Sweet sounds return

Faye Wong is undoubtedly the queen of pop music in most Chinese people's minds. But if they have listened to the music of Irish band The Cranberries, they would realize their queen is not quite a genius. When Wong's career started in Hong Kong in 1994, her cover of The Cranberries' song Dreams made people see her as a pioneering singer. Her imitation of lead female vocalist Dolores O'Riordan's silky voice, feverish high pitch and willowy whisper, as well as the cropped haircut, blew into the Chinese pop music industry like a fresh breeze. The recording immediately distinguished Wong from other female singers.

The Cranberries have influenced other Chinese musicians apart from Wong, such as songwriters Dou Wei, who is Wong's former husband, and singers Mavis Fan and Candy Lo. The Super Girl winner Li Yuchun also covered their song Zombie on her 2005 talent show.

"We have listened to Faye Wong's singing and it's certainly flattering," says Noel Hogan, a founder and guitarist of The Cranberries.

"We saw an interview of a young band on TV the other day. It's surprising that they mentioned our band and called us their idols. We were just doing our own thing, you know."

Although The Cranberries have taken some years off, it seems as if they have never been away. Ten years after the release of their last album, The Cranberries, perhaps the most innovative and popular Irish bands of the 1990s, are back on the road, playing in stadiums, releasing a new CD, and coming to the mainland for the first time.

Lil Wayne and Paris Hilton bond over jail

In the April issue of Interview Magazine, the bad boy rapper and party-girl heiress bonded over their love for music, clubs, and freedom after jail.

Miss Hilton and the "Lollipop" singer chatted via phone during which time they broke the ice while conversing about their time in the slammer.

"There were times when it was pretty tough to be by yourself, and to have no television, no nothing. That was kind of tough," said Wayne of his one-month stint in solitary confinement, after being caught with an MP3 at Rikers Island last year.

Hilton, who served 23 days in prison in 2007 after violating her probation for repeatedly driving on a suspended license and ignoring court orders, empathized, "I know how you feel. It's the best feeling in the world when you come out."

Paris and Wayne are currently each working on their music careers. They even exchanged phone numbers for a future collaboration."That would be the sickest thing," said Hilton, who hopes to release her second album this summer.

Jersey Shore finale its highest rated yet

LOS ANGELES  - "Jersey Shore" isn't slowing down.

MTV's hit reality show delivered its highest-rated season finale yet on Thursday night, drawing a 7.3 rating in the 12-to-34 demographic, up 20 percent from the Season 2 finale.

About 7.6 million total viewers tuned in to the telecast. "Jersey Shore"'s third season is the top TV show of the year in the 12-to-34 demographic.

Season to date, "Jersey Shore" is up 35 percent from its second season average (7.7 vs. 5.7) in the demographic and a whopping 196 percent from its first season (7.7 vs. 2.6).

Immediately following, "The Hard Times of R.J. Berger"'s second season debut drew a 3.2 rating in the demo (up 19 percent from the series premiere), with 3.1 million total viewers tuning in.

"R.J. Berger" continues in its normal time slot beginning Monday at 10 p.m.

We Found Love tops chart in milestone for Rihanna

Rihanna's single "We Found Love" on Thursday held the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for the eighth straight week, making it the singer's longest-running No. 1 single of her career.

The Barbadian chanteuse's single overtook Adele's "Rolling in the Deep," which stayed at No. 1 for seven weeks earlier this year, and beat her previous top-selling singles, 2007's "Umbrella" and 2010's "Love The Way You Lie" featuring Eminem.

"We Found Love" is the lead single from Rihanna's sixth studio album "Talk That Talk," and the singer will wrap her last concert on her "Loud" tour in London on Thursday.

LMFAO's "Sexy and I Know It," notched a seventh week at No. 2 on the singles chart, while Bruno Mars' "It Will Rain" held steady at No. 3, Flo Rida's "Good Feeling" climbed to No. 4 and Katy Perry's "One That Got Away" rounded out the top five.
"We are thrilled to have such a hauntingly beautiful companion album taking shape," said Joe Drake, co-COO of Lionsgate.

Swift and The Civil Wars' collaborated together on the single "Safe and Sound," which was released on iTunes on Friday and topped the iTunes songs chart.

"The Hunger Games," starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Woody Harrelson, is based on the young adult series of novels, and tells the story of teenage boys and girls fighting to the death on a nationally televised event in a country called Panem, built on the remains of North America.

