Several artists helped make Day One of Philadelphia's Made In America festival a success, but let's be real: Most people were waiting all day for Kanye West.
Philly.com pretty much admitted as much:
The whole day felt like a prelude to West, the unfailing attention-getter atop the bill. He'd previously played MIA in 2012 in a guest spot during Jay Z's headlining set.
This year, West followed DJ Steve Aoki, taking to the Rocky Stage in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art at 10:37 p.m.
Per Kanye's usual objective, things immediately got weird.
Wearing a mask to hide his face, he stepped out from a sea of red lights to face the crowd while his DJ played an intro guitar part for "Black Skinhead."
Then the beat hit, and social media was buzzing until he finished roughly two hours later.
... And Kanye West is wearing a full mask on stage. 30 min into set no one has seen his face. Only at #MadeInAmerica
— Bobby Olivier (@BobbyOlivier) August 31, 2014
Kanye stopped the show to, among other things, respond to the South Park episode about him #madeinamerica #voiceofageneration — Adam Hersh (@hershwords) August 31, 2014
Had to tell this college student newspaper interviewer hold up I gotta listen to Kanye West right now. He's the greatest living artist.
— Champagne Papadum (@HIMANSHU) August 31, 2014
Kanye ranting in auto-tune! Lmaooo.. #madeinamerica #yeezus #kanye — Erik B. (@erikBnyc) August 31, 2014
Saturday was also the ninth anniversary of Ye's Late Registration release, which featured "Touch The Sky" collaborator Lupe Fiasco.
YE CLASSICS!!! — Lupe Fiasco (@LupeFiasco) August 31, 2014
Lol.....Touch The Sky... — Lupe Fiasco (@LupeFiasco) August 31, 2014
Yes yes yes guess who's on 3rd...
— Lupe Fiasco (@LupeFiasco) August 31, 2014
Here's the full setlist from Saturday night (via Setlist.FM)
- Black Skinhead
- I Don't Like (Remix)
- Mercy
- Cold As Ice (Foreigner cover)
- Cold
- Can't Tell Me Nothing
- New Slaves
- Power
- Blood On The Leaves
- Stronger
- Runaway
- Run This Town
- Diamonds From Sierra Leone
- Heartless
- Jesus Walks
- All Falls Down
- Touch The Sky
- All Of The Lights
- Good Life
- Bound 2
- Encore: Blood On The Leaves (Reprise)
West will be headlining the Los Angeles version of Made In America tonight. Make sure to check out Saturday's archived video.
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