Jay-Z in 2012 during the Watch The Throne Tour. Photo by Pieter-Jannick Dijkstra via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Rap superstar Jay-Z announces New Orleans concert

Jay-Z will headline the Smoothie King Center when he swings through New Orleans on Thursday, November 9. The hip-hop superstar will be on the road in support of his brand new album 4:44, which was certified platinum by the RIAA within a week of its release.

The upcoming concert will mark Jay-Z’s first performance in New Orleans since he and his wife, Beyonce, brought their On The Run Tour to the Superdome in 2014. Three years before that, the rapper teamed up with Kanye West for a Watch The Throne Tour show at the Smoothie King Center. While both of the gigs found him sharing the stage with other prominent artists, the upcoming concert will be his first New Orleans stop as the lone headliner since a 2010 tour in support of The Blueprint 3.

4:44, Jay-Z’s 14th studio album, was released on June 30 as an exclusive offering from Sprint and Tidal. The 10-track record features guest appearances by Beyonce, Damian Marley, Frank Ocean, James Blake and many more. The 4:44 Tour will find Jay-Z utilizing a 360° setup that places him on a stage in the middle of the arena.

Tickets for Jay-Z’s show at the Smoothie King Center will go on sale to the general public on Friday, July 14. Tidal subscribers will be able to purchase tickets during a special pre-sale that begins at 11am CST on Monday, July 10. Citi cardmembers will also be able to purchase tickets to during a pre-sale that lasts until 9pm CST on Thursday, July 13.