Tour by Jay-Z and Kanye West | |||||||||||||
Associated album | Watch the Throne | ||||||||||||
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Start date | October 29, 2011 | ||||||||||||
End date | June 22, 2012 | ||||||||||||
Legs | 2 | ||||||||||||
No. of shows | 57 | ||||||||||||
Box office | $75.4 million ($100.07 million in 2023 dollars) [1] | ||||||||||||
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The Watch the Throne Tour was a co-headlining concert tour by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West [2] that began on October 28, 2011 in Atlanta and continued until June 22, 2012 with its final show scheduled in Birmingham. [3] Originally scheduled for 23 performances, the tour was expanded to 34 performances in North America due to heavy demand for tickets; 29 shows were confirmed in the United States with 5 shows in Canada. Following massive success in the United States and Canada, Jay-Z & Kanye West announced the European leg of the tour on February 21, 2012 which featured 23 performances, bringing the number of shows to 57 at the time. [4]
Following the Glow in the Dark Tour, it marks West's first concert tour after four years, excluding his ultimately cancelled tour, Fame Kills with Lady Gaga. It follows Jay-Z's opening act for U2 at the U2 360° Tour and his The Home & Home Tour with Eminem. The concert, which has no opening act of its own, is in support of West and Jay-Z's 2011 album, Watch the Throne , with most of the album's track-list performed, such as singles "Otis", "Lift Off", "Niggas in Paris" and concert opener "H•A•M". Additional West singles like "Gold Digger", "Stronger", "Heartless" and "All of the Lights" and Jay-Z singles like "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)", "99 Problems", "Run This Town", and "Empire State of Mind" are also performed. [5] [6]
The critical and box office performance of the tour received rave reviews, with critics praising the production value, the elaborate stage design, and the large string of successful singles featured. The tour had very little promotion before its premiere, with the exception being behind-the-scene concert footage sponsored by Voyr. [7] It grossed $48.3 million in North America in 2011 [8] and $25.4 million in Europe in 2012. [9]
The show begins with West and Jay-Z "emerging on two cube-shaped mini stages to the operatic sounds of "H•A•M". [10] Following that, "Who Gon Stop Me" is the next song, with "Otis" being performed with "a Givenchy – designed American flag flashing on the stage's main screens" after an extended introduction using "Try a Little Tenderness" by Otis Redding. [11] Afterwards, Kanye leaves the stage, and Jay-Z performs songs like "Where I'm From" and "Empire State of Mind", encouraging the audience to sing along. [11] [12] Kanye returns to the stage afterwards, performing his own songs like "Power", "Touch the Sky", and "Gold Digger", eventually with the two of them performing songs together, like "Run This Town", "Monster" and the remix of "Diamonds from Sierra Leone", where Jay-Z repeatedly told the crowd to "put your diamonds up", the sign for Roc Nation. [11] [12]
Mixing hits from both artists discographies, like "Can't Tell Me Nothing", "Good Life", "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" and "99 Problems", the show then segues into West performing "Runaway" and "Heartless", which has been described as "emotional highlight of the show". [10] [11] The most energetic part of the show has been reported to be during "Niggas in Paris", with "the track's Will Ferrell intro ("We're gonna skate to one song and one song only") brought on the moment that everyone was waiting for." [11] "Niggas in Paris" was originally performed three times in a row, but as the tour progressed, the song was regularly performed up to ten times in succession, with the record being 11 times in Paris, France. [13] Following other Watch the Throne tracks like "No Church in the Wild" and "Lift Off", the show ends with "Encore" and an inspirational rendition of "Made in America", complete with images of Martin Luther King Jr. and "sweet brother" Malcolm X flashing on the big screen. [11] USA Today described the stage design:
