King of rap Jay-Z rocked Brooklyn as he opened the newly built Barclays Center, home of the Brooklyn Nets, of which he owns part of, Friday night.
The Daily News reported that, the doors to the arena opened for the first time at 7:10 p.m. and thousands of fans filled the center with excitement, despite the rainy weather.
"I'm here for my man Jay-Z!" Howard Washington, 43, of Bushwick, who was decked out head to toe in new Nets gear, told the Daily News.
"Brooklyn all day! It's beautiful. Just beautiful."
"It looks dope from the outside. It's still spacious but not too far from everything. If you're from Brooklyn you have to be here tonight," Javon Scott, 31, and a firefighter from Flatbush told the Daily News.
"As a Brooklyn fan and a Jay-Z fan, it doesn't matter how much it costs. I have to represent."
According to the Daily News, before the superstar came on stage to perform, videos of other big moments in Brooklyn history was shown to the crowd. The historical moments showed included the borough's founding, the completion of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883, the demolition of Ebbets field in 1960 and many more.
The entrepreneur took the stage just before 10 p.m., sporting his custom made Nets jersey with "Carter" printed on the back.
The arena's first roaring crowd couldn't help but fill the new center with screams.
"Tonight is a celebration of the borough where I'm from," Jay-Z said, according to the Daily News. "Welcome to my house."
Other famous personals who attended the opening event included Rihanna, Magic Johnson, Al Roker, Star Jones, Tyson Chandler, New York Giants star Victor Cruz and Nets head coach Avery Johnson.
The exclusive 40/40 club at the arena also opened for the first time on Friday night, the Daily News confirmed.
