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The guy’s got problems, and more than just 99

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Times Staff Writer

Jay-Z’s “99 Problems” is one of the most deliriously appealing songs in ages. In the dynamic hit, the New Yorker with the famous girlfriend goes through a litany of concerns, including run-ins with the law: “I got 99 problems but my [girl] ain’t one.”

After his concert Tuesday at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, Beyonce’s beau might rewrite the song as “I got 100 problems ... and counting.”

The “Best of Both Worlds” tour, as it was initially called when it teamed Jay-Z with R&B; balladeer R. Kelly, felt perilously close to being the “Worst of One World.”

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Jay-Z has marvelous skills as a rapper and record-maker, but he has limitations, which were magnified during the nearly three-hour show.

For all his opulent trimmings, Jay-Z doesn’t have a lot of charisma as a performer and his songs, while built around the lifestyle drama that fuels rap, generally lack the emotional depth and illumination of such rappers as Eminem, Ice Cube or newcomer Kanye West. That leaves him a bit detached on stage, where his music entertains but rarely lifts you away.

When the tour began Sept. 29 in Chicago, the Jay-Z/Kelly bill was a rare and promising pairing of superstar talents. But that collaboration crashed and burned in early November when Jay-Z, reportedly upset over Kelly’s behavior on the tour, including canceling three performances, decided to go it alone. Kelly has since filed a $75-million breach-of-contract lawsuit.

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To fill the void, Jay-Z has invited some hip-hop friends to join him on various dates. The call was answered Tuesday by a cast that included R&B; singer Mary J. Blige and rappers DMX, Busta Rhymes, Method Man, Foxy Brown and Redman.

Despite the firepower, the evening felt like a consolation prize for the Jay-Z/Kelly bill. Rather than a satisfying concert, mini-sets by the guests had the tone of a TV special in which Jay-Z and friends bonded as a sort of hip-hop version of Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack.

After warming up the crowd with a half-hour of turntable sounds, a DJ was well into his lavish introduction of Jay-Z (“the heavyweight of hip-hop”) when word came that the heavyweight wasn’t ready. To fill time, the DJ asked hapless questions like, “How many people love sex?” (With nothing else going on, how could you resist singing to yourself, “I got 101 problems and my girl ain’t one”?)

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Jay-Z finally appeared nearly an hour after the show’s scheduled 8 p.m. start time. Performing to backing tapes, which isn’t unusual in hip-hop, our host didn’t waste much time getting to “99 Problems,” though the version felt perfunctory.

Two numbers later, Jay-Z disappeared, turning the stage back over to the DJ, losing all momentum. Scores of people headed up the aisles for the restroom or concession stands. (“I got 103 problems .... “)

When the music resumed, Jay-Z used the time to showcase some of his musical sidekicks from his Roc-A-Fella Records, making the segment feel like a promotion stunt. (“I got 104 problems .... “)

Things didn’t catch fire until almost 9:30, when Blige joined Jay-Z on two songs, including “Song Cry,” one of the rapper’s most affecting ballads. Blige then took over with a segment highlighted by a version of her anthem-ish “I’m Goin’ Down” that was delivered with Joplin-esque intensity.

In his most effective sequence, Jay-Z saluted some musicians who have passed from the scene, including ODB, Tupac Shakur and Run-DMC’s Jam Master Jay.

After Busta Rhymes and DMX also pumped some energy into the evening with brief sets, another guest ignited things further.

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Jamie Foxx showed he can do more on a pop stage than a mean Ray Charles. In a cameo late in the concert, the actor-comedian proved wickedly funny as a hard-core rapper.

When the near-capacity audience didn’t yell loud enough to suit him during a skit, Foxx, pretending to be agitated, moved to the edge of the stage and threatened to come into the crowd and pull a Ron Artest on them. It was an allusion to the Indiana Pacer basketball star who has been suspended for the rest of the season after going into the crowd with fists flying.

Watching from across the stage, Jay-Z doubled over with laughter. When he went into his final flurry of songs, he seemed looser and more engaging.

It was the only time in the evening when he could look at his own performance and honestly think, “I got 99 problems and this concert isn’t one.”

Robert Hilburn, pop music critic of The Times, can be reached at Robert.Hilburn@latimes.com.

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