Rihanna Turns Heads With First Performance in Years at Jay-Z Concert

A$AP Rocky Has Adorable Moment With His, Rihanna's 2-Year-Old Son Riot at Concert

Rihanna didn't stop the music in New York City—she kept it going.

More than two years after the "Umbrella" singer last performed onstage, she proved she could still shine like a diamond with a surprise appearance during the final of Jay-Z's three-night stint at Yankee Stadium on July 12.

Though the July 12 concert ultimately didn't kick off until the early hours of July 13, Rihanna—wearing chocolate brown Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello leather capris and an off-the-shoulder top featuring a fur trim, sunglasses and slingback heels—didn't miss a beat as she stepped out to duet their 2009 track "Run This Town."

After hitting all the right notes, Jay-Z, pointing to the audience in videos circulating on social media, told her, "Talk to 'em!"

As the beginning of "Bitch Better Have My Money" began to play, the 38-year-old quipped, "Y'all know I'm rusty, right? It's been a while. Y'all with me right now?"

Rihanna—who last performed at a March 2024 private concert for billionaire Mukesh Ambani's son Anant Ambani's wedding in Gujarat, India—definitely had love on the brain after the performance.

"I missed this s--t, y'all," the singer admitted as she took a bow. "New York, I love you guys!"

And the mom of three later continued the love from the crowd as she and longtime love A$AP Rocky took in the rest of the concert.

Not everything went so smoothly at the concert—where Teyana Taylor, Usher, Pharrell Williams, Swizz Beats, The-Dream, Jadakiss and his wife Beyoncé also took the stage—with fans waiting more than four hours for all of the lights to go down.

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Savage X Fenty

Although Jay-Z—who signed Rihanna to Def Jam Recordings in 2005 when she was 17 before recruiting her to his own company Roc Nation in 2010—had 99 problems, addressing his tardiness wasn't one of them.

"Let me explain the delay to you guys," he said, according to social media footage from the event. "It was like 10,000 people outside, and we closed all the doors, and somebody rushed the door. They closed the door for your guys' safety and everyone's safety outside."

"I don't want to start the music and people get trampled," he emphasized. "I'm really sorry for the inconvenience, but I had to make sure everyone was OK. I appreciate your patience."

Despite the major delay, Jay-Z—who celebrated the 30th anniversary of his 1996 album Reasonable Doubt with the three-night concert series—still performed over 40 songs in the concrete jungle where dreams are made of.

Now that Jay-Z closed out his final night with an Empire State of Mind, keep reading for a closer look at the business mogul's award-winning career.

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