Jay-Z in Ghana : From Ice To Water

Friday, October 6^th 2006

International Conference Centre

Accra, Ghana

By Chris Penrose

When Jay-Z’s world tour kicked off in Krakow , Poland on Sep 9^th of this year, he embarked upon a trek that will bring him through Europe, Africa, Asia, and will come to a close in Australia at the end of October.

This past Friday in Accra , on the second date of seven scheduled shows across Africa, Jay stepped into the spotlight with Ghana ’s red, green and yellow of flag draped across his shoulders.

From the first note, nearly all recognizable words and melodies of his show opener, “What More Can I Say”, were drowned beneath excited screams. Before finishing his first verse nearly 200 of the near capacity crowd of around 1500 rushed into the VIP section, and crowded the front of the stage.

For the next 90 minutes Jay-Z would go through almost thirty of his most recognizable tracks ("Big Pimpin", "Girls, Girls, Girls", "Change Clothes"). Assisted by his loyal right hand Memphis Bleek, he confidently controlled the crowd as the night the limp bodies of young girls who could not take the heat and pressure in the front row were pulled out and carried backstage by security.

While he had only arrived the day before in the nation heralded as Africa ’s first to gain independence, the connection between the country and the tour did not begin with his performance here. Before kicking off the world tour, Jay-Z publicly sat with Ghana ’s most recognizable global face, Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan to launch a humanitarian cause in his sweep from stage to stage across the globe.

Announcing a partnership between the Def Jam President and CEO Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, MTV and the United Nations, that press conference held this past August was to launch the upcoming MTV documentary, “Diary of Jay-Z: Water For Life”.

Due to be aired on November 24^th, 2006, across 50 channels locally broadcast into 179 countries, the documentary is aimed at exposing the global ‘water crisis’ facing the globe. According to the UN, this growing crisis affects over 1 billion people without clean water, and 300 million people in emergency conditions: that figure is estimated to rise to 3 billion people by 2025. Much of the problem is preventable and is dependent on changes ranging from the day to day use of water, to building and correcting national infrastructures.

In his own words, Jay has declared that, “I’m trying to be a rockstar and a role model”.

With two dates in West Africa ( Ghana and Nigeria ), the topic of the water crisis finds great relevance in the region. Only days ago, the water a reservoir serving an estimated 300,000 northern Nigerians was contaminated from a collapse of a dam brought on by heavy flooding. The flooding has also severely impacted regional neighbours Niger , Burkino Faso , Mauritania , Guinea and Senegal .

Ghana itself has been under rotating power shut downs from area to area (leaving regions without power for 12 hours at a time) every two to three days, due to low waters levels surrounding the hydro power dam. Untreated dumping of sewage into the ocean front and large portions of the country being without direct, and in some cases safe, water supplies is a part of the day to day life of many Ghanians. The scourge of Guinea Worm in the Northern region continues to expand, and the threat of a water shortage in the months following the rainy season is very strong as water levels are - once again - quite low.

While the magnitude of the “Water For Life” initiative, which includes a personal commitment by Jay-Z to fund the installation of ten innovative water pumps across the continent, will certainly have an impact on the issue, this intention of the tour was lost to much of the country.

Over the past few weeks, Ghana has been buzzing with the news that Jay-Z would be performing in Accra , but the talk surrounding the show was focused on whether or not the rumor that Beyonce would also be performing at the concert was true. To the disappointment of the crowd who chanted for Beyonce after Jay was escorted by security from the building, she did not grace the stage. Those looking to hear of the “Water For Life” campaign were also let down, as there was no mention made of the project throughout the entire night – not even in the major media outlets that covered the event in the news.

While the touching "Song Cry", claiming, "I'm happy to be home" and introducing the Annie inspired "Hard Knock Life" with an expression that he, being from Brooklyn, shares in the struggle that Ghanians faced were moments where he showed some of his heart, the night - upon relection - raised a major question. Why was he able to take 15 minutes to pay tribute to Biggie, Tupac and Aaliyah in an elaborate section of his show that he repeats around the globe, but he could not take 15 seconds to engage the crowd in the issue of the global crisis that is supposed to be the theme of his world tour? I can just imagine the impact that a press conference and an encouragement to join the fight against this growing problem would have on the youth of Ghana - let alone the rest of the tour dates. Saving this impact for the television documentary does not make much sense as, but that time, many more will have died whose names will never be a part of a 'missing you' set performed around the world.

In November, when Jay-Z steps out of his retirement to release the new album that is rumored to be titled “Kingdom Come”, the publicity for the MTV special will undoubtedly draw the popular gaze across the globe to this project.

If Jay-Z’s show in Ghana is an indication of the rest of the tour, the thousands from country to country that will be enjoying a night of heart and sweat with a Hip Hop icon and entrepreneur will be met with surprise, come November, that this superstar that they know for his boastful love for exquisite jewelry is more concerned with the water supply on the globe these days than the ice lacing his neck and his wrists.