Lady Gaga crushes rivals in 2011 music earnings

Lady Gaga towered over other female musicians in 2011, heading a list of top earning women with an estimated $90 million in income, according to a Forbes.com survey released on Wednesday.

The "Born This Way" singer and performance artist made more than double her nearest rival -- country/pop artist Taylor Swift -- thanks to multiple endorsement deals and an estimated $1.3 million nightly gross ticket sales from her concert tour.

Swift earned about $45 million, thanks to her hit album "Speak Now", perfume line, and other deals, just ahead of "Teenage Dream" singer Katy Perry with $44 million.

Forbes.com drew up its list from data on pre-tax income compiled through record sales, touring data and interviews with music lawyers, managers and concert promoters.

Beyonce's 2011 income dipped to an estimated $35 million, mostly because of her relatively small amount of touring this year, but her new album "4", fashion line, and two fragrances helped to put her in 4th place.

Rihanna rounded out the top 5, earning an estimated $29 million from sales of her album "Loud", and endorsements from cosmetics company CoverGirl.

Rolling Stones play $20 surprise gig

Fans said the small space created an optimal setting for the show which kicked off with "Route 66" and ended with "Brown Sugar".

"We were right next to them, we could see them perfectly," said one French fan who gave his name as Gianni. "It was a very small room and they were running all over the stage...they seemed really happy."

Some got an additional perk after the show, as Jagger signed autographs before being whisked away in a black Mercedes sedan.

Earlier this month, the band announced they would perform four concerts at large arenas - two in London and two near New York - to celebrate their 50th anniversary. Their last world tour ended in 2007.

But fans have complained about high ticket prices, which range from 95 pounds ($150) to as much as 950 pounds for a "VIP hospitality" seat. Tickets have been offered online for several thousands pounds each, British media has reported.

The Paris music scene has been awash with rumours that the Stones will also play to bankers invited by Paris-based investment house Carmignac Gestion at a theatre in the heart of Paris on Monday.

In recent years, Carmignac has recruited former Velvet Underground frontman Lou Reed and British rocker Rod Stewart to play similar gigs, usually to an exclusive audience.

Carmignac sent out mystery invitations giving the date and location of what it called "the biggest secret event of the year" without identifying the performer. The investment house has declined to comment.

On Thursday, the band banned mobile phones, cameras, video equipment and recording devices from those going into the gig.

MTV gala seeks to localize its style

MTV will stage its Style Gala China 2011 at the National Indoor Stadium in Beijing on Dec 7.

The event will feature A-listers of the music, movie, fashion and sports industries from the mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan. This year's attendees include TV host Kevin Tsai, pop stars Jay Chou and Rene Liu, and mainland performers Sun Nan, Shang Wenjie and Zhang Jie.

MTV has been localizing in China since 1999, when it first brought its Music Awards to the country via CCTV. It has since partnered with the Shanghai Media Group to launch its Style Galas. This year is the first time it has worked with the Beijing-based station BTV.

Dong Dong, the vocalist who became a sensation for her song I'm Going to Honghe, has released her new single, How Are You, Friend?.

Written by Li Changming and Wang Lidong, and dedicated to World Hello Day on Nov 20, the new song advocates people caring more about one another.

How Are You, Friend? is a track on Dong's new album A Tour to Honghe. Honghe is a popular tourism destination in Yunnan province because of its natural beauty and ethnic culture.

The How Are You, Friend? music video was shot in Honghe and will soon be aired on CCTV's music channel.

Rihanna Is Talk The Talk release tops iTunes

Grammy-winning singer Rihanna may soon be headed to the top of the album charts after her latest record, "Talk That Talk" reached No. 1 on iTunes on Tuesday, one day after its release.

The singer released early teasers online as much as a week in advance, helping push the album into the top 10 on iTunes. Fans took to Twitter and Facebook to call the album Rihanna's best yet. Critical reviews, however, were mixed.

"Talk That Talk" is the sixth studio album from the 23-year-old Barbadian singer, following CDs like "Rated R" and "Loud," which have seen her steadily evolve from teen pop star to adult performer since her 2005 debut. She has earned international success over the years with singles like "Umbrella," "Rude Boy" and "What's My Name."

The 11-track "Talk That Talk" features themes of love and sexuality with a mixture of up-tempo dance tracks and reggae beats on "Where Have You Been," "Birthday Cake" and "You Da One," along with ballads "We All Want Love" and "Farewell."