This show was visually spectacular. There was a main, T-shaped stage where both entertainers performed together, and also two cube-shaped mini stages, one at each end of the arena, that rose and lowered at various points during the show. West and Jay-Z performed separately on these cubes, which showed various images (a snarling Rottweiler, a swimming shark) at different points of the show. Fireballs the size of car tires shot from the floor toward the ceiling during some performances. Two large video screens behind the main stage showed appropriate images during the performances; a virtually non-stop laser light show added to the oomph factor. [12]
Critical reception towards the tour was positive. MTV News gave the opening show a good review, writing "While the WTT album has been noted for its opulent displays of wealth, Hov and Yeezy's show will be marked by the duo's overabundance of hit records." [11] USA Today praised the duo's ability to get the audience excited, stating "at one point, as Jay-Z and West performed Niggas in Paris from their new hit CD, "Watch the Throne", West exhorted the audience to "Bounce! Bounce!" The resulting stomping had Philips Arena rocking and shaking in a way that it hasn't for the Hawks in a long time." [12] Rap-Up mused "it was a crowning moment for Jay-Z and Kanye West as they kicked off the Watch the Throne tour to a packed house at Philips Arena in Atlanta on Friday night. The hip-hop kings, collectively known as The Throne, opened the most anticipated hip-hop tour of the year with a bang." [10] Idolator stated that the tour featured "an epic set list that featured selections from each artist's own behemoth catalog of hits as well as their Watch The Throne collaborations." [14] The tour has grossed $48.3 million so far by the end of 2011, making it the highest grossing hip-hop tour and the eighth highest-grossing tour of 2011. [15] In 2017, Rolling Stone listed it in its list of "The 50 Greatest Concerts of the Last 50 Years". [16] In 2019, Consequence of Sound named it the third best tour of the 2010s. [17] The tour won best live stage show at the 2012 International Laser Display Association Awards [18]
In a 2011 interview with Rolling Stone, comedian Chris Rock said;
"This might be the greatest show I ever saw. It's the equivalent of the Billy Joel-Elton John tour, but if they did it in 1979, when the songs were hot!" [19]
Date | City | Country | Venue [20] |
---|---|---|---|
North America | |||
October 28, 2011 | Atlanta | United States | Philips Arena |
October 29, 2011 | |||
October 30, 2011 | Greensboro | Greensboro Coliseum Complex | |
November 1, 2011 | Baltimore | 1st Mariner Arena | |
November 2, 2011 | Philadelphia | Wells Fargo Center | |
November 3, 2011 | Washington, D.C. | Verizon Center | |
November 5, 2011 | East Rutherford | Izod Center | |
November 6, 2011 | |||
November 7, 2011 | New York City | Madison Square Garden | |
November 8, 2011 | |||
November 14, 2011 | Sunrise | BankAtlantic Center | |
November 15, 2011 | Miami | American Airlines Arena | |
November 18, 2011 | Uncasville | Mohegan Sun Arena | |
November 19, 2011 | Atlantic City | Boardwalk Hall | |
November 21, 2011 | Boston | TD Garden | |
November 22, 2011 | Montreal | Canada | Bell Centre |
November 23, 2011 | Toronto | Air Canada Centre | |
November 24, 2011 | |||
November 26, 2011 | Auburn Hills | United States | The Palace of Auburn Hills |
November 27, 2011 | Pittsburgh | Consol Energy Center | |
November 29, 2011 | Kansas City | Sprint Center | |
November 30, 2011 | Chicago | United Center | |
December 1, 2011 | |||
December 3, 2011 | New Orleans | New Orleans Arena | |
December 5, 2011 | Houston | Toyota Center | |
December 6, 2011 | Dallas | American Airlines Center | |
December 9, 2011 | Las Vegas | MGM Grand Garden Arena | |
