September 24, 2006 23:45

Jay-Z and Beyonce team-up on stage in London Jay-Z Tickets

Plus Nas joins the Wembley party

Photo Gallery: Jay-Z
Photo: Pa Photos

Jay-Z was joined on stage tonight (September 24) by two special guests, as he played the first of his two London shows this week.

Performing in front of a sold out crowd at Wembley Arena, the rapper brought out Beyonce and Nas during his two-hour set.

Introducing his girlfriend, Jay-Z told the crowd “to make some noise for Beyonce Knowles”, as the pair – accompanied by a troupe of dancers – performed ’Crazy In Love’.

The rapper then asked the former Destiny’s Child star if she was finished, to which she replied “no” and launched into recent single ’Déjà vu’ to loud cheers from the audience.

Earlier the Roc-A-Fella boss had also welcomed Nas to the stage, who performed three of his own songs, including ’If I Ruled The World’, before teaming-up with Jay-Z for ’Dead Presidents II’.

Otherwise Jay-Z, joined by rapper Memphis Bleek for most of the show, played a career-spanning set including the likes of ’99 Problems’, ’Hard Knock Life’, ’Girls, Girls, Girls’, ’H To The Izzo’ and ’You Don’t Know (Remix)’, which he performed to a loop of Nirvana live footage featuring Kurt Cobain smashing a guitar.

Jay-Z also used the big screens to pay tribute to a host of deceased acts.

Displaying the likes of Notorious BIG, 2Pac, Jam Master Jay, Aaliyah and TLC’s Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopes, the rapper had his DJs play tracks by the late artists, and encouraged the crowd to sing-a-long loudly “so they can hear us all the way up to Heaven”.

Concluding his set with ’Encore’, Jay-Z is now set to play his second London show at the Royal Albert Hall on September 27, where guests are expected to include Coldplay’s Chris Martin.

The rapper is also releasing a new album - confirming that he has reversed his decision to retire - on November 27.