Jay Z

Pearl Jamand Philly-raised Santigold are among top artists who will perform along with Jay-Z at the Budweiser Made in America festival over Labor Day Weekend. Dirty Projectors, Skrillex, Afrojack, Odd Future and Mike Snow are also performing over the two-day event, Sept. 1 and 2, along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. We reported the lineup's biggest names Monday morning at PhillyGossip.com after noting that an apparent Ticketmaster goof had prematurely listed acts online Friday.

AT MONDAY'S news conference announcing Jay-Z's Budweiser music festival, a fan shouted out, "You're the best, Hov!" "I agree," he said. I don't. Not to sound like an old fogy, but hits of his such as "99 Problems" may be catchy, but I can't get with all the b-words and other misogynistic lyrics in Jay-Z's music. It felt bizarre to me to see the performer of such awful songs as "Big Pimpin'" and "Girls, Girls, Girls" standing with Mayor Nutter acting like some kind of hero.

With Mayor Nutter as his opening act, hip-hop mogul and rapper Jay-Z stood atop the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps. His theme: Made in America, the music festival - announced Monday morning - that will take over the Benjamin Franklin Parkway on Labor Day weekend. Jay-Z, whose given name is Shawn Carter, was saying he embarks on a venture only if it has potential to be great. Just then, a fan shouted, "You're the best, Hov!", a shortening of "Jayhova," one of the MC's noms de rap. Without missing a beat, Jay-Z answered back: "I agree.

JAY-Z WILL join Mayor Nutter atop the Art Museum steps at 10:30 Monday morning to announce a multiday concert festival on Labor Day weekend called Made in America. The New York Times reported Sunday night that the Budweiser Made in America festival will feature 28 bands over two nights, Sept. 1 and 2, in Fairmount Park. The location of Monday morning's announcement could indicate the Parkway. A portion of proceeds are to benefit the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey.

How is a two-day concert on the Parkway gonna charge for tickets and keep people from just standing around watching free? We're still waiting for the city and concert promoter Live Nation to answer this one. But Monday morning, Jay-Z joined Mayor Nutter atop the Art Museum steps to announce what we reported Saturday at PhillyGossip.com and had in print Monday, that the Budweiser Made in America festival will take place Sept. 1 and 2. Tickets are $99 for a two-day pass and are on sale May 23 at LiveNation.com and Ticketmaster.com.

I HAVE STRONGLY resisted the urge of accepting the concept of a post-racial America often pushed by members of the right, as well as their cries for less government. In part this is due to a sneaking suspicion on my part that has some significant historical basis. To some, less government is a good thing, and certainly there should be a happy medium. I am less inclined to have a knee-jerk reaction to say "yay" to such a concept. You see, it was government intervention that passed Brown v. the Board of Education regarding equality in education, and laws striking down miscegenation, as well as host of other draconian post-slavery legislation meant to continue the enforcement of social-exclusion policies (i.e., equal access to public places, transportation, voting rights etc.)

Blue Ivy Carter made her public debut Saturday when Beyoncé Knowles and Jay-Z took their 7-week-old daughter to lunch at Sant Ambroeus in Manhattan's West Village. The "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)" singer, 30, held her newborn close in a blue BabyBjorn. Moving on Mary Jo Buttafuoco , who was shot in the face by her husband's teenage lover nearly 20 years ago, remarried in Las Vegas on Saturday. TMZ.com reports she used her maiden name, Connery , when she exchanged vows with Stu Tendler , said to manage a Vegas print shop.

WILL SMITH will attend his first Sixers game tomorrow as part owner and sit courtside as the team takes on the Bobcats on Jrue Holiday bobblehead night. The Overbrook-native superstar is in the area shooting "After Earth" with director M. Night Shyamalan . The futuristic thriller also stars Smith's son Jaden . The team's been waiting for the chance to present Smith with his custom No. 76 jersey, which the team made for members of the new ownership group when they were announced in October.

In the world of babies and hip-hop, it has been a very interesting week. Jan. 9, we learned that Beyoncé and Jay-Z were the proud new parents of a baby girl, Ivy Blue Carter. Oops. That was a mistake, the little girl's name is really Blue Ivy. I can dig it. Nice name. Then it was reported that Jay and Bey allegedly paid more than a million dollars to take over the whole maternity wing at New York City's Lenox Hill Hospital. Maybe Beyoncé's life was in danger.