Jay-Z borrowed bullet-proof Army vehicles to make his entrance at V Festival on Sunday (20.08.17).
Jay-Z
The New York-born rapper was the star attraction on the Supervene stage at Hylands Park, Chelmsford, and Jay made a predictably spectacular entrance, taking one of the largest helicopters in the world to the festival before travelling the few hundred metres to the stage in a military vehicle.
A source said: "Jay-Z's travel plans were extreme. His S92 helicopter was like nothing seen before, even though none of his family had come with him.
"The thing was so big it even has its own toilet on board. It was huge. V had planned to bring in a fleet of Mercedes-Benz with blacked-out windows for Jay and his crew too.
"But he insisted that would not be good enough. He said his cars had to be bulletproof, so they had to borrow armoured vehicles from the Army."
Jay attended the festival without his wife Beyonce and their three children, five-year-old daughter Blue and twins Sir Carter and Rumi Carter, who were born in June.
And while the festival's tight security ensured Jay was always going to be safe, the 47-year-old star wasn't taking any chances.
The insider told The Sun newspaper: "There was really no risk of any issues with all the punters being thoroughly searched on-site. But he wasn't taking any risks ahead of his headline set."
In recognition of his superstar status, Jay was given a half-acre plot backstage, which featured five dressing rooms.
The chart-topping rapper used his performance to pay tribute to Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington, who committed suicide in July.
The duo collaborated together on their 2004 album 'Collision Course', which included the hit single 'Numb/Encore'.
Jay played the song at the festival, asking the crowd: "Can I get some lights in here for Chester tonight?"
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