Beyonce, A$AP Rocky, Emeli Sande, Public Enemy, 2 Chainz Kick Off Made in America Festival 2013 [Photos + Videos]
The 2nd annual Made in America Festival in Philadelphia boasted an array of great performances Saturday (Aug. 31) -- including the queen herself, Beyonce. The R&B superstar closed out the first day of her husband Jay Z's music fest with an exciting 90-minute live show.
Dressed in a pearl covered dress designed by Timothy White, Queen Bey -- flanked by several dancers -- performed her chart-topping singles, including 'Run the World (Girls),' 'Diva,' 'Single Ladies,' and 'End of Time.' Sadly, Bey’s entire set was not shown in full to those watching the webcast on YouTube, much to the chagrin of her Beyhive.
Nevertheless, Beyonce's performance was powerful and sultry, according to Philly.com. Even though Jay Z was spotted amongst the crowd, he didn't perform with his better half. What up with that?
"This has been a beautiful night," Beyonce told an exhausted audience after finishing her set.
Other acts like A$AP Rocky, Emeli Sande, Public Enemy and 2 Chainz performed across three stages during the 10-hour event.
A$AP Rocky was 20 minutes late for his 3:15PM set Saturday afternoon, which pissed off an already hot and frustrated crowd. Due to his tardiness, the Harlem rapper had to cut his set short to six songs. Rocky eventually got the crowd hyped with his rendition of 'Wild for the Night' and 'F---in' Problems.'
Emeli Sande performed a brilliant set that fit perfectly with the theme of Made in America festival. Behind the American flag, the British songbird sang tunes of love and hope that resonated with the crowd. Sande interacted with the audience, encouraging them to sing along and they gleefully obliged. Sande had the crowd in the palm of her hands as she performed a medley of her hits including 'My Kind of Love' and 'Next to Me.'
Public Enemy followed with a politically charged set of their classic rap songs. During their performance, topics such as the shooting death of Trayvon Martin and the school crisis in Philadelphia were mentioned by Chuck D in-between songs like 'Shut 'Em Down,' 'Rebel Without a Pause' and 'Don't Believe the Hype.' At the end of the show, Chuck D vowed to donate $10,000 to the Philadelphia public school system.
But the day belonged to 2 Chainz who had the entire crowd rocking to his infectious trap music. Dressed in all-white and abundant amount of gold jewelry, the Atlanta rapper gave the crowd what they came for -- a turnt-up show.
2 Chainz performed a bevy of hits including, 'No Lie,' 'Spend It' and 'Duffle Bag Boy,' a throwback classic when he was a member of Playaz Circle.
The energy in 2 Chainz's show was palpable. Even Jay-Z, the festival's curator, was watching backstage puffing on a cigar. Not only that, hands were always in the air and they stayed up until Deuces left the stage.
Watch Beyonce's Performance at 2013 Made In America Festival in Philadelphia
Watch A$AP Rocky's Performance at 2013 Made In America Festival in Philadelphia
Watch Emeli Sande's Performance at 2013 Made In America Festival in Philadelphia
Watch Public Enemy's Performance at 2013 Made In America Festival in Philadelphia
Watch 2 Chainz's Performance at 2013 Made In America Festival in Philadelphia