Jay-Z isn’t a stranger to creating critically acclaimed albums or chart topping music. But everyone knew and felt that his latest offering, 4:44, was something different than anything found before in his 13 proper album catalog.
It was deep. It was vulnerable. It was personal. It was Shawn Carter.
Yesterday (Aug. 18), Tidal dropped an exclusive interview with Jay-Z conducted by OG Hip-Hop journalist Elliott Wilson and his right-hand man Brian ‘B.Dot’ Miller.
During the hour long conversation Jay touched on a bevy of subjects including the controversy sparked by his line about the Jewish community in “The Story of O.J.,” his beef with Kanye West, and where he stands with Solange.
Here are the 12 things we learned from Jay-Z on Rap Radar.
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Photo: TIDAL
1. Playlist Producin’
Jay gave No I.D. a playlist of records he wanted him to chop up and sample. Jay said this was the first time he was as involved as he was in the music production but stops short of saying he produced the album.
2. Cutting Room Floor Cuts
Jay says that there’s only a few songs like “Black Gold” and “Part II” that were left off of 4:44 because he felt they didn’t fit well with the direction of the album.
3. Support Your Own
Jay-Z doesn’t understand why people within the culture still hate on each other when they’re making their own moves. He bought three pairs of Lonzo Ball’s ZO2’s just to support Lavar Ball’s movement. He still hasn’t got them though.
4. “Story of O.J.” Controversy
Speaking on the controversy on the line from “The Story of O.J.” where he spoke on the Jewish community, Jay says he “exaggerated every Black image in the world” and said if someone doesn’t have a problem with the image of a guy eating watermelon and they have a problem with that single line, “you are being a hypocrite.” He explains that he exaggerated that line on purpose, adding “Of course I know Jewish people don’t own ALL the property in America.”
Credit: WENN.com
5. Jewish Communities
Building on that line, he says he’s seen how the Jewish community working together can build something productive and positive with and for each other, and that’s all he was trying to express.
6. Tidal Regrets
He feels the Tidal launch came out “wrong” because it came across as a “bunch of big artists complaining about money, and it wasn’t even about that.” He wishes they would’ve taken their time to plan a better rollout.
Credit: WENN.com
7. Not Illuminated, Just Enlightened
Hova isn’t necessarily a religious person. He simply considers himself a spiritual person saying, “I know God exists and I’m cool with that.”
8. Killing Jay-Z
The jab allegedly thrown at Kanye on “Kill Jay-Z” was Jay actually “talking to myself the whole time. I’m not talking about Kanye when I said ‘you dropped out of school, you lost your principals,’ I’m talkin’ about me.”
(Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images For Roc Nation)
9. Kanye West
As far as that now infamous Kanye rant Jay does say “he knows he crossed the line” by bringing Jay’s wife and kid into the fray. He also added “And the $20 million shouldn’t have been said… sometimes you go too far with that. That’s a personal thing between him and I. He knows and I know. That’s all.” On a related note Jay said he wouldn’t hold Kanye back from making an album with Drake on Apple Music.
10. Future Reference
His reference to Future on 4:44 Jay said he meant no malice by it, simply saying that “the way his situation plays out because he’s such a public figure, mine would’ve played out that way and maybe four times more.” The reaction that line got reminded Jay that “We got to a place where you can’t say anything anymore. Like you say anything in rap you got to apologize.”
11. Solange
Speaking on Solange, Jay said she’s “like my sister… Not my sister-in-law, my sister. Period.” He said they’ve had “one disagreement ever before and after we’ve been cool.”
12. 444
Before Jay cut the title record for 4:44, he and Beyoncé were on a romantic stroll through New York City when they walked past The Standard’s Le Bain club where the incident with Solange went down. The club is located at 444 W. 13th street. “We didn’t realize we was on that block and then we walked past it and we was like ‘Oh sh*t… f*ck this place.”
12 Things We Learned From Jay-Z On Rap Radar was originally published on hiphopwired.com
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