the way in each city to enjoy a day in the life of Jay. The next stop: Howard University, in Washington, D.C. Jigga tells the crowd: “I know y’all already downloaded it … but y’all gotta go and pick up the album on Tuesday.”
4:15 p.m.: So far, Jay-Z shows no sign of fatigue. He’s changed the color of the hoodie (now white) for his NYC performance, but that’s about all that’s changed. Jay-Z still has the same energy he had at 6 a.m., maybe because he performed for his hometown. It looks as if more than 2,000 people have shown this time, at a pier off Manhattan’s West Side highway.
8:30 p.m.: When Jay-Z arrives at the Riviera in Chicago, he’s as animated as ever, pumping up the crowd, from the first line of the song, “Kingdom Come.” It is the only venue that is not packed to capacity, though it is almost full.
1:45 a.m.: It seems we are too early for the L.A. gig and have time to kill. So Jay-Z saddles up to a hotel bar and orders drinks for the crew, and the bartenders switch on ESPN so he can get an update on the Michigan-Ohio State football game. A few minutes later, a toast is made for everyone for surviving this far.
3:15 a.m.: We’ve been traveling with growing security all day, but this is the first time we’ve actually needed it. At the Wiltern, soon after Jay-Z begins his set, someone jumps onstage — not a good idea. He’s immediately pinned down and thrown out of the building. But who cares about a deranged fan — Beyoncé is here. Dressed in a black babydoll dress, black leggings and heels, she looks stunning.
6 a.m.: Last stop, Vegas. The city is sparkling as Jay-Z and friends touch down. The last performance is to be at club Tao, and everyone’s energy level is back to 100 percent. Unfortunately, the last bash was the one the AP couldn’t see. The crush of humanity was so great that we were separated from Jay-Z and had to settle for the backstage VIP area.
