The idea is obvious: Bring together the top talents in hip-hop and R&B for one triumphant arena tour that raises the bar for the concert experience in both genres. Even better if you can pair one artist who really speaks to the ladies with another who all the fellas emulate.
This isn't a new idea: Hip-hop giant Jay-Z and R&B lothario R. Kelly teamed up for the Best of Both Worlds Tour before it crashed to a halt in the fall of 2004. But that aborted collaboration was stilted, forced and joyless -- in short, a disaster.
In dramatic contrast, the Heart of the City Tour by Hova and Mary J. Blige -- the most successful rapper of all time and the queen of hip-hop/soul -- was a triumphant celebration when it rolled into the United Center Saturday for the first of a two-night stand.
