Rihanna Admits She’s “Rusty” After Joining JAŸ-Z On Stage

BY Aron A.
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Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show talent Rihanna listens to a question during a news conference in Phoenix on Feb. 9, 2023. News Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show Press Conference - USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Rihanna joined JAŸ-Z on stage to perform "Run This Town."

The celebrity hot spot this past weekend was JAŸ-Z’s Yankee Stadium residency. Performing three separate shows to celebrate the anniversaries of Reasonable Doubt and The Blueprint, his Sunday night show, dubbed Extra Innings, brought out a string of celebrity guests, some of whom we haven’t seen on a stage in a few years.

Only JAŸ-Z seems to have the type of influence to bring Rihanna out of hiatus for a minute. During night three, Rihanna came out on stage to perform “Run This Town” before jumping into her song, “B*tch Better Have My Money.” However, even Rih acknowledged that her time away from the stage has impacted her ability to perform. 

“Y’all know I'm rusty, right? It's been a while. Y’all with me right now?” she said on stage.

It was a dope reunion to see both of them on stage together, especially a few years removed from her iconic Super Bowl Halftime Show performance. However, it has been years since the two performed together on the same stage. That alone felt monumental, especially when she joined a long-list of artists who’ve helped form Jay’s legacy in one way or another. 

JAŸ-Z Brings Out Beyoncé

Outside of Rihanna, the other major guest that Hov brought out during the Yankee Stadium residency is his wife, Beyoncé. She helped kick things off on Friday night for his Reasonable Doubt celebration by handling the hook duties on “Can’t Knock The Hustle,” and returned again on Sunday night for a performance of “Drunk In Love.” Friday also saw their daughter, Blue Ivy, perform the piano riff for “Feelin’ It” live. 

As much as these shows celebrated his legacy, it also seems like it could be ushering in a rollout for a new album. Do you think Hov is dropping an album before the year ends? Let us know in the comments.

About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.

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