December 11, 2011 | Los Angeles | Staples Center | |
December 12, 2011 | |||
December 13, 2011 | |||
December 14, 2011 | San Jose | HP Pavilion | |
December 16, 2011 | Tacoma | Tacoma Dome | |
December 17, 2011 | Vancouver | Canada | Rogers Arena |
December 18, 2011 | |||
Europe | |||
May 18, 2012 | London | England | The O2 Arena |
May 19, 2012 | |||
May 20, 2012 | |||
May 21, 2012 | |||
May 22, 2012 | |||
May 24, 2012 | Zürich | Switzerland | Hallenstadion |
May 26, 2012 | Herning | Denmark | Jyske Bank Boxen |
May 28, 2012 | Oslo | Norway | Telenor Arena |
May 29, 2012 | Stockholm | Sweden | Ericsson Globe |
May 30, 2012 | Malmö | Malmö Arena | |
June 1, 2012 | Paris | France | Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy |
June 2, 2012 | |||
June 3, 2012 | Antwerp | Belgium | Sportpaleis |
June 5, 2012 | Frankfurt | Germany | Festhalle Frankfurt |
June 8, 2012 | Dublin | Ireland | The O2 |
June 9, 2012 | |||
June 11, 2012 | Manchester | England | Manchester Arena |
June 12, 2012 | |||
June 13, 2012 | Birmingham | LG Arena | |
June 15, 2012 | Arnhem | Netherlands | GelreDome |
June 16, 2012 | Cologne | Germany | Lanxess Arena |
June 18, 2012 | Paris | France | Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy |
June 21, 2012 | Sheffield | England | Motorpoint Arena |
June 22, 2012 | Birmingham | LG Arena |
Venue | City | Tickets sold / available | Gross revenue |
---|---|---|---|
Philips Arena | Atlanta | 27,330 / 27,330 (100%) | $2,888,792 [21] |
1st Mariner Arena | Baltimore | 10,758 / 10,758 (100%) | $961,108 [22] [ failed verification ] |
Verizon Center | Washington, D.C. | 14,085 / 14,085 (100%) | $1,927,601 [23] |
Madison Square Garden | New York City | 27,649 / 27,649 (100%) | $4,330,393 [24] |
BankAtlantic Center | Sunrise | 11,826 / 11,837 (~100%) | $1,217,610 [25] |
Mohegan Sun Arena | Uncasville | 3,894 / 4,468 (87%) | $686,510 [23] |
Boardwalk Hall | Atlantic City | 12,746 / 12,746 (100%) | $1,601,216 [26] |
Bell Centre | Montreal | 10,856 / 10,856 (100%) | $1,458,070 [26] |
Air Canada Centre | Toronto | 30,503 / 30,503 (100%) | $4,109,270 [22] |
The Palace of Auburn Hills | Auburn Hills | 14,097 / 14,097 (100%) | $1,365,830 [27] |
Consol Energy Center | Pittsburgh | 11,957 / 11,957 (100%) | $902,105 [24] |
American Airlines Center | Dallas | 14,608 / 14,608 (100%) | $1,336,187 [28] |
Staples Center | Los Angeles | 42,332 / 42,332 (100%) | $5,104,455 [25] |
Tacoma Dome | Tacoma | 10,861 / 11,443 (94%) | $1,088,898 [22] |
The O2 Arena | London | 77,117 / 81,955 (94%) | $6,705,970 [29] |
Sportpaleis | Antwerp | 16,831 / 16,847 (~100%) | $982,923 [29] |
TOTAL | 386,445 / 401,244 (96%) | $40,079,477 |
The following individuals were members of the Watch The Throne tour:
Shawn Corey Carter, known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper and entrepreneur. Born and raised in New York City, he was named the greatest rapper of all time by Billboard and Vibe in 2023. He served as the president and chief executive officer of Def Jam Recordings from 2004 to 2007 before founding the entertainment company, Roc Nation the following year.
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Watch the Throne is a collaborative studio album by the American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West, collectively known as The Throne. It was released on August 8, 2011, by Roc-A-Fella Records, Roc Nation, and Def Jam Recordings. Prior to its release, Jay-Z and West had collaborated on various singles, and with the latter as a producer on the former's work. They originally sought to record a five-song collaborative extended play, which evolved into a full-length album. The album features guest appearances from Frank Ocean, The-Dream, Beyoncé and Mr Hudson. It also features vocal contributions from Kid Cudi, Seal, Justin Vernon, Elly Jackson, Connie Mitchell, Charlie Wilson, and Pete Rock, among others; samples of vocals by soul musicians Otis Redding and Curtis Mayfield are both credited as guest features on the album.
