Jay-Z to play Carnegie Hall

Jay-Z to play Carnegie Hall, Jay-Z is set to become the first solo hip-hop artist to perform at Manhattan's Carnegie Hall. The rapper announced Thursday that he will stage two concerts at the historic venue Feb. 6 and Feb. 7, as part of his philanthropic efforts with United Way of New York City and the Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation.

"It's every artist's dream to play a venue as legendary as Carnegie Hall," Jay-Z said, as quoted by RapRadar.com. "The fact that I can use the arts and my talent to benefit the education of the next generation of artists, entrepreneurs and great thinkers makes for a legendary night. I'm proud to be a part of the continuing work of United Way of New York City and expanding the Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation."

Those won't be Hova's only gigs on his home turf in 2012, however. The Nets co-owner announced earlier in the fall that he'd be performing possibly three live concerts at the brand-new Barclays Center in Brooklyn next September to kick off the 2012-2013 basketball season.

via: msn