Jay Z & Beyoncé Host Star-Studded Hillary Clinton Concert
Jay Z and Beyoncé delivered a grand, superstar-studded event in support of Hillary Clinton’s campaign for president on Friday (Nov. 4).
Taking place at Cleveland State University’s Wolstein Center as a way to encourage key swing state voters, the Carters delivered hit-filled sets for the former Secretary of State’s rally after meeting with her for some laughs backstage.
Along with her backup dancers, Queen Bey wore a pantsuit, a nod to Clinton’s trademark look. She then performed “Formation,” “Freedom,” and “Run the World (Girls).” At one point, ‘Yoncé also stopped to deliver a speech about the importance of the moment.
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“There was a time when a woman’s opinion did not matter. If you were black, white, Mexican, Asian, Muslim, educated, poor or rich; if you were a woman, it did not matter,” said Beyoncé. “Less than 100 years ago, women did not have the right to vote. Look how far we’ve come from having no voice to being on the brink of making history again by electing the first woman president. Yes. But we have to vote. The world looks to us as a progressive country that leads change.
“Eight years ago,” she continued, “I was so inspired that my nephew, a young black child, could grow up knowing his dreams could be realized by witnessing a black president in office. Now, we have the opportunity to create more change. I want my daughter to grow up seeing a woman lead our country and know that her possibilities are limitless. We have to think about the future of our daughters, of our sons, and vote for someone who cares for them as much as we do and that is why, ‘I’m with her.'”
For his part, El Presidenté Hov ran through a set that featured “Made in America,” “Run This Town,” “U Don’t Know,” “I Got the Keys,” and “Public Service Announcement.” But he really made headlines when he literally made a P.S.A. of sorts with a speech.
“Respect matters to me,” he said. “It’s such a fulfilling feeling that I had to really look into the word. ‘Re’ means again. Spect, ‘spectacle.’ It means to look again. When I look at you, I see your appearance. But when I get to know you, I know who you are and [then] all of those things disappear: no color, no gender, no social status. The soul is colorless.
“I want to grow up in a world,” he continued, “where our daughter has no limitation. She feels like she can be whatever she wants to be in the world. This other guy [referring to Republican nominee Donald Trump], I don’t have no ill will towards him, but his conversation is divisive and that’s not an evolved soul to me so he cannot be my president. He cannot be our president. Once you divide us, you weaken us. We’re stronger together.”
After introducing Clinton as “the next president of the United States,” the Democratic candidate had a few words of her own. Still, she borrowed some lines from Jigga’s appearance on Jeezy’s “My President (Remix).”
“Jay memorably said something we should all recall,” Clinton exclaimed. “‘Rosa Parks sat so Martin Luther could walk / Martin Luther walked so Barack Obama could run / Barack Obama ran so all the children could fly!’ We have unfinished business to do, more barriers to break, and with your help, a glass ceiling to crack once and for all.”
The event, which aired on CNN, also included performances by Chance the Rapper, J. Cole, and Big Sean.
Election Day is on Tuesday, Nov. 8.