JAY-Z doing “Jigga What” over Drake’s “Know Yourself” last night on night 2 of the Toronto stop of his #444Tour
He also gave Drake who was in the building a shout out. pic.twitter.com/ft5bYpU1tw
— JAY-Z Daily (@JAY_Z_Daily) November 24, 2017
When Jay-Z stopped off in Drake’s hometown for his 4:44 Tour, he made sure to acknowledge his onetime quasi-protege by combining two of their biggest hits. After he shouted out Drake, who was in attendance, he had his DJ drop the beat from Drake’s “Know Yourself” to tumultuous applause and flexed a little of his own well-seasoned flavor, digging in his stash for a verse from his 1999 hit, “Jigga What, Jigga Who (Originator 99),” which surprisingly sounded perfect over the much-newer instrumental.
Unfortunately for fans in both Nebraska and Fresno, California, they won’t be able to see if Jay pulls any catalog hits out to honor their own local celebrities, as tour stops in both cities were canceled. In a statement released to the website for the Pinnacle Bank Arena, the Nebraska venue, Jay explained why he would be unable to make the stop and apologized to fans, promising that technical difficulties were the reason.
Due to the scale of this production, we cannot get the screens up on time into the building in Nebraska.
This tour is too important to me to do it halfway. I have to cancel the show.
Same with Fresno.
I respect you guys too much to take the money and run.
Peace, Hov
Unfortunately for Jay, his explanation may not help to alleviate suspicions that the cancellations were due to poor sales instead, and may be seen as another case of Jay trying to protect his formerly ironclad image by angry fans. Although it’s been touted as his highest-grossing tour yet, the beleagured 4:44 tour has been described by many as a miscalculation for a low-key, confessional album that may actually sound best in the confines of a smaller, more intimate venue.
