Jay-Z marked his long-awaited solo return to Los Angeles on Friday night, launching a two-show run at SoFi Stadium with a two-hour, career-spanning performance and appearances from Blue Ivy Carter, Scarface, DJ Khaled and John Legend.

“I’ve been away too long,” Jay-Z told the cheering crowd shortly after arriving onstage. The concert was his first full-fledged solo show in the city in close to a decade and celebrated two major album milestones: the 30th anniversary of Reasonable Doubt and the 25th anniversary of The Blueprint.

His previous Los Angeles-area dates included the closing show of the 4:44 Tour at the Forum in 2017 and a Rose Bowl stop with Beyoncé on their joint On the Run Tour the following year.

A two-hour return to Los Angeles

Friday’s performance began shortly before 9:30 p.m. local time. An opening video showed Jay-Z and Beyoncé sitting alone in the stands at Yankee Stadium, with Beyoncé behind her husband and playing with his hair.

Backed by a full band, Jay-Z opened with “Hovi Baby” and moved through songs from across his catalog. The show included “Izzo (H.O.V.A.),” “Run This Town,” “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem),” “Lucifer,” “No Church in the Wild,” “Dirt Off Your Shoulder” and “99 Problems.” Yankees hats and jerseys were also conspicuous throughout the SoFi audience.

Before performing “Empire State of Mind” late in the evening, he told the crowd, “Let me take you back to my home for a second.” The Los Angeles engagement followed three shows at Yankee Stadium as well as performances in London and Paris. Jay-Z has also been the subject of an eight-part HBO docuseries directed by Rick Rubin.

Blue Ivy takes the keys

The first Los Angeles show featured fewer surprise guests than Jay-Z’s New York dates, where Eminem, Rihanna, Nas, Usher and Beyoncé had joined him. At SoFi, he handled more of the performance on his own, but the guest appearances still delivered several of the night’s standout moments.

Blue Ivy Carter played keys during “The Story of O.J.” and “Dead Presidents.” Scarface later joined Jay-Z for “This Can’t Be Life” and “Mind Playing Tricks on Me.” DJ Khaled and John Legend then came out for the closing number, “God Did.”

One subject Jay-Z did not address was the reporting that he had selected himself to headline the Super Bowl Halftime show in February. With SoFi Stadium set to host the game, Friday’s concert could have provided a setting for an announcement, but Jay-Z made no reference to the reports and kept the focus on the performance. The reported halftime booking therefore remained unconfirmed during night one.

ShowBiz Take

Jay-Z’s SoFi show carried significance beyond its guest list. It brought his yearlong victory tour to Los Angeles after a lengthy gap between full solo concerts in the city, while framing the night around anniversaries for two albums from different points in his career.

The more restrained approach to special appearances also kept the spotlight on Jay-Z and the breadth of the set. Blue Ivy’s turn on keys provided the night’s family moment, while Scarface, DJ Khaled and John Legend added carefully placed collaborations without overwhelming the central event: Jay-Z’s solo return.

What Happens Next?

Jay-Z is scheduled to return to SoFi Stadium on Saturday night for the second and final Los Angeles concert. That performance will also conclude the broader Jay-Z 30 run. Whether he uses the closing show to address the Super Bowl reports remains uncertain; on Friday, he offered no confirmation.

Night One Setlist

“Hovi Baby”
“Izzo (H.O.V.A.)”
“Beach Is Better”
“FuckWithMeYouKnowIGotIt”
“N***a What, N***a Who (Originator 99)”
“Run This Town”
“The Story of O.J.” with Blue Ivy Carter
“Dead Presidents” with Blue Ivy Carter
“Where I’m From”
“Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)”
“Lucifer”
“No Church in the Wild”
“Can I Live”
“Family Feud”
“U Don’t Know”
“On to the Next One”
“Clique”
“Dirt Off Your Shoulder”
“I Know”
“Never Change”
“This Can’t Be Life” with Scarface
“Mind Playing Tricks on Me” with Scarface
“Song Cry”
“99 Problems”
“Girls, Girls, Girls”
“Excuse Me Miss / La-La-La (Excuse Me Miss Again)”
“Change the Game”
“Give It to Me / Money, Cash, Hoes”
“Jigga My N***a”
“Heart of the City (Ain’t No Love)”
“Empire State of Mind”
“Paris / Big Pimpin’”
“God Did” with DJ Khaled and John Legend