When Jay-Z and LeBron James rallied Cleveland for Obama in 2008

Flashback: Billed as "Last Chance for Change," the free concert aimed to mobilize young voters and encourage early voting in Ohio, a crucial presidential battleground at the time.

• The Obama campaign distributed tickets through its Northeast Ohio offices.

The scene: The night began with Obama's 30-minute campaign infomercial playing on the arena's scoreboard before LeBron James, then 23, took the stage to introduce Jay-Z.

• The hip-hop legend delivered a sprawling, hit-packed performance featuring "99 Problems," "Dirt Off Your Shoulder," "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)," "Big Pimpin'" and "Hard Knock Life."

The intrigue: The concert doubled as a massive get-out-the-vote effort, with Jay-Z urging fans, many of whom appeared to be first-time voters, to cast their ballots early.

• He also invoked civil rights icons Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. in celebrating Obama's historic candidacy.
• James, who contributed $20,000 to a committee supporting Obama, encouraged fans to bring their families to the polls.

The big picture: While Obama only appeared on the big screen during the Jay-Z concert, he returned to Cleveland on Nov. 2 for a downtown rally featuring Bruce Springsteen.

• Obama went on to win Ohio and the presidency days later, making history as the nation's first Black president.