Jay

Maybe this really is the stuff of legends.

Jay-Z and Justin Timberlake's "Legends of the Summer Tour," which arrived at a sold-out Yankee Stadium Friday night and returns again Saturday night, is a surprising musical partnership on so many levels. It's unheard of for two acts at the top of the music industry to team up this way -- Jay-Z just landed his 13th No. 1 album for "Magna Carta Holy Grail," and Timberlake's "The 20/20 Experience" is the year's biggest-seller so far.

Yet here they are, looking completely at ease, even in the sweltering heat, helping out on each other's songs seemingly ego-free as they walk across the massive stage in centerfield.

"I hope y'all ready to party tonight," Jay-Z said after the opener "Holy Grail." "I hope y'all ready for a legendary evening tonight."

The "Legends" tour breaks down in the same way Billy Joel and Elton John did when they established this kind of superstar pairing with the "Face to Face" tours -- with Timberlake and Jay-Z performing together, then doing separate sets, and then closing together.

The success of the show was in the collaborations. In a mashed-up version of Jay-Z's "I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)" and Timberlake's "Rock Your Body," Timberlake took over where Pharrell sang on Jay's song, while Jay offered vocal encouragement during Timberlake's. Because of the live band and Timberlake's versatility, the opening to Jay's "Izzo," originally a sample of The Jackson Five's "I Want You Back," can be extended, with Timberlake singing lead. On Jay-Z's "On to the Next One," Timberlake played keyboards.

The show's main drawback, though, was how rushed it felt, at times. While the stars obviously couldn't play full versions of all of their hits, playing only a verse and a chorus of some songs and then moving quickly to another wasn't always satisfying.

When they played entire songs, they nearly always fared better, especially when, despite the heat, Timberlake still busted out some intricate dance moves. And Jay sounded even more powerful than usual backed by a live band instead of prerecorded tapes.

This odd couple may have a future.

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