Grammy-Winning Rapper Jay-Z Starts Countdown to Three-Day Residency at Yankee Stadium with His First Pop-Up Shop in DUMBO

The countdown is on for Brooklyn rapper Jay-Z. He held his first pop-up shop to celebrate his three day residency at Yankee stadium in the Bronx running from Friday, July 10^th – Sunday, July 12^th. Back in March, Jay-Z announced his historic anniversary concerts of his 30^th anniversary of his album, Reasonable Doubt, and the 25^th anniversary of his album, The Blueprint.

The countdown to this landmark event began with the rapper’s first pop-up shop hidden underneath the Brooklyn Bridge in the DUMBO section of Brooklyn. Jay-Z, Roc Nation, Apple Music, and the Brooklyn Public Library kicked off a 10-day immersive pop-up experience in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Check the event recap on SHEENTV

The Jay-Z 30 DUMBO pop-up was a curated experience for the album, Reasonable Doubt, The pop-up was free and open for fans and helped loyal fans to take a look back on the career milestone from this era in 1996. The pop-up shop acted as pilgrimage for anyone who lives and breathes New York hip-hop.

The pop-up was held at 92 Plymouth Street inside a 1930s industrial boiler house that  now houses the non-profit arts organization and art studio, Smack Mellon. The importance of this location because this is location where Jay-Z filmed his “Dead Presidents” music video with Director Abdul Malik Abbott in November 1999.

The music video went into #1 with appearance of the late Notorious B.I.G , Producer/Rapper Jermaine Dupri, Roc-A-Feller co-founder Damon Dash, record executive Kareen “Biggs” Burke, Junior Mafia’s Lil’Cease, and  Jay-Z’s childhood friend and co-founder of Roc Nation, Tyran “Ty Ty” Smith.

The video is prominently showcasing a white 1993 Lexus GS 300, which was used in the music video. Jay-Z makes a reference to this car again in his 2009 hit song, “Empire State Mind”, and he references  it as his “off-white Lexus”. The creme colored GS3000 will be on display in The Book of HOV exhibit until the end of this year with The Brooklyn Pubic Library.

During the Fourth of July weekend, fans visited the pop-up to experience history and see exclusive merch in preparation for next week’s iconic event in the Bronx. Visitors were transported back to the 90s and took a walk through the roots of Reasonable Doubt, with the album on repeat and live DJs, like SiriusXM’s DJ Trase.

Entering the pop-up visitors got to see the Apple Music payphone and stacks of vintage Sony Trinitron CRT TVs showing old VHS footage of Jay-Z performing at various concerts in 1996. There was also a video of Jay-Z rapping with the late Yonkers rapper DMX. The “Dead Presidents” music video was also playing to show visitors where the music video was originally shot.

The pop-up featured a life-size, all-black scene of a city park bench with a chess game and a display of “Jay-Z 30” merchandise. Some of the merchandise included posters, keychains, stickers, patches, and bandanas. By the cash wrap, shoppers had an exclusive opportunity to purchase all of Jay-Z’s albums on vinyl, CD, and cassette. There was a “Jay-Z 30” vinyl set with an exclusive carrying crate retailing for $1,200, and the “Jay-Z 30” Cassette Collector’s Collection retailing for $300. Both collections hold all 13 of Jay-Z’s solo projects. Additionally, a reissue of his 1998 musical drama film, Streets is Watching, was available on DVD.

You could get to flip through Jay-Z’s Decoded in hardcover and paperback and his 2023’s all matte blue coffee table book, The Book of HOV. This 700-page book was a multimedia collaboration with the Brooklyn Public Library, retailed for $2,000.

In glass showcase was exclusive Mitchell& Niess x Jay-Z 30 Blueprint sports collaboration line that includes baseball jersey tops, satin jackets, leather varsity jackets and matching snapbacks retailing from  $75- $1,200.

The countdown to the Jay-Z’s residency will continue this week uptown in the Bronx. Announced on Monday on Instagram, the “Jay-Z 30 Pop-Up” is heading uptown to 161st Street, next to Yankee Stadium. From Wednesday, July 8, through Sunday, July 12, the pop-up will be located at 75 East 161st Street and will continue throughout the residency. The pop-up is giving fans another chance to experience the exclusive merchandise and installations, and to celebrate Jay-Z as an icon.

On July 7^th, it was announced on Instagram the Jay-Z 30 Anniversary Stadium Tour is expanding to London on Friday, September 4^th. More details will be announced.