Watch Kanye West's pop-up concert that shut down the streets of New York

Kanye performs with Big Sean, Pusha T and others in Manhattan

Payton Guion
Friday 13 February 2015 16:05 GMT
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(AP)

Kanye West shut down the streets of New York on Thursday night with an electric performance in front of thousands of frigid fans under the watch of the iconic Flatiron Building.

Fellow Roc Nation artist Big Sean – whose album Dark Sky Paradise is set to be released this month – held the stage longer than Kanye and performed both his hits and a song from his new album, as well as a couple of collaborations. Artists Pusha T, 2 Chainz, Travi$ Scott and Fetty Wep also took the stage at pop-up concert Roc City Classic.

But Kanye closed the concert with a charged performance of hit songs Blood on the Leaves and Only One. See the video below for a short taste of the show.

Warning: The video contains explicit language.

The concert lasted just more than an hour and reportedly drew about 10,000 people in the sub-freezing temperatures. New York police had cordoned off the concert area for several blocks in all directions, causing a headache for people leaving work Thursday evening.

Police lost control of the crowd a couple of times, when fans rushed past barricades in front of the stage and in Madison Square Park, but order was restored in short order.

As he closed the show, Kanye told fans – in typical Kanye fashion – to never forget this night before saying “I love you”. Many could be heard shouting back, “We love you too, Kanye”.

Follow Payton Guion on Twitter @PaytonGuion.

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