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Jay Z’s touring ‘blueprint’: Rapper co-headlines

By WTOP Staff

MESFIN FEKADU
AP Music Writers

NEW YORK (AP) — You could create a music award based on Jay Z’s collaborative tours.

Past nominees for best live performance by Jay Z and friends would include Justin Timberlake, Eminem and Kanye West, among others. And this year, the rap king is hitting the road with his superstar wife, Beyonce. The On the Run Tour kicked off Wednesday in Miami.

In light of the duo’s epic trek, we rank Jay Z’s tours that have co-starred others, which doesn’t include Rihanna or Alicia Keys (surprisingly, right?).

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1. Kanye West and Jay Z, Watch the Throne Tour: Jay Z and Kanye West have been a dynamic duo since West started producing some of Hov’s best tracks in the early 2000s, and the pair easily tops this list. Performing songs from the incredible “Watch the Throne” album, the rappers were enticing onstage and left you wanting more on this 2011 tour. And it’s also easy to digest the cocky and brash West with Jay Z by his side.

2. Eminem and Jay Z, The Home & Home Tour: In some ways, it’s hard to call this a 2010 tour with four dates and performances held only in their respective hometowns of Detroit and New York. But what it lacked in length, it made up in power. Eminem — touring behind his comeback album “Recovery” — may have gotten the crowd the most excited, in part because he hadn’t been on the scene for a minute. And bringing out the likes of Dr. Dre and 50 Cent at Yankee Stadium also didn’t hurt. But Jay Z had the crowd on its feet and may have won the night even before the likes of Kanye and Alicia Keys walked onstage.

3. Mary J. Blige and Jay Z, Heart of the City Tour: The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul and the King of … everything? This 2008 tour married Blige’s sweet but gritty soul with Jay’s grimy rhymes, and it worked. Blige, with passionate delivery and sermon-like interludes, was the one with the most firepower.

4. Justin Timberlake and Jay Z, Legends of the Summer Tour: Legends don’t always mix well, which J and J proved with this 2013 tour. While it was enjoyable, it wasn’t full of sparks, much like their collaborations on the songs “Suit & Tie” and “Holy Grail.” More like “Holy Fail.” OK, not really, but expectations were high for these icons. Highlights included Timberlake singing hooks on popular Jay Z anthems including “I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me).” The downfall: The prince of pop didn’t perform his signature dance moves. Maybe Jay Z forgot the choreography?

5. R. Kelly and Jay Z, The Best of Both Worlds Tour: This 2004 tour had “99 Problems” from the jump. Shows on the 40-date trek were canceled amid rumors of tension and jealousy between the superstars. It all came to a head when a Jay Z associate allegedly used pepper spray on the Pied Piper of R&B after Kelly left the stage abruptly with claims he saw people in the audience waving guns. The following night, Jay Z relied on his all-star friends — including Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, Blige and Diddy — for a spectacular performance that made the audience wonder, “Kelly who?” The tour ended shortly afterward — and then the lawyers got involved.

6. Ciara and Jay Z, Jay-Z & Ciara Live Tour: Did this really happen? If it weren’t for Google, we wouldn’t be able to confirm that it did. But Jay Z and Ciara — who was more popular in 2009 — hit the road together for a five-date tour. We miss the Ciara then — her music was better — and we wonder if she could even open on tour for Jay today since she’s taken about one, two, three thousand steps back.

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Online:

http://www.livenation.com/artists/41408/jay-z

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Follow Mesfin Fekadu at twitter.com/MusicMesfin and Nekesa Mumbi Moody at twitter.com/NekesaMumbi

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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