Sept. 2
2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Rain and clouds greeted the festival’s attendees as the park opened for day two. From the onset, it became apparent that it would be a mighty task for performers to outdo what occurred on the previous day. But Philly native Jill Scott quickly made her hometown fans forget the rain and what happened the night before. She sang her classic hits ”A Long Walk,” ”Blessed” and ”The Way.” Scott reminded her hometown fans of her story by saying, ”I was made in a bathroom. Made in North Philly. Made at Greenfield Elementary. Made at Peters Elementary. Made at Girls High School. Made at Temple University. And made right here on the streets.” Jill Scott also brought out fellow Philly native, Eve as they performed ”Shame” and ”Let Me Blow Ya Mind.”
5:45 p.m.
The rain eventually slowed to a drizzle as the day went on. and Jay-Z and Beyoncé were spotted walking through the crowd shortly before Run-D.M.C. performed on the Rocky Stage. It proved to be an historical moment as Run-D.M.C. performed together for the first time in 10 years.
Hip-hop’s most esteemed group hit the stage shortly before 6 p.m. and didn’t disappoint. With the same energy and boastful rhymes that gave them prominence in the 1980s, Run-D.M.C. performed a slew of their hits, which included “King of Rock,” “It’s Tricky,” “My Adidas” and “It’s Like That.”
In honor of their fallen group member, Jam Master Jay, Run-D.M.C. allowed JMJ’s son to rock the crowd with a solo set on the turntables. Run told the crowd that he and DMC decided to silence the group after the death of JMJ.
7:15 p.m.
Drake appeared on the Rocky Stage with a live band and DJ. The Young Money artist opened with the hits “Lord Knows,” “Underground Kings” and “I’m On One.” Drake later told the crowd that although he didn’t release an album, he still had a good summer thanks to the hit, “No Lie.”
2 Chainz eventually joined Drake on stage to perform the song and his first solo hit, “Getting It.”
French Montana was Drake’s second surprise guest and the two performed “Stay Schemin’ ” and “Pop That.”
Drake closed his set with “HFYR” and “Y.O.L.O.”
9:00 p.m.
Pearl Jam closed the festival with a 25-song set that lasted two hours and Jay-Z made an encore appearance, performing “99 Problems” with the group.
The festival was declared a success by most in Philly. Mayor Nutter claimed that there were no major acts of violence, very few arrests and that he hopes to make it an annual affair. Director Ron Howard and producer Brian Grazer were also on hand and will release a festival film documentary that will likely hit theaters in 2013.
For Jay-Z, Made in America was more than a festival, it allowed a diverse group of artists to share their music with thousands of fans. It was an opportunity for Jay-Z to rise to a new plateau. He met the challenge head-on and can now add another notch to his belt. It’s the stuff American dreams are made of.
Jay-Z, Kanye West and 7 Unforgettable Moments From ‘Made In America’ Festival
