Once again, it must be said: concrete jungle where dreams are made of. Made of what? Of pre-taped material. Jay-Z joined Alicia Keys and the cast of Hell’s Kitchen at the 2024 Tony Awards for his verse of “Empire State of Mind.†Only he didn’t really join them. Hova duetted with Keys in a pre-taped segment, projected behind the dancing cast. Jay-Z appeared in a logomaniacal Louis Vuitton coat, which power clashed with Keys’ Gucci set.
Hell’s Kitchen was the first show to do its big number at the Tony’s on June 16. It’s heavily favored to win several awards, nominated for Best Musical, Best Direction of a Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, Best Performance by a Feature Actor in a Musical, Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Orchestrations, Best Choreography, and Best Scenic Design in a Musical. It was also nominated for Best Costume design (lost to The Great Gatsby), Best Lighting Design and Best Sound Design (lost both to The Outsiders). But neither musicals have the Jay-Z verse from “Empire State of Mind.†That’s a Tony Awards exclusive.