Jay-Z used samples of songs by Estelle, Rihanna and Michael Jackson as he closed day one of the Wireless Festival in London last night (July 3rd).

Making his second headlining appearance at a festival in under a week, following his controversial performance at Glastonbury, the rapper treated 30,000 fans and a host of celebrities in Hyde Park to a set laden with his greatest hits.

After arriving on stage nearly half-an-hour later than scheduled, Jay-Z was relentless, launching into songs including '99 Problems' – which featured the riff from AC/DC's 'Back In Black' – and 'Is That Your Bitch', which morphed into The Prodigy's 'Smack My Bitch Up'.

He also drew a rapturous response from the crowd when he rapped along to Amy Winehouse's 'Rehab'.

Although the night was fine weather-wise, the crowd were forced to put up their umbrellas half-way through the rapper's set as he rapped over Rihanna's 'Umbrella', a song which he co-wrote.

As Jay-Z's set continued the hits kept coming with the rapper's own songs 'Izzo (HOVA)' and 'Girls, Girls, Girls' sounding in their natural environment alongside covers of Estelle's 'American Boy' and Panjabi MC's 'Mundian to Bach Ke'.

Jay-Z also used his appearance at Wireless to denounce the presidency of George Bush by projecting a picture of the American leader on a huge video screen.

When Bush's picture was created by a chorus of boos, Jay-Z told his crew tp "change it up” - and the image changed to a picture of presidential hopeful Barack Obama.

After disappearing for a brief costume change, Jay-Z returned, dressed in one of his Rockawear jackets, and addressed his recent performance at Glastonbury.

“I had a fantastic time down there,” he told the London crowd, before adding: “London – they say you don't want me in London...where's the love?”

Jay-Z closed his performance, much to the crowds approval, with his Linkin Park version of 'Encore', before dashing off the stage.

(by Jason Gregory)