Jay-Z Caps Three-Night Yankee Stadium Run With Beyoncé, Rihanna, Usher and More

Jay-Z performs Sunday during the “Extra Innings” finale of his three-night run at Yankee Stadium in New York. The show began shortly after midnight following a security breach that temporarily halted entry to the stadium. (Photo/Roc Nation via Instagram)

Jay-Z’s final Yankee Stadium concert began with locked gates and thousands of fans waiting outside. It ended shortly before 3 a.m. Monday with Beyoncé, Rihanna, Usher and collaborators from across his career helping him close a record-setting three-night run.

A security breach outside the Bronx ballpark forced officials to temporarily stop anyone from entering or leaving Sunday night. A police source told WABC that a large group pushed and shoved its way through security checkpoints, prompting a full lockdown while authorities regained control.

Gates began reopening around 10 p.m. under heightened security and what sources described as a slow, methodical screening process. The concert had been scheduled to begin at 8 p.m., but Jay-Z did not take the stage until about 12:20 a.m. No arrests were reported.

Jay-Z apologized after taking the stage and said he chose not to begin while so many people remained outside, fearing that starting the music could cause a dangerous rush toward the entrances.

@abc7ny There was chaos at Jay-Z's third and final Yankee Stadium concert after a security breach delayed the show. #nyc #jayz #jayzyankeestadium #yankeestadium #concert #entertainment #music ♬ original sound - ABC7NY

“I had to make sure everyone was OK,” he told the crowd.

The Yankees, Roc Nation and Live Nation later issued a joint statement thanking the New York Police Department and Yankee Stadium security personnel for putting attendee safety ahead of other considerations.

Once the show finally started, “Extra Innings” became the broadest of Jay-Z’s three Yankee Stadium concerts. Unlike the first two nights, which centered on specific albums, Sunday’s finale moved freely through his catalog and the relationships that have followed him from Brooklyn’s Marcy Projects to the top of the music business.

Teyana Taylor joined him for “Can’t Knock the Hustle,” the opening song from his 1996 debut album, “Reasonable Doubt.” Jermaine Dupri appeared for “Money Ain’t a Thang,” while Jeezy performed “Seen It All” and “Go Crazy.”

🎤The show must go on! Jay-Z explains the delay behind tonights show at Yankee Stadium - says there were 10,000 people outside and had to close the doors pic.twitter.com/eqIhYdoaIr

— HipHopKlipz36 (@hiphopklipz36) July 13, 2026

Usher joined Jay-Z for “Heart of the City (Ain’t No Love),” “Throwback” and “Part II (On the Run).” The-Dream appeared during “No Church in the Wild,” and Swizz Beatz accompanied Jay-Z through a stretch that included “On to the Next One.”

Rihanna delivered one of the night’s loudest moments when she emerged for “Run This Town,” then remained onstage for “Bitch Better Have My Money.” Pharrell Williams returned for a five-song run before Clipse joined them for “Grindin’.”

Beyoncé appeared later during a medley of “Drunk in Love,” “Tom Ford” and “Partition.” Fat Joe and Jadakiss helped bring the marathon show toward its close with “New York.”

The finale completed a weekend organized around two albums that marked different stages of Jay-Z’s rise.

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Friday’s opening concert celebrated the 30th anniversary of “Reasonable Doubt.” Beyoncé handled Mary J. Blige’s part on “Can’t Knock the Hustle,” Blue Ivy Carter played piano before “Feelin’ It,” and Nas, Jaz-O, Memphis Bleek and Alicia Keys joined Jay-Z during the night.

Saturday belonged to “The Blueprint,” released 25 years ago. Slick Rick joined Jay-Z for “The Ruler’s Back,” Eminem appeared for “Renegade,” and Pharrell performed five songs with him.

The show also established a Yankee Stadium concert record, selling 45,832 tickets and breaking the mark Jay-Z had set one night earlier.

The guests mattered because they were more than famous names added to a stadium bill.

