Jay-z
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Source: Elliott Wilson / Elliott Wilson
Nowadays Jay-Z is a man of few words. In an exclusive interview with TIDAL’s Elliott Wilson, the Brooklyn mogul discusses his recent Grammy performance and more.
As spotted on Tidal the legendary MC made history at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards show. The ceremony included a tribute honoring Hip-Hop’s 50th anniversary but DJ Khaled pulled off his own memorable moment in the first-ever live performance of his posse cut “God Did”. According to Wilson, he received a surprise text from Jay requesting he show up to Crypto.com Arena for rehearsals. In an exclusive interview Hov spoke with the Rap Radar founder about show and his history with the academy.
When asked why he ultimately decided to perform his four-minute verse he said he did it for the people. “Lenny S. [Roc Nation Senior Vice President Lenny Santiago] got to tell you that one. I thought about it, I was in my head and I just broke down and said, ‘You know, it’s a four-minute verse’. Again, for the culture, for Hip-Hop, we got to do that,” he said.
Jay-Z went on to explain why he needed to take advantage of the special occasion. “It’s not what you expect. And for the culture and for Hip-Hop, we got to do that. We owe that. This thing that changed our lives. We got to do that. A four-minute verse performed at the Grammys. We owe it to the culture, and it ain’t even a burden. It’s a blessing. It’s easy and fun.”
Wilson also got Jay-Z to speak on the elephant in the room regarding his complex history with the Grammys. “The truth is, we grew up wanting to be on the Grammys, and it was our goal. We just want them to get it right. That’s what we want. Obviously it’s music and it’s all subjective, but you got to be in the ballpark. That’s all we want” he added. You can read the interview in its entirety here and watch Rick Ross, John Legend, Jay-Z, DJ Khaled and Lil Wayne perform “God Did” below.
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Source: Timothy Norris / Getty / Beyoncé
It was a history-making night for Beyoncé at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday night.
Beyoncé’s husband, JAY-Z, once rapped, “tell the Grammy’s fuck that 0 for eight shit,” but that feeling was swept under the rug as the couple returned to the awards show to see if Queen Bey could walk away a big winner.
The Houston native arrived fashionably late and took home four awards for her critically acclaimed album Renaissance. Earlier in the broadcast, her viral hit “Cuff It” won Best R&B Song while she was stuck in traffic. Her collaborators on the song, The-Dream, and Niles Rogers were on hand to accept the award on her behalf.
Beyoncé Was Thankful
Beyonce’s latest project also won Best Dance/Electronic Music Album award. The lead single, “Break My Soul,” won Best Dance/Electronic Recording, and “Plastic Off the Sofa” won Best Traditional R&B performance, cementing her as the greatest winner of all time at the Grammys.
“I am trying not to be too emotional, and I am trying to just receive this night,” she said while fighting tears.
“I want to thank God for protecting me. Thank you God. I’d like to thank my uncle Johnny, who is not here but he’s here in spirit,” of course her parents got love too, “I’d like to thank my parents — my father, my mother — for loving me and pushing me,” she said during her speech.
“I’d like to thank my beautiful husband and my beautiful three children,” was the punctuation on her acceptance speech.
But she didn’t take home two of the night’s biggest honors. Song of The Year went to Lizzo’s retail store anthem, “About Damn Time,” and dedicated her win to the late legend Prince. She also gave Beyoncé her flowers during her speech.
Album of The Year, which always seems to elude Queen Bey, landed on Harry Style’s lap for his album “Harry’s House.” Of course, the BeyHive, who was happy for their queen making history, felt she was more deserving of Album of The Year.
Other Notable Grammy Moments
Other moments we care to talk about include Kendrick Lamar winning three Grammy Awards for his album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. He received the Rap Album award from Cardi B and, in his acceptance speech, thanked his family for giving him “courage and vulnerability” to share his truth on the album. He said his latest project was tough to make, and he “found imperfection.”
Lamar also won Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song for his song “The Heart Part 5.”
23-year-old Bronx Native Jazz singer Samara Joy took home Best New Artist and Best Jazz Vocal Album.
You can peep more reactions to all things Beyoncé in the gallery below.
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Photo: Timothy Norris / Getty
1. Heard You!
3. HOV Knew
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Source: Momodu Mansaray / Getty
It was Grammy Weekend in Los Angeles, which in some circles means an event even more anticipated than the actual Grammy Awards, the Roc Nation Brunch. The annual event went down at a private residence in Bel Air on Saturday, February 4, and once again it featured a who’s who of industry movers and shakers, and the occasional clout chasers who finessed their way in.
Some of the A-listers in attendance, besides Beyonce and Jay-Z, of course, included Lil’ Kim, DJ Khaled, Lil Uzi Vert, Tyler the Creator, Benny The Butcher, Victor Cruz, Kelly Rowland and many, many more
Scoring an invite to The Brunch also means stepping out in your best attire because everyone is going to be watching, snapping photos and taking footage for the ‘Gram. That is, if you’re allowed to.
And from the looks of the pics, there are some dastardly stylists out in these Hip-Hop streets, respectfully.
Also, where is the food, bruv?
As for the brunch itself, peep some of the yays and occasional nays from the 2023 Roc Nation Brunch in the gallery.
2. Lil’ Kim and some guys.
3. We call Earl the legend E-40 around here.
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BEL AIR, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 04: (L-R) Tracy Stevens and Earl Stevens attend 2023 Roc Nation The Brunