Jay Z and Justin Timberlake kick off 'Legends of Summer' tour in Toronto and New York

Rap artist Jay Z and R&B/ pop star Justin Timberlake kicked off their co-headlining “Legends of the Summer” North American tour at Rogers Centre in Toronto this Wednesday, and played their first Yankee Stadium show Friday night for tens of thousands of screaming fans.

The start to the tour could not have been gone better, according to Billboard. The duo performed their two and a half hour set in front 45,000 people earlier this week and showed how well they play off each other, work together, and spotlight one another. With the help of their 18 piece hip-hop/rock/soul back up band and DJ Cassidy, they wowed the audience with their new hits “Holy Grail,” off of Jay’s new album Magna Carta…Holy Grail , and Timberlake’s “Give It To Me,” and “Rock Your Body,” both playing off each other and contributing to each other’s songs.

At the Yankee Stadium concert last night, the first of two in the arena - the second Saturday night – the two continued to display their rich talents with Timberlake’s smooth style and range and Jay Z’s swagged out raps. According to the NY Daily News, the highlights of Friday night’s show included the duet to a cover of the Jackson Five's "I Want You Back," with original version mixed with samples of Jay Z’s hit song "Izzo,” and Jay Z’s “Empire State of Mind,” filled with Timberlake’s Sinatra-like style of “New York New York,” and guest star vocals of superstar Alicia Keys.

Both music giants impressed audiences at both shows with their true talent. Timberlake displayed his widespread musical abilities, playing upright piano, keyboard, electric and acoustic guitar, and showed off his soulful tunes and dance-worthy pop songs while Jay Z drove the crowd crazy with version of “99 Problems,” “PSA,” and “Hard Knock Life,” skillfully adding to Timberlake’s songs like “Cry Me A River,” and “What Goes Around Comes Around.”

Perhaps their most skillful combination at the concerts was the “Empire State of Mind” mash up and the two encore songs they performed. First, the two collaborated on Timberlake’s “Suit & Tie” and the combination of Alphaville’s “Forever Young” by Timberlake and Jay Z’s “Young Forever” which the two dedicated to Trayvon Martin, the Florida teen killed by George Zimmerman, who was acquitted last Saturday of his second-degree murder charge.

At the end of both concerts, the duo concluded their performance with blow out applause from the audience and Jay Z taking them out, saying, "Peace and love. We are the legends of summer."

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