MrsQ
Just me
Member since 6/06 11378 total posts
Name: Qiana
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Jay-Z hip-hops across the pond
Def Jam CEO Jay-Z was missing from the office yesterday - but he had a good alibi. The unretired rap titan brought his beats to London's Royal Albert Hall Wednesday night - becoming the first hip-hop artist to headline at the theater, which opened in 1871.
As the Beatles did before him, Jay got by with some help from his friends. Girlfriend Beyoncé performed "Crazy in Love" and "Deja Vu." Coldplay front man Chris Martin, who's been collaborating on Hova's new album, "Kingdom Come," played piano on "Dead Presidents," with Nas lending a mic.
Besides having a 32-piece orchestra, Jay introduced a promising backup singer on "Song Cry" - Martin's wife, Gwyneth Paltrow.
Shaking her booty in the audience was Nicole Kidman, who bought the last box in the sold-out hall. Also in the house were Steve Stoute, Irv Gotti, Vanessa Carlton, Hype Williams, John Demsey and Big John.
The whole crew partied afterward at Movida. Naturally, no one ordered Cristal, which Jay is boycotting. There was a cake for Paltrow, who turned 34 yesterday. (She and Beyoncé have been doing some serious shopping in Knightsbridge.)
Jay plays Paris tonight and Milan tomorrow. Designer Roberto Cavalli is throwing him a dinner in the Italian fashion capital. From there he heads to Africa, where he's getting involved in irrigation projects.
Island Def Jam chief L.A. Reid, who flew over from New York, told us he had no problem with a member of his senior management taking two months off to tour.
"I don't think anybody expected him to be in the office every day," Reid told us. "But he's been really serious about the job. When I hired him, I got lucky."
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Re: Jay-Z hip-hops across the pond
I saw an interview with Gwyneth recently where she said she was seeing Jay-Z at the Royal Albert Hall for her birthday, but she didn't mention singing.
She sang that duet with Huey Lewis- she has a surprisingly good voice, IMO.
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