World AIDS Day brought together a laundry list of top-tier performers in Times Square last night for a surprise performance under the lights, smack dab in the middle of the world’ biggest shopping mall. When better for the fashion-minded musician or music-minded fashionisto known as Kanye West to drop by than a benefit in the capitalist palace of Broadway? Yeezy chimed in with a medley of his hits, touching on each and every one of his 6 studio albums, except 808s & Heartbreaks, curiously leaving his synth-pop efforts to the wind (and I would have loved a live take on “Paranoid.”)What do you think?

Ye commenced his half-surprise sermon with righthand man Mike Dean in tow, adding live flares of grungy guitar licks to the mix. A high-voltage rendition of “Power” lead the charge, with “Jesus Walks,” “Black Skinhead,” “Stronger” and “Touch The Sky” following and all under a steady cold rain. Other performers at last night’s pop-up stadium show included a Bono-less U2, lead by the infinitely more appealing Bruce Springsteen and Coldplay‘s Chris Martin.

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