Rihanna also collaborated with rapper Jay-Z -- whose Roc Nation label manages her -- on the single "Talk That Talk" and Scottish producer Calvin Harris on chart-topping dance anthem "We Found Love." The record also features a sample of British indie rock group The xx's "Intro" on single "Drunk On Love."

Christopher Doyle goes to Hollywood

Christopher Doyle, dubbed as the best photographer in Asia, went to Hollywood, Los Angeles from Oct 20-21, to shoot a music video for Uta, the winner of singing competition Rock The Web.

Doyle, six-time Hong Kong Film Awards winner, designed several looks for Uta to use in what will be her first music video, including a ballet dress and a witch's black dress. He explained there is no logic to his inspiration and claimed the strength in Uta's single, Original Painting, gave him confidence, saying he felt like "I can do anything".

Christopher Doyle is confident that in a few weeks, Uta's music will be shared with the genral public. He thinks it will gain wide approval with audienced. Doyle describes the singer as dependable and earnest, saying that she has only just begun to show her inner potential.

The filming of the music video wrapped on Oct 23. The song is produced by Avril Lavigne's production team, The Matrix.

Justin Bieber Is Mistletoe debuts at No 1

Teen sensation Justin Bieber received a sweet kiss from fans on Wednesday when his album "Under the Mistletoe" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, edging out new entries from rapper Wale and country singer Miranda Lambert.

The album of festive singles sold just over 210,000 copies in its first week and is Bieber's third album to debut at No. 1, following "My World 2.0" and "Never Say Never: The Remixes," from his documentary, "Never Say Never."

Bieber, 17, who is currently fighting claims that he fathered a baby with a California woman after a brief backstage encounter last year, thanked his fans for supporting him on Twitter earlier this week and released an animated video for the single "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town."

"So this past week and even today every rumor and lie about me possible has been coming out in the press. Just need to ignore it ... my fans have been there for me" tweeted Bieber.

The album, which features collaborations with Mariah Carey, Busta Rhymes, Usher, The Band Perry and Boys II Men, also broke the record for the first Christmas album by a male artist to debut at the top position in the history of the Billboard 200 chart, reported Billboard.com.

"Under the Mistletoe" beat rapper Wale's "Ambition," which sold 164,000 copies in its first week and landed at No. 2. Country singer Miranda Lambert's "Four The Record" debuted at No. 3 while "Britain's Got Talent" alumni Susan Boyle entered the charts at No. 4 with her third album, "Someone To Watch Over Me," forcing Adele's mega-hit "21" to slip to No. 5.

British indie band Florence + The Machine entered the charts at No. 6 with their highly anticipated second album, "Ceremonials," while Coldplay's fifth album, "Mylo Xyloto" fell to No. 7 from last week's top position.

Swift paints love Red in new album

Country-pop star Taylor Swift has won over a legion of devoted fans in the past six years with her raw, honest lyrics of romance and heartbreak.

Now, at the grand age of 22, the five-time Grammy winner is says her new record "Red", to be released on Monday, "the most adventurous album I've ever made".

"'Red' is really kind of diary entries of the last two years of my life," Swift told reporter in a telephone interview.

"There were beginnings and ends and there were ups and downs, and lessons that I learned and then had to learn all over again the exact same way ... the ups and downs of the whole experience of falling in love and being let down and letting go and starting over," she said.

"Red", Swift's follow-up to her 2010 best-seller "Speak Now", sees the singer-songwriter collaborate with the likes of British singer Ed Sheeran and pop music producer Max Martin.

The catchy pop-infused lead single "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" was an instant hit when it was released in September, becoming Billboard's most-downloaded first week digital single.

Akon touching down

Akon's hard-edged hip-hop and catchy dance floor hits are on the menu for his first Chinese mainland tour, on Nov 4 at Beijing's Mastercard Center, Nov 5 at Shanghai's Mercedes Benz Arena and Nov 7 at Guangzhou Stadium.

The multi-platinum superstar, who is the boss and broker of Lady Gaga, will bring his hit songs including Mr Lonely, Right Now, Beautiful and Oh Africa, which he sang for the World Cup in South Africa 2010.

"We had a show set up a few years ago and had to cancel for some reasons, but I am excited to finally get the chance to visit China and be able to perform. I hope that I have time to explore," the 38-year-old singer-songwriter says in an e-mail interview.

