Kanye West is nothing if not consistent. As the sole hip-hop headliner at this year’s Essence Music Festival Saturday (July 2) night, the Chicago MC did not disappoint, offering up a visual feast complete with pyrotechnics, nearly two dozen dancers and elaborate lighting.

Broken up into three acts, the Louis Vuitton Don ran through more than 20 songs, ranging from tracks off his debut album to his most recent, ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.’

Never one to shy away from being candid, West made mention of his now infamous incident at the 2009 MTV Awards, which set his career into what many had written off as a downward spiral. “I had a little bit to drink that night,” he admitted amidst the audience’s cheers and laughter.

West also took fans down his own personal music memory lane playing some his favorite songs, which he credited as inspiring his musical genius. “I don’t do interviews anymore because the press be trying to kill me, I let the music speak for itself.”