Many legends have played Centerfield at Yankee Stadium.  Next week, it’s Jay-Z’s turn.

Jay-Z Hand Signed Photo

In his smash hit, “Empire State of Mind,” hip hop mogul, Jay-Z claims he can “make a Yankees hat more famous than a Yankee can.”  He’ll get his shot to prove it when he takes center stage, in centerfield, to perform at the first concert in new Yankee Stadium’s history.

For two nights, September 13 and 14, Jay-Z will headline the historic concert series, and will no doubt be doing it with “that new, blue Yankee [hat]” on.  Adding to the excitement, fans will be entertained by a “double play” combination rivaling that of Jeter and Cano.  Jay-Z will “turn two” with his partner for the event, the legendary, Eminem.

This historic concert is part of an unprecedented “Home-and-Home” concert series, taking place with Jay-Z in a Yankees hat, on his home turf, New York City, and Eminem’s child-hood digs, Detroit.  The pair completed their Detroit portion of the schedule earlier this month, and USA Today referred to the result as a “milestone for hip hop.”

The two dates in New York will, no doubt, be more of the same.  Cameos from many of today’s biggest hip hop stars is expected, as is a wide sampling of songs, spanning the careers of both iconic performers.  Fans should also expect to hear a lot of tracks from their most recent albums: Jay-Z’s “Blueprint 3” and Eminem’s “Recovery.”

In many respects, this concert series is a celebration of hip hop, and a return to glory for Eminem, who has battled personal demons in recent years.  New Yorkers love come back stories, and will no doubt welcome Eminem to the party accordingly.

However, the two-night event in the Bronx will be all about the home-grown Jay-Z.  Many legends have played Centerfield at Yankee Stadium.  Next week, Jay-Z will attempt to sport his “Yankees fitted” [hat] with the best of them.

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