As a songwriter and producer with his own record label, Akon has influenced the music industry behind the scenes by working with many of the world's biggest names, from Lady Gaga to Justin Bieber and Eminem.

He is credited with 45 Billboard Hot 100 songs since he first rose to prominence in 2004 with the release of Locked Up and has six Grammy nominations, an American Music Award for favorite male R&B artist and four World Music Awards. The prolific artist also made it onto Forbes' 2011 list of hip-hop top earners.

Akon says that balancing his roles as a boss and a singer is the core to win in the market. In order to stay fresh, he listens to "everything but what I do". Traveling also has given him plenty of inspiration.

Escapades in sound from DJ Spooky

He should know. The Washington DC-born Renaissance man is a universally renowned storyteller who first created a splash in the mid-1990s with influential work on Illbient music - an experimental form of hip hop that fuses digital media and soundscapes. The DJ, VJ, composer, multimedia artist, writer, scholar and music professor has collaborated with diverse personalities including Yoko Ono, Kronos Quartet and Steve Reich, as well as Chinese musicians DJ Wordy, Min Xiaofen and Jing Zhou.

In 2004, he unveiled DJ Spooky: Rebirth of a Nation, commissioned by New York City's Lincoln Center Festival; after acclaimed performances, it was released as a film in 2009. The seminal work is DJ mix applied to cinema with D. W. Griffith's 1915 black and white film Birth of a Nation providing thought-provoking imagery for a multisensory experience.

Rebirth of a Nation has previously performed at New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art, Athen's Acropolis and London's Tate Modern. The two shows in Hong Kong follow a DJ workshop, seminar and master class held in late September and early October.

"Film is a tool which is an extension of economic and political processes," says DJ Spooky. "Film speaks to all people. We respond to images in a different way than sound. With Rebirth of a Nation, I wanted to figure out some ways to get people thinking about DJ'ing images and figuring out the ways in which stories have evolved over the past 100 years. My motto for this project is director as DJ.

Capturing sounds of yesterday

An era came to the end for post '70s and '80s in China when Sony announced it would stop producing Walkman audio cassettes last year. With little memory of the long-playing record, that generation's initial memory of music was connected with this little black cassette tape.

With over 2,500 of them, a special exhibition held inside a shopping mall is full of nostalgia. At one corner of the mall, a 35-year-old father surnamed Lou is teaching his 6-year-old boy Lou Zeyu how to use the old-fashioned cassette player.

"He has never seen a cassette tape or its player before," says Lou. "They're so exposed to the digital. I especially brought him here to see what was my way of enjoying music before.

"I refer it as 'the memory of nine yuan and 80 cents', as it cost that much to get a cassette tape when I was my son's age," says Lou. "Without any prejudice or discrimination, I simply think because of digital devices' convenience, the excitement and fun of getting the music have been lost. Now people can download songs from the Internet without paying a penny - when I was little, I had to save pocket money for weeks for one tape."

Twenty-nine-year-old Jin Mingchen is a super fan of collecting vintage cassette tapes.

Sting can not wait to turn 60

The musician reaches the landmark age on Oct 2, 2011 and rather than be worried about reaching his seventh decade he can't wait.

Sting - who is married to 57-year-old producer Trudie Styler, with whom he has four children - said: "I had the most fun in the previous decade, between 50 and 60. So I'm anticipating that the next one will be even better. I mean, why not?"

The Police star insists he isn't worried about his own mortality and has learnt to appreciate since accepting it is "finite".

He explained: "When you reach a certain age, you realise that life is finite. You can be depressed by that, or you can say, 'I'm going to appreciate every minute to its maximum potential.' "

The 'Message In A Bottle' singer's parents both died from cancer in their 50s and he accepts this had a profound effect on his opinion of death.

He added in an interview with the USA Today newspaper: "I've always been a bit saturnine, a serious person. An older person than I was in years. Perhaps that's why I'm not feeling particularly strange about reaching 60."

Rock and Roll Hall unveils nominees for 2012

Trailblazing women in rock such as Joan Jett and Heart's Wilson sisters, as well as iconic rappers the Beastie Boys were among 15 music acts nominated on Tuesday for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012.

"From vocal groups to hip-hop, from singer-songwriters to hard rocking artists, this group represents the spirit of what we celebrate at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame," president and chief executive Joel Peresman, said in a statement.

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, whose "I Love Rock N' Roll" became an anthem of the musical genre fame, and "Crazy on You" singers Heart, led by Ann Wilson and her sister Nancy Wilson, are both first-time nominees.

