JAŸ-Z brought out a lot of special guests at his Yankee Stadium run's opening last night (Friday, July 10), all celebrating 30 years since Reasonable Doubt. It was the start of his career, and he chose to pay homage to the man that mentored him early in his come-up. Jaz-O emerged as a special guest on the weekend's kickoff, performing their collaboration "Bring It On."
It was an incredible moment to witness after a squashed beef history, whether for longtime fans or newer listeners who have mostly heard of Big Jaz as a legendary figure. Hov also made sure to give Jaz his flowers via a heartfelt speech, which Ahmed/The Ears caught on Twitter.
"Let me go off-script real quick," Jay remarked before referencing the housing project in Brooklyn they call home. "So the young man standing here is Jaz-O from the Marcy Projects. When I was a young boy moving around Marcy, doing whatever I was doing, this young man, his house where we would go practice our routines, do our little writing, sharpen our skills. If you gon' give anybody credit for me being here on this stage tonight, give it to that man Jaz-O right there."
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Jaz-O & JAŸ-Z's History
JAŸ-Z and Jaz-O have collaborated a lot in the past, a history they wanted to remind fans of recently. Jay dropped a new version of their old collab "N***a What, N***a Who (Originator 99)" on streaming services.
But their history took a conflictive turn when Hov started Roc-A-Fella, as Big Jaz and Sauce Money refused to sign with him. Years later, around 2017 and the 4:44 era, the two publicly buried the hatchet, and have been supporting each other ever since.
Other special guests during the Reasonable Doubt tribute at Yankee Stadium last night included Beyoncé, Blue Ivy Carter, Memphis Bleek, Alicia Keys, and Nas. It was a heck of a way to kick off this weekend, which will hit The Blueprint's 25th anniversary tonight (Saturday, July 11) and a mysterious "Extra Innings" performance the following day. Of all the special moments in store, though, Jaz-O is easily a standout highlight.
