New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani confirmed there was a “breach of security” at Jay-Z’s Yankee Stadium show on Sunday (July 12).
Footage from Sunday’s show appeared to show unticketed guests rushing the gates at Yankee Stadium, which resulted in entrances being shut down. With thousands of fans temporarily stuck outside the venue, Jay delayed the concert more than three hours before taking the stage around 12:30 a.m. ET early Monday (July 13).
“Last night is something we’re going to follow up on because I know many New Yorkers who were delayed after there was a breach of security by those that didn’t have tickets and that resulted in a multiple-hour delay for many others,” Mamdani said.
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Patience paid off for those who made it into Yankee Stadium, as fans were treated to a 40-plus song setlist that included guest appearances from Beyoncé, Rihanna, Clipse, Pharrell, Fat Joe, Jadakiss and Jeezy.
“On Sunday evening at various fan entrances at Yankee Stadium, hundreds of individuals in large groups — who did not have tickets to tonight’s performance — stormed over peaceful ticketholders, and in some cases, breached security,” read a joint statement from the Yankees, Roc Nation and Live Nation. “As a result, gates at all entrances of the Stadium were closed for an extended period of time. With the thoughtful guidance of the NYPD, gates were reopened cautiously and carefully to ensure the safety of those inside and outside. The Yankees, Roc Nation and Live Nation express our deep gratitude to the NYPD and to Yankee Stadium security personnel for their leadership and direction throughout the evening, putting the welfare of attendees above all other considerations.”
The mayor explained he was not in attendance for any of the trifecta of shows for Hov’s Yankee Stadium residency but marveled at seeing clips of Nas and Jay reunited on stage over the weekend.
Mamdani also revealed that a clean version of Jay’s 2001 The Blueprint was the first album he was ever gifted. “The first album I was ever given was a clean version of The Blueprint, which is unfortunate; I learned about the importance of freedom of expression,” he said. “‘H to the Izzo,’ ‘Girls, Girls Girls.’ I just remember that in the jog-proof Walkman and learning there was an explicit version as well.”
The Blueprint arrived on Sept. 11, 2001, and debuted atop the Billboard 200 with 427,000 total album units sold. Next up for Jay, he’ll be heading overseas for London and Paris shows in September before returning to the West Coast for a SoFi Stadium concert in October.
Watch Zohran Mamdani’s press conference below. Talk about Jay-Z takes place around the 26-minute mark.