They are joined by rockers Guns N' Roses, The Cure, The Small Faces/The Faces and R&B artists The Spinners, Rufus with Chaka Khan, bluesman Freddie King and 1980s rappers Eric B. & Rakim among those nominated to the Hall for the first time.

Repeat nominees who failed to make it into the institution in previous years were the Beastie Boys, funk rockers Red Hot Chili Peppers and War, as well as disco-era songstress Donna Summer and 1960s artists Donovan and Laura Nyro.

The 27th annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place in Cleveland on April 14.

Rolling Stones release new single

Doom and Gloom is one of two new songs on their upcoming greatest hits album "GRRR!", which hits shelves on November 12, and there was a sense of relief among critics that the track sounded like the Stones of old.

"Received music industry wisdom has it that new Rolling Stones material exists purely to flog compilation albums or tour tickets," wrote Dan Silver in the Mirror tabloid.

"It's with some relief that we report it's actually rather good," he added in a three-out-of-five star review.

Neil McCormick of the Daily Telegraph also gave Doom and Gloom three stars, saying it was "business as usual" for the band and drawing comparisons between the song and the "basement rock" of their acclaimed 1972 album "Exile on Main Street".

Both critics argued that the song's weakest point was lead singer Mick Jagger's vocals.

"The best bit is when he stops singing and starts blowing," said McCormick of the harmonica interlude.

Silver praised the "nicotine-stained chords" of Ronnie Wood and Keith Richards on guitars and Charlie Watts's "customary magic" on the drums, but added:

"If there's a weak link here then it's actually Jagger, who honks and caterwauls over the track like one of his own tribute artists. His extended enunciation is excruciating - almost to the point of parody in places."

Pete Wentz dating mystery brunette

Pete Wentz is dating a mystery brunette.

The former Fall Out Boy rocker – who split from wife Ashlee Simpson in February – stepped out with his two-year-old son Bronx and his leggy new lady to visit a Los Angeles playground.

A source told E! News: "She's a model and it's a new relationship. They're taking things slowly but he obviously thinks highly of her to introduce her to Bronx."

The couple were pictured holding hands in the park and he also took her on a date to Katsuya Hollywood restaurant on Sept 19 where he set about impressing her by ordering the most expensive bottle of sake spirit on the menu.

Pete, 32, also cryptically tweeted earlier this week: "You always get to make the decision to be a bright light in someone's life or enhancing their own darkness. Don't complain when you pick wrong."

Ashlee, 26, has also showed she is moving on from the marriage this week, appearing at the Emmy awards with 'Boardwalk Empire' actor Vincent Piazza, where the couple gave a very public display of affection.

Composing China inspires international composers

Five international composers - Kalevi Aho, Michael Gordon, Robin Holloway, Augusta Read Thomas and Sebastian Currier -are touring the cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an and the provinces of Yunnan and Guizhou from Sept 11 to 23 to learn about China's natural beauty and cultural heritage.

Commissioned by the National Center for the Performing Arts of China (NCPA) and a number of other international organizations, they will compose musical works after being inspired by their trip to China. The works are due in August 2012 and will be performed at two concerts, titled Composing China in October 2012 at NCPA.

Since its founding in 2007, the center has commissioned music works from a number of Chinese composers, such as Ye Xiaogang and Guo Wenjing. Composing China is an effort by the center to build an international repertory themed on China.

Music Special: Orchestra brings both history and music appreciation

Young musicians, aged 18 to 25 from the mainland, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan have been asked to take part in a concert series commemorating an important moment in Chinese history.

So, for the past two weeks, starting Aug 7, the Macao Youth Symphony Orchestra has joined the Central Conservatory of Music's chorus, for concerts in Macao, Taipei, Shanghai, Wuhan, Nanjing, and, for the finale, Beijing's Forbidden City Concert Hall the night of Aug 19 - all for the 100th anniversary of China's Xinhai Revolution of 1911.

These included an opera piece, Song of Eternal Lament, adapted by musician Zhou Ye, the Song of Fate, of Brahms, and Dvorak's Symphony No 9 (From the New World).

This was in fact the debut of the operatic Song of Eternal Lament, which was originally created in 1932, by Huang Zi, one of the most important Chinese composers of that time.

