Jay-Z and Kanye West perform on November 3rd

by Briana Applewhite ’13

When Jay-Z and Kanye West announced they were naming their joint album, “Watch the Throne,” the superstars were aiming to raise the bar for not only themselves, but also hip-hop in general. The posturing seemed justified when the album shot to No. 1 on the Billboard Charts, selling 500,000 copies in its first week.

So when they revealed their tour in August, fans ran to there nearest computers and hustled to get tickets to get a glimpse of royalty at work. That is exactly what this tour gave a sold-out audience on November 3 at the Verizon Center.

As the booming bass and beats of “H.A.M.” blasted over the speakers, 20,000 people rose to their feet, until the stars descended from two cubed platforms on opposite sides of the venue, like gladiators ready for battle.

The self-proclaimed kings of hip-hop traded boastful verses through their first single “H.A.M.” off of their new album, while the crowd gazed in awe of the two geniuses.

As the show went on, it became clear Jay-Z, 41, and West, 34, had an older brother-younger brother relationship. Instead of rap battlers as it appeared on the “Watch the Throne” album, the duo effortlessly shared the spotlight in concert. The dynamic continued throughout the show, with Jay-Z being the elder, more experienced rock-solid rapper, while West emerged as a mixture between rapper and pop singer.

West has a more intense style than Jay-Z, and he obviously thrives on the praise and worship he receives from the audience. He raps like his life depends on it and it is evident to everyone in the room that he is clearly the more tortured soul out of the two rappers, crooning through his two singles, “Heartless” and “Runaway” about relationships that turned ugly.

Their wardrobes reinforced the dynamic, with Jay-Z changing his black t-shirt  into a black hoodie and a New York Yankees cap, while West had three ensemble changes, which included a skirt (properly termed kilt?) with leather pants underneath.

One would think that with it being the “Watch the Throne” concert that the two would perform mostly the tracks from the album. But that was not the case at the Verizon Center. The two MCs bounced back and forth between their own hits and met somewhere in the middle occasionally with their “Watch the Throne” tracks.

West began the tug-of war with his first individual set of “Can’t Tell Me Nothing,” “Flashing Lights,” “Diamonds Are Forever.” He then handed the spotlight over to Jay-Z for “PSA, ” “99 Problems,” “Izzo (H.O.V.A.)” and “Big Pimpin.”

There were some calm periods in the 38-song set, particularly when the duo sat down on stage for “Made in America” and “New Day,” the more serious, subdued songs on the Throne. During “No Church in the Wild,” the audience was subjected to watch the downfalls of America on the jumbotron, including haunting images of white supremacists, burning crosses, lynching and brainwashed young children, leaving the audience to ponder over the lingering lyrics of the track in a new light.

Things began heating up again during the encore, “Ni**as in Paris,” which they repeated three times to make the crowd even more hyped than it already was. At one point Kanye shouted, “I want you to remember this night for the rest of your life.” Done.

Both kings definitely showed they see no plans of being overthrown anytime soon, and will, without a doubt, reign for many years to come.