I could not make it to the Pearl inside the Palms to see Jay-Z on Friday. But that turns out to be a good thing for readers of the Buffet on two fronts. One is that Ann Powers happened to be there reviewing for The Times. You can read Powers' review here. Here's an excerpt:

Jay-Z shows are fun because the rapper is so adept at spinning liquid gold; his mouth is one of the most nimble in the genre’s history, and he uses it to present thoughts that are sharp, funny and resonant. Hits flew fast and furious at the Pearl, from radio staples such as “Hard Knock Life” and “99 Problems” to insider favorites like “Jigga What” and “Dirt Off Your Shoulder.” Jay-Z also sampled from his remix collaborations with other rappers, including Young Jeezy’s homage to Obama, “My President,” and Kanye West’s “Diamonds From Sierra Leone.”

Powers goes on to note the presence of  "Rihanna, all smiles in the mezzanine."

And, though I could not be there, Buffet photographer Sarah Gerke was not going to miss a chance to shoot Jay-Z. Interestingly, she reports that the media were specifically instructed by the public relations team for Pearl that they were not allowed to take photographs of Rihanna.

Photo: Sarah Gerke