EXCLUSIVE: How Jay-Z delivered a surprise-filled show during New York’s wildest summer

For Krug, it’s worth it. He’s responsible for most of the concerts at Yankee Stadium and says that between the baseball games and New York City football games the venue hosts, he can only plan one or two concerts a year, and it’s usually by a major artist like Paul McCartney or Madonna. “So, that’s one of the reasons why we can, like, be a little bit selective or specific about who’s who, because we really want to make sure we have the best artist possible for that little window that we have,” he says.

Like a Knicks win, a World Cup, and maybe even Swift’s wedding, Jay-Z’s anniversary shows signify an appreciation for IRL events, the communal experience of watching live music or an NBA team’s ticker-tape show.

A recent survey by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra found that 78% of respondents believe that live performance is an aspect of the arts where “AI will not touch human creativity.” Meanwhile, artists like Phoebe Bridgers are also opting for smartphone-free shows in order to keep their concerts more intimate.

The mini-residency is also the latest in a series of local events planned to mark the anniversary of Reasonable doubt and Scheme. In the lead-up to his Yankee Stadium concerts, Jay-Z partnered with Spotify to take over parts of the New York City subway, worked with the Brooklyn Public Library on special “JAŸ-Z30” library cards, and set up a pop-up store in Dumbo in a warehouse featured in the “Dead Presidents” video.

People are hungry for authenticity, and in that environment, “the value of personal connection goes up,” says Isra Ali, a professor of media, culture and communication at NYU Steinhardt. Jay-Z’s anniversary shows are a chance for one of the world’s biggest and most overlooked artists to connect with his hometown audience.