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Jaz-O represented Jay-Z’s years before “Reasonable Doubt,” when the veteran rapper served as an early mentor. Nas stood beside the man he once battled in one of hip-hop’s most consequential feuds. Eminem’s appearance revived “Renegade,” a performance that has fueled rap arguments since “The Blueprint” arrived in 2001.

Memphis Bleek and Beanie Sigel connected the concerts to Roc-A-Fella’s peak. Dupri, Pharrell, Swizz Beatz and The-Dream represented different phases of Jay-Z’s evolution from street-level New York storyteller to crossover hitmaker. Beyoncé and Blue Ivy placed his family inside the story rather than alongside it.

The staging left room for those connections to carry the shows.

Creative director Willo Perron designed a largely bare stage backed by a massive outfield screen showing archival images from Jay-Z’s life and career. A 10-person band and an 18-piece string section supported the performances without overwhelming them.

“I think the statement piece in a Jay-Z show is Jay-Z,” Perron told Wired.

The Yankee Stadium run was originally announced as two concerts. Organizers added “Extra Innings” after the “Reasonable Doubt” and “Blueprint” shows quickly sold out.

Jay-Z will continue the “Jay-Z 30” anniversary celebration with stadium concerts Sept. 4 in London, Sept. 10 in Paris and Oct. 23 in Inglewood, California. Those shows are tied specifically to the 30th anniversary of “Reasonable Doubt,” not the full three-night New York format.

The final night nearly became a story about a security failure and a four-hour wait. Instead, after the gates reopened and the music finally started, Jay-Z finished a weekend that put his debut, his commercial peak, his family, his former rival and three decades of collaborators in the same ballpark.

The delay lasted four hours. The history took three nights.

Netflix Docuseries Executive Produced by 50 Cent Secures Three Emmy Nominations

Promotional art for the Netflix docuseries “Sean Combs: The Reckoning” is shown in this undated handout image. The project, executive produced by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, earned three Emmy nominations this week, including outstanding documentary or nonfiction series. The critical television recognition arrived exactly as Jackson faced a separate legal setback in a New York appellate court regarding a disputed life-rights agreement.

Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson spent the last two decades turning beef, television and personal history into business.

This week showed both sides of that machine.

A New York appeals court on Thursday rejected G-Unit Books’ attempt to win a default judgment against Shaniqua Tompkins, Jackson’s former girlfriend, in a breach-of-contract case tied to a disputed life-rights agreement. The same week, “Sean Combs: The Reckoning,” the Netflix docuseries Jackson executive produced, earned three Emmy nominations.

It is a strange but very 50 Cent split-screen: a legal setback over who controls one woman’s story and awards recognition for a documentary about another hip-hop mogul’s fall.

The court loss came from the Appellate Division, First Department, which unanimously affirmed a lower-court ruling denying G-Unit Books’ motion for default judgment and giving Tompkins more time to answer the complaint. The case is listed as G-Unit Books, Inc. v. Shaniqua Tompkins, Index No. 654265/2025.

G-Unit Books had sued Tompkins, accusing her of breaching an agreement by posting online videos and speaking publicly about her past relationship with Jackson. Bloomberg Law reported that the company claimed the posts violated a contract connected to her life story.

The appeals court did not decide whether Tompkins breached the agreement. It ruled that G-Unit Books was not entitled to a quick win before the case was answered.

The panel said the lower court “providently exercised its discretion” in denying G-Unit Books’ motion, pointing to New York’s “strong public policy in favor of litigating matters on the merits.” The court also noted that Tompkins’ delay in answering was “only four months” and that G-Unit Books did not allege prejudice from the delay.

The appellate panel focused heavily on service. Tompkins said she did not receive the summons and complaint. The court said G-Unit Books failed to provide evidence that she lived at the addresses where service was attempted.

At one Jamaica address, a process server was told by security staff that Tompkins no longer lived in the building. At a Greene Avenue address in Brooklyn, a tenant said he did not know her, according to the appellate decision.

The court also rejected G-Unit Books’ argument that publicity around the lawsuit showed Tompkins knew about the case. The panel said Tompkins denied knowing about the lawsuit until October 2025 and that G-Unit Books presented no evidence refuting that denial. A TMZ request for comment did not prove she had notice, the court said.

