Posted by Katherine St Asaph on 11/01/2011 at 12:52 PM News

The Popdust Files: gq, jay-z, kanye west, watch the throne

Wondering whether Jay-Z and Kanye West’s Watch the Throne tour is worth attending? Not convinced by the retrospective trailer, which is heavy on Jay and Kanye history but light on the Throne? Wonder no more; GQ’s writers assure us that it was “outrageously good,” and that’s an observation they felt confident making only partway through the 40-ish song set.

The entire backstage dossier is well worth reading for its copious background details–just how good did Young Jeezy have it before his career? What drink would Fabolous recommend?–but the

5. Almost 40 songs.
You knew that part. But it’s worth reiterating. Almost 40 songs. Three-ish albums’ worth. (For those comparing at home: Kanye apparently looked like he “just survived” it, while it didn’t even register for Jay.)

4. Kanye West might have broken down in tears after “Runaway.”
The hype tornado around Kanye’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy might have subsided almost completely to what’s barely a breeze, but GQ still called “Runaway” among the highlights of the set. It certainly moved Kanye, if the rumor they quoted is substantial enough to justify its quoting. (Also surprisingly good, according to the report? “Heartless.”)

3. There’s a chance you might not have heard “No Church in the Wild.”
But GQ-via-Popdust, you say, I have heard “No Church in the Wild”! In fact, I pulled it up on YouTube right now to prove it! Ah, but there’s a catch:

If you haven’t heard “No Church in the Wild,” either in a packed-out club or live on this tour, you haven’t heard “No Church in the Wild.”

Noted.

2. Guests? Jay-Z needs no guests.
Although there were no guests, at least on this tour (audience members included T.I., The-Dream and Fabolous; neither performed), Jay-Z filled that role nicely on at least one occasion: Pimp C’s verse on “Big Pimpin’,” a cappella. (The 29th song in the set, because you had no way of counting.)

1. Kanye West might have just coined another meme.
Let’s turn it over to GQ:

Everyone in Atlanta is already balling so hard when the Will Ferrell sample kicks in—”Nobody knows what it means, but it’s provocative”—which leads to our personal favorite moment of the night: Kanye simply yelling, repeatedly and at the top of his lungs, “NOBODY KNOWS WHAT IT MEANNNNNS!” #provocative

Key word: “repeatedly.” Way to save a cool sample on record that might’ve been dead air on stage! The only way this could possibly be more noteworthy is if Kanye included the hashtag.