Escaping Retirement in BMore

With his second CD coming out since his so-called "retirement", Jay-Z seems to have been unable to move beyond what was considered before his retirement to be one of the most successful rap (and maybe music) careers in the past fifty years. He made his name largely off of the same themes and beats as other rappers, but, due to a lot of skill and a little luck, he rose above them all.

And then, in 2003, Jay retired as a solo artist, committing himself to collaborative work (an album with the rock/hip hop group Linkin Park), entrepreneurial endeavors (heading Def Jam Records and having a partial stake in the NJ/Brooklyn Nets), and activism (supporting the UN's Water for Life Campaign). He had found other things to do, and seemed relatively happy...having Beyonce around probably didn't hurt either.

But only a few years later, he pulled an MJ and came back from retirement. Now, with his second post-"retirement" album on the way, he's doing a mini-tour, travelling to the five most important cities in America: New York, LA, Chicago, Philly, and, of course, my adopted home of Baltimore. How much could such a concert cost? $30? $50? $75?

$100.

That's right, $100. Like Jordan, he might not have the same game he had when he retired. But also like Jordan, he's still go the same name and the history to boot. And it's making me consider shelling out a hundred bucks to see him. Am I crazy? Probably. Alicia Keys' upcoming concert in DC is "only" $50, and Jay probably isn't twice as good (although that could be debated).

But how often does such an opportunity come around? He's up there with the greatest, and it'd be unlikely that I'd ever get to see him again. Tickets for Game 7 of the World Series on StubHub are going for a minimum of $850 and most others in the four (or even five) digits.

I don't splurge often, but if I travelled to DC from New York to see Jordan in a Wizards uniform one last time (even if it wasn't the same guy who hit the game-winner against the Jazz in '98), why not do the same to see Jay-Z before he hangs it up (even if he isn't the same guy from the classic Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life, which also came came out in '98)?

Hey, it just might be worth it.