The lower court ruling, which the appeals court upheld, said Tompkins had raised possible defenses to the case. Judge Robert R. Reed wrote that Tompkins disputed that the “Life Rights Agreement” was entered into voluntarily and had identified possible defenses including duress, illegality and fraud.

That does not mean those defenses have been proven. It means the case continues instead of ending by default.

While G-Unit Books lost that round, Jackson’s television business had a better week.

The Television Academy lists “Sean Combs: The Reckoning” with three Emmy nominations: outstanding documentary or nonfiction series, outstanding directing for a documentary/nonfiction program and outstanding picture editing for a nonfiction program. Jackson is listed as an executive producer on the documentary/nonfiction series nomination.

The nominated Netflix series was produced by House of Nonfiction, G-Unit Film & Television and Texas Crew Productions. Alexandria Stapleton was nominated for directing the episode “Pain Vs Love,” while the editing nomination was for the episode “Blink Again.”

Jackson celebrated the nominations on social media, writing that “everybody had something to say” when the project was announced and that “the Emmys got something to say too."

Music Publisher Reservoir Media Secures Global Rights to T.I. Discography

Multi-platinum recording artist T.I., second from left, poses alongside Reservoir Media executives to celebrate a new publishing agreement. Pictured from left are Reservoir CEO Golnar Khosrowshahi, T.I., Executive Vice President of A&R and Catalog Development Faith Newman, and President Rell Lafargue. The Atlanta rap pioneer signed a comprehensive worldwide publishing deal with the company on Thursday covering his entire back catalog and future releases. (Courtesy photo)

T.I. is turning his legacy into long-term publishing business.

The Grammy-winning Atlanta rapper has signed a worldwide publishing deal with Reservoir Media covering his back catalog and future works, including his new album, “Kill the King,” the company announced Thursday.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

The agreement gives Reservoir a role in a catalog that helped push Atlanta trap from regional movement to global rap language. Reservoir said the deal spans T.I.’s full publishing catalog, including his back catalog and future work, and comes as “Kill the King” has debuted in the top 10 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Top Rap Albums charts.

T.I., born Clifford Joseph Harris Jr., has released a catalog that Reservoir said includes 11 studio albums, more than 100 singles and 13 mixtapes. His hits include “What You Know,” “Bring Em Out,” “Live Your Life,” “Dead and Gone” and “Swagga Like Us.”

“I’m very excited about building a strong partnership with Reservoir as we work together to diversify the business and expand the reach of my catalog,” Harris said in a statement.

The deal arrives as T.I. is also positioning “Kill the King” as the closing chapter of his rap career. In a People interview published Thursday, he reflected on retiring from music, family life with Tameka “Tiny” Cottle-Harris and the 25-year arc from his 2001 debut, “I’m Serious,” to his final album.

That makes the Reservoir agreement more than routine catalog housekeeping. It is a legacy move by one of the central figures of 2000s Southern rap at a time when hip-hop catalogs from the CD era are being treated as long-term assets.

Reservoir Executive Vice President of A&R and Catalog Development Faith Newman called T.I. the “King of the South” and said his music helped put Atlanta’s rap scene on the map.

“His crossover successes and enduring popularity have proven time and again how much his music resonates with fans,” Newman said.

Reservoir President and Chief Operating Officer Rell Lafargue said T.I.’s music has “real cultural significance and staying power.”

T.I. won three Grammys during his commercial peak, including best rap solo performance for “What You Know” and best rap/sung collaboration for Justin Timberlake’s “My Love.” He won again in 2009 for “Swagga Like Us,” the Jay-Z, Kanye West, Lil Wayne and T.I. collaboration built around an M.I.A. sample.

His 2008 album “Paper Trail” remains the cleanest example of his crossover reach. The project included “Live Your Life” with Rihanna, “Dead and Gone” with Timberlake and “Whatever You Like,” turning the self-proclaimed King of the South into one of rap’s most reliable pop-chart names without fully detaching him from trap music’s street foundation.