Jay-Z: New Music Fest Aims to Break Down Barriers

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Jay-Z: New Music Fest Aims to Break Down Barriers

While most of the recent publicity surrounding Jay-Z has been news about his wife Beyonce and the couple's new daughter Blue Ivy, the music mogul emerged in Philadelphia this week to announce a major music festival to be held over Labor Day weekend.

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On the sidelines of announcing the "Budweiser Made in America" fest, Jay-Z said the city of Philadelphia was a natural choice because of the many music artists he's discovered there, as well as his collaborations with hometown boy Will Smith. 

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The two-day event will feature about 30 artists from a wide range of genres encompassing hip-hop, R&B, Latin, rock, and dance. "I want people to come and see the people that they really love and follow, and then bump into some great music," the rapper and entertainment mogul said of the festival's diverse lineup. "I never believed in a separation of music and the divisiveness of hip-hop and R&B... I just always believed in great music."

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Tickets go on sale May 23 through Ticketmaster and LiveNation.com and organizers say a percentage of the proceeds will be donated to regional chapters of the United Way.