Jay-Z enters new musical heights at Carnegie Hall

NEW YORK — As Jay-Z transitioned from hit song to hit song at a Carnegie Hall concert Monday night, so did the lighting, changing from red to white to blue.The veteran rapper then performed his latest hit, "Glory," about his 1-month-old daughter with Beyonce, Blue Ivy Carter."I didn't think I was going to make it through that one," he said, sounding emotional. "That was tough."It was one of the many jams Jay-Z performed at New York's famed venue, his latest achievement in music domination.The rapper is the second hip-hop act to perform at Carnegie Hall. Wyclef Jean did so in 2001 with Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton and Whitney Houston.Jay-Z was joined by fellow New Yorkers Alicia Keys and Nas. He was backed by an orchestra of 30-plus and a band that included Questlove of The Roots and neo-soul singer Bilal. It was one of two shows for charity planned this week.The Grammy-winning rapper, born Shawn Carter, started off in a black-and-white tuxedo, bowtie and black sunglasses, commanding the stage with confidence in a somewhat unfamiliar territory: The audience was mostly men in suits or tuxedos, and women in conservative dresses. About 2,800 people filled the hall.