Jay-Z, Kanye: Kings of the Road

Traveling rap shows cashing in like never before
By Michael Foreman,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 2, 2008 4:35 PM CDT
Jay-Z, Kanye: Kings of the Road
Kanye West performs at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 10, 2008, in Los Angeles.   (AP Photo)

It took "live bands, big sound, pyrotechnics and showmanship," not to speak of an assist from an R&B diva, but Jay-Z and Kanye West have brought hip-hop into the big leagues in the touring business. The Jay-Z tour that ended last month grossed more than $23 million, and Kanye West's current tour will pass $21 million soon, Rolling Stone reports.

"It's a turning point for hip-hop," says one industry exec. "This is the first time in history that someone from hip-hop reaches for the levels of the Rolling Stones," says  Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson, musical director for Jay-Z's tour and consultant for West's. "Jay-Z and Kanye are saying, 'Bono and Jagger are our peers.' " And they're working hard for it: "Jay-Z's whole philosophy is, 180 seconds cannot go by without some sort of event," ?uestlove adds. (More Kanye West stories.)

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