"Otis" is a song by American hip hop artists Jay-Z and Kanye West from their first collaborative album Watch the Throne (2011). The song posthumously features soul singer Otis Redding, whose version of "Try a Little Tenderness" is sampled in the song. The production was covered solely by West. The track was premiered by Funkmaster Flex's Hot 97 radio show and was released onto the Internet the day afterward. Lyrically, the song has the two rappers sharing lines discussing wealth, decadence and fame. The track received highly positive reviews from music critics who praised the trading off of verses by the two rappers and the Redding-sampled beat, which was compared to the style heard on West's The College Dropout. Several publications placed the song amongst the best of the year.
"Lift Off" is a song by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West featuring the former's wife and American singer Beyoncé. It was written by Kanye West, Jay-Z, Jeff Bhasker, Mike Dean, Bruno Mars and Seal, while production was handled by West, Bhasker, Mike Dean, Pharrell, Q-Tip, and Don Jazzy for Jay-Z's and West's collaboration album, Watch the Throne (2011). The song was rumored to be released as the lead single from the album containing additional vocals by Bruno Mars. However, Mars never appeared on the song and it was sent to urban contemporary radio on August 23, 2011.
"Niggas in Paris" is a song by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West from their collaborative album Watch the Throne (2011). The song is built around a synth bell loop from the Dirty South Bangaz music library, and contains vocal samples from "Baptizing Scene" by Reverend W.A. Donaldson, an interpolation of "Victory" by Puff Daddy featuring The Notorious B.I.G. and Busta Rhymes, and dialogue excerpts from the 2007 film Blades of Glory. On the week of the album's release, "Niggas in Paris" debuted at number 75 on the Billboard Hot 100, eventually peaking at number five. Outside of the United States, "Niggas in Paris" peaked within the top ten of the charts in the United Kingdom. As of 2018, it has sold 6.7 million archetype digital units in the United States. The song won Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards.
"Why I Love You" is a song by American hip hop artists Kanye West and Jay-Z, from their first collaborative album Watch the Throne (2011). The song features pop musician Mr. Hudson who is signed to West's GOOD Music label. "Why I Love You" heavily samples French house duo Cassius' 2010 single "I <3 U So", which itself is based upon a sample from the original 1971 version of "I Feel a Song " by Sandra Richardson. The song almost entirely features Jay-Z rapping and only contains a few lines provided by West. Lyrically, the song is about the people who have stood in the way of Jay-Z throughout the year and expresses themes of victory and anger. The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, who normally praised the production.
"No Church in the Wild" is a song by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West featuring American singers Frank Ocean and The-Dream, from the former two's first collaborative album Watch the Throne (2011). Opening the album, the song explores themes of religion and decadence. The track received highly positive reviews from music critics, who praised Ocean's vocal hooks, the depth of the verses, the cinematic production and the song's power as an opening track.
"Gotta Have It" is a song by American hip hop artists Kanye West and Jay-Z from their collaborative album Watch the Throne (2011). The song was produced by West and The Neptunes, and samples three original compositions by James Brown: "Don't Tell a Lie About Me and I Won't Tell the Truth About You", "People Get Up and Drive Your Funky Soul" and "My Thang". The song explores themes of wealth, decadence and the economic stature in the US. The song received positive reviews from critics who complimented the production and the clever wordplay of the two rappers.
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The On the Run II Tour was the second co-headlining concert tour by American singer-songwriter Beyoncé and rapper Jay-Z, also known as The Carters. The all-stadium concert tour began on June 6, 2018, in Cardiff, Wales and concluded on December 2, 2018, in Johannesburg, South Africa. It followed 2014's On the Run Tour.
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