Huang was responding to the 'Sept 18 Incident' of 1931, when Japanese forces occupied northeastern China in the first stage of their invasion of China. He used the opera to express both his anger over the war and love of the motherland, through a tale of the Tangminghuang emperor, of the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907).

Jimson Hoi Kin Wa, president of the Macao Youth Symphony Orchestra Assoc, described the reason behind the recent event, "We share a period of important history that's hardly known by youngsters these days. The music acts as a bridge to let them learn more about the history of that period.

"We're honored to be a part of this meaningful tour and were careful with our music selection, considering well-known songs and some Chinese operas to fit the celebration."

Uygur sounds, Beijing flavor at late-summer music festival

He then ushered two beautiful Uygur girls on stage, who clapped and twirled their long pink and purple skirts, to the accompaniment of traditional Uygur instruments such as the hand drum, besides Askar's guitar.

"I have been here in Beijing for 21 years. Although my Mandarin is still poor, I love the city," says the rocker, who started making music in the 1980s.

Askar was performing at the Funhill Changyang Music Festival 2011, held at the Riverfront Park, Changyang Town of Fangshan district, from Aug 26 to 28 - his first outdoor festival gig in a while.

Askar says he was drawn to the festival's variety of genres - pop and rock to jazz and electronic music.

A total of 38 singers and groups shared two stages for the three-day event. Veteran singers from Taiwan, including Julie Su and Chief Chao, made a rare appearance, much to the delight of the audience.

Alternative rock band, Your Favorite Enemies, and Japan punk group, Smash Up, were among the international lineups.

The festival took a bold move of introducing jazz, and organizers say it was aimed at breaking the stranglehold of rock music on outdoor music festivals.

Local rock hero Wang Feng closed the event with his trademark coarse voice and nearly 10 of his rock hits.

Despite rains, the first day of the festival pulled in an enthusiastic crowd of more than 20,000, who stayed till the very end.

The theme of this year's music festival was Beijing Fan'er, or the flavor of Beijing. Several photo exhibitions at the venue were focused on local Beijing culture, and many stalls selling typical Beijing snacks were set up.

'Chicago' is Broadway's 4th longest-running show

NEW YORK — The threat of Hurricane Irene didn't stop the cast and crew of the musical "Chicago" from celebrating a Broadway milestone Friday night with cake and a very big knife.

At a small backstage party at intermission, the show marked its 6,137th performance — tying "A Chorus Line" for the fourth longest-running show in Broadway history.

A loud cheer went up when Christopher Sieber, who stars as Billy Flynn, toasted the cast with non-alcoholic sparkling wine in the wardrobe room at the Ambassador Theatre.

Bebe Neuwirth, who played Velma Kelly back when the revival began its near-15-year streak, then plunged a large knife into a vanilla sheet cake decorated with a classic "Chicago" image of a sexy murderess.

"Nice, Bebe, nice!" roared a member of the ensemble. Then Neuwirth, Sieber, Charlotte d'Amboise (a veteran Roxie Hart) and Nikka Graff Lanzarone, the current Velma, cut slices of the cake and passed them around on blood red plates with red plastic forks.

The next performance of the John Kander and Fred Ebb musical will give it sole possession of the fourth-place spot. Because of Irene, that performance has been pushed back to Monday night.

Jay-Z goes back to his roots at Brooklyn stadium launch

Rap superstar Jay-Z returned to his home borough for a sold-out concert on Friday night to open Brooklyn's new basketball stadium.

The rapper who grew up just two miles away from the new Barclays Center arena - now the home court of the Brooklyn Nets basketball team - talked about how far he had come in a show sprinkled with emotional speeches.

"I've been on many stages all around the world and nothing feels like tonight," Jay-Z told the cheering audience.

"I'm really overwhelmed by the moment," he said as he described his humble beginnings in Marcy Houses, a Brooklyn public housing project he noted was just 15 minutes away from the arena. "I can't believe that this day has come."

Jay-Z, who raps about the time he spent as a drug dealer, released his first album in 1996. He is now one of the most successful rappers in the world, owns a minority stake in the Nets and has businesses including a clothing label.

He encouraged members of the packed crowd to have their own stab at success.

"I believe everybody in the world is born with genius level talent ... Apply yourself to whatever you're genius at and you can do anything in the world," he said.

It was the first of eight Jay-Z concerts planned for the venue in the arena's first week.

Jay-Z sported the team's jersey and hat as he sang recent hits like Empire State of Mind and returned to his highly acclaimed debut album Reasonable Doubt.