Jay-Z and Kanye West perform live for a sold-out crowd (photo courtesy of creative commons).

The Staples Center crowd welcomed the duo with open arms Monday night. The sold-out crowd was a diverse mix of young people, all rapping along to every song.

The concert was the second show of three concerts at the Staples Center to promote their collaboration album "Watch The Throne." The performance started two hours later than scheduled, but Jay-Z and Kanye made up for it by performing two and a half hours of hit songs.

When the lights dimmed, the spotlight illuminated Kanye West at center stage, and the opening beats of "H.A.M." played, fans erupted in screams and applause. After Kanye's verse, another light showed Jay-Z at the smaller stage at the other end of the arena. The crowd went wild. Then Jay-Z joined Kanye on the main stage for Otis while a giant American flag waved in the background.

The duo, dressed in all black--Kanye in a leather kilt and skinny jeans--proved to Los Angeles exactly why they have one of the top albums of the year. They performed their "Watch The Throne" songs as well as their individual hits.

Both have amazing stage presence. They fascinated the audience without the help of any special guests or opening acts. Kanye moved across the stage and screamed his favorite parts along with his fans. Jay-Z was a little more subdued, but wowed the crowd all the same.

The show had a moment of poignancy when the two performed "Made In America" with video footage of Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and various civil rights events playing in the backround. Kanye made told the audience that they really could do anything they wanted to. He then confessed that he contemplated suicide three years ago but decided against it, ending with the fact that he was on stage with his idol. Jay-Z then briefly talked about his absent father and gave a shout out to all of the dads who take care of their children before starting "One Day."

The concert continued with many hit songs including "Brush Your Shoulders Off" and "Monster."

Kanye shared a tender moment with the crowd during "Runaway," when he told everyone in the audience to hold the one they love. Later, he stopped "All of the Lights" three times to make sure the crew lit up the whole stadium when the beat dropped.

"I wanna make sure y'all get what you paid for," said West.

Towards the end, Jay-Z and Kanye traded songs in a funny conversation about women. Jay-Z started with "Big Pimpin'," prompting Kanye to share that he always wanted that but a "Gold Digger" got in his way. Jay-Z apologized for not having any good advice and ended the conversation with "99 Problems." Of course, the crowd loved it.

The highlight of the night was "N***** in Paris," which was performed two times before the two left the stage.  The crowd called for an encore and prompted Jay-Z and Kanye to come back out and perform it seven more times, each time full of energy. Jay-Z offered the crowd the chance to break the record, eight, for the number of times the song was performed during the tour. The crowd gladly accepted the challenge.

Fans were still rapping lyrics to many of the songs while shuffling out of the arena. The "Watch The Throne" concert tour is certainly something special.

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