Lauryn Hill, Wyclef and Giggs among surprise guests at Jay-Z's long-awaited UK show

Jay-Z also took a moment to thank his fans who have been there from the beginning, telling them that "music saved my life".

His reflective mood continued as he performed Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem) and Where I'm From, which explores his upbringing in the Marcy housing projects in Brooklyn, New York.

He cranked the energy back up for his 2011 hit No Church in the Wild, which was amplified by fiery pyrotechnics that radiated heat through the stadium.

Originally a collaboration with controversial rapper Ye, also known as Kanye West, Jay-Z left his voice in for the chorus but cut his verses out.

US DJ Khaled had a brief moment on stage while Jay-Z changed, but it was the appearance of London-born rapper Giggs which got the crowd erupting.

He appeared overwhelmed at one stage, his hand clutching his face, as he took in the packed crowd while performing his track Talkin Da Hardest alongside Jay-Z.

The surprise guests didn't stop there, as Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean from the 90s American hip-hop collective The Fugees reunited to perform their hit tracks Ready or Not, Killing Me Softly with His Song and Fu-Gee-La.

It was a full-circle moment for both them and Jay-Z as he recalled supporting them on their European tour.

The US rap superstar closed out the night with rousing renditions of Public Service Announcement (Interlude) and Numb/Encore, hailing it as a "legendary night" that he would "never forget".

The crowd appeared to agree as thousands praised him by holding up his famous diamond hand gesture.

Fans had travelled from across the UK and the world to see the rapper, including Prince Dean Sithole, who hailed Jay-Z as one of his role models.

"I think he's very impacting, especially for us black people because we don't get a lot of recognition," the 19-year-old from Leeds told BBC Newsbeat.

"Seeing him today shows that dreams are possible and you can be that person that you want to be."

Jay-Z, real name Shawn Carter, broke through with his 1996 debut album, but it was his third record, Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life, in 1998 which landed him the top spot in the US charts for the first time and a best rap album Grammy.

He went on to establish himself as one of the most influential figures in hip-hop, releasing 13 solo studio albums and several collaboration records, which have secured him 25 Grammy Awards.

He was also the first rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2017, as well as being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021.

Over the years, he has also become one of the most prominent music moguls in the world, with his company Roc Nation representing a host of top talent and, in recent years, it has been behind the Super Bowl half-time show.

In 2019, he was declared hip-hop's first billionaire by Forbes, having built an empire based on music, property, fashion and investments alongside his wife Beyoncé.

The power couple have three children, daughter Blue Ivy, 14, and nine-year-old twins, Rumi and Sir.