In many areas of his multi-faceted existence as a transcendent, multi-dimensional superstar, Jay Z is often identified more by those around him than even himself. He is married to Beyoncé, he helped Rihanna get her big break, he has toured with Kanye West and Justin Timberlake and he currently represents baseball star Robinson Cano.

In spite of that, he might just be at his best when he’s flying solo.

One such occasion came during his Monday night show at the ACC. Although he was assisted by a four-piece back-up band that included producer extraordinaire Timbaland, it was his name, and his name alone, atop the marquee.

Without a co-headliner on hand to shoulder some of the performance load, Jay Z actually appeared more inspired than during his “Legends of Summer” tour visit to Rogers Centre alongside Timberlake. He was more than comfortable in taking sole possession of the spotlight, showcasing a flair for the dramatic atop a huge scaffold on an ornately lit stage.

Upon welcoming the 12,500 fans in attendance to a “legendary night,” the man known as Hova launched into two separate sets (the first lasted 45 minutes, while the second ran about 1:15) that seamlessly meshed the old with the new. Though he was sure to make his new album Magna Carta… Holy Grail the bedrock of his show, he left plenty of room for old school classics like “On to the Next One,” “99 Problems,” and “Run This Town.”

In fact, the only low point of the evening came when Jay Z did lean on some back-up, ceding the stage to a DJ-ing Timbaland for a jarring shift in momentum to disrupt the crowd's fervent energy. After about 10-15 minutes, the crowd quickly forgave Jay Z upon his return to the stage and was happy to accommodate his request that “everybody put your diamonds in the air” (much of the crowd responded by bringing their hands together to create a jewel-like shape in the middle).

Following an hour of hip-hop and rap intermixed with some fan interaction (he spent a surprising amount of time commenting on fan signs), Jay Z launched into a memorable encore that blended the much-anticipated hits (namely, “Empire State of Mind,” “Izzo (H.O.V.A.),” and “Hard Knock Life”) with some surprises (covers of Coldplay’s “Clocks” and The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” were unexpected) and a hotly-received nod to T.O. with a cover of Drake’s “Started From the Bottom.”

In spite of the covers and the Timbaland appearance, this night was all about Jay Z. And his raucous crowd was just fine with that.