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.
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