The Mary J. Blige & Jay-Z Concert Was the BOMB!

Hi All,

It's Monday morning...I know but life goes on.

On Saturday, May 3, 2008, my husband and I went to Atlantic City, New Jersey to see Mary J. Blige and Jay-Z perform. It was the best concert that I've been to so far. The Dream and his dancers opened and moved the crowd with his songs from his Love Hate album like Shawty is a ten, I luv your girl and Falsetto. His performance was OK. I think the dancers excited the crowd more than his performance. Let's just say that I was trying to record his performance and my husband told me to get the dancers....:) It was like seeing clothed exotic dancers.

Anyway, I love Mary's music. She was so energetic and involved with her audience. Her connection with the audience, especially the women, was unbelievable. The crowd roared for each song she performed. We all sang along with the exception of the song I'm Going Down. The women sang it. She was ecstatic. She talked to the crowd and even sent a message to the men urging them to be fathers to their children and congratulating those who are fathers to their children. Mary's performance was uplifting and sacred. The feelings women hold were released through her. You can feel it in the air. The live band, string orchestra and back up singers were exhilarating.

Jay-Z and Mary together controlled the crowd. Each one taking turns to shine when they performed together. When it was Jay's turn, he rocked the house, literally. The booming sounds of the live band was incredible. The crowd conformed to Jay's music right away. They rapped along with him. Memphis Bleek surprised us with his presence and performance with Jay. I was surprised that I even knew the lyrics to several of his songs. I'm not a regular follower of Jay's music but it's funny how quickly you can get sucked up into the beats. He made a reference to politics. All I can say here is that he is not happy with President Bush. (Who is?) He had the crowd point their middle fingers at a picture of Bush. At that point, the lights went on and the crowd was at a standstill with their middle fingers pointed to the picture. He held the crowd like that for a couple of seconds. After, the crowd roared and supported it. He also called out Obama for president. He is a very talented and confident person.

The audience was great. The crowd consisted of a diverse group of people. No fighting, no hassles just plain ole camaraderie and fun! I had such a great time! My husband had a great time too. I want to see it again. I don't know why we waited so long to see Mary J. Blige and/or Jay-Z in concert. I recommend anyone looking to see a great show to see this one.