Last week rumors swirled that a secret [lastfm]Jay-Z[/lastfm] concert would take place on Monday in New York City. The blogs sprung into action, sleuthing out the details and eventually revealing that [lastfm]Jay-Z[/lastfm] and special guest [lastfm]Eminem[/lastfm] would appear together on The Late Show with David Letterman, performing atop the show’s famous marquee on Broadway in Times Square.

The outdoor concert was timed to promote the release of Em’s new album Recovery, out NOW.

[photogallerylink id=57161]After word of the free concert leaked, Mayor Mike Bloomberg pulled the plug on things, citing the near-riot that greeted [lastfm]Drake[/lastfm]‘s recent outdoor show on New York’s waterfront. So it came as a surprise to everyone when, late Monday afternoon, [lastfm]Eminem[/lastfm] and [lastfm]Jay-Z[/lastfm] suddenly appeared on the rooftop of the Ed Sullivan Theater to perform their set for The Late Show.

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First up was [lastfm]Eminem[/lastfm] who performed “Not Afraid”, a tell-all track and the first single from Recovery. Em looks like he’s in great shape, slim and focused and unfazed by the blazing hot sun. After a quick commercial break [lastfm]Jay-Z[/lastfm] hit the stage, teasing some requests from the crowd then launching into a rowdy rendition of “On To The Next One” from The Blueprint 3. After one last break, [lastfm]Eminem[/lastfm] reappeared and joined Jay for “the moment” of the evening – a duet on “Renegade”, their classic collaboration from Jay-Z‘s The Blueprint.

The lucky audience, which included New York’s own [lastfm]P. Diddy[/lastfm], went bananas as David Letterman appeared, thanking Em and Jay before the three of them walked off stage and out of sight.

No mere stunt, this surprise set served as a preview for the upcoming double-bill shows [lastfm]Eminem[/lastfm] and [lastfm]Jay-Z[/lastfm] are performing this September. The shows, taking place at Tiger Stadium in Detroit and Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, are being billed as “the greatest double-header of all time.”

Tickets for both shows are on sale soon. Stay tuned for details.

The rooftop performance airs this coming Friday on The Late Show with David Letterman on CBS.

Eminem – “Not Afraid”