This event took place , just few days after the death of Kanye's mother , Donda west . It was not an easy decision to not cancel the show in such conditions , but Kanye did what he thought was the best for him , at a professional level and a personal one .
Of course I was waiting for the whole week to hear they postpone the show , and until the entrance I was , like many others , unsure about seeing Kanye on stage .
Eventually the 6,000 of us ended after a very cold afternoon in the warmth of the Zenith , at the east end of Paris .
The first part definititely set the tone . Common , a "hall of famer" of hip hop , was the first to host us , with a simple performance in front of a white curtain , which was hiding an improbable futurisic scene . No need to say the Chicagoan did more than his side-kick job and put the whole audience on fire . A memorable performance , for sure .
Go
The Light
Drivin' Me Wild
Forever Begins
After a little musical interlude , Kanye was next .
Behind the scene photos and renderings
He appeared in a blinding white spotlight , in the darkness of the hall ... with an instrumental version of Stronger , the credits showing up on the light wall behind the scene . Just the time to raise the pressure , and he slowly debuted his show singing Good Morning .
The rest is history ... Can't Tell Me Nothing ... Through The Wire ... Touch The Sky ... Flashing Lights ... Jesus Walks ... Good Life ... Homecoming ... Big Brother ... almost all the songs of Graduation , and classic material issued of College Dropout & Late Registration ...
... all this before an emotional Hey Mama . This was too much for him to handle , only 6 days after the loss of his mother . He collapsed , breaking down in tears in front of the whole crowd . He just couldn't go any further. He just stood there , crying , while his band continued playing . After being comforted by the band and Common , he left , coming back after several minutes to perform Stronger .
At this special moment Kanye showed he was Hip Hop ... sharing his feelings through the rhymes , something Hip Hop was dedicated to at first , before all the folklore of the girls , the cars , the guns or the money ... some behaviour he already had recording Through The Wire after a near fatal accident , telling his dramatic story to the whole world .
He kept shouting out to the audience, "I need you ... I need you right now" , and the public was screaming back . It was real .
Some might say it wasn't normal for him to perform this night , but for him it was his way to try to overcome what can't be .
Kanye shared his pain . You can't blame that .
Shoutouts to him .
Bonus : Jay-Z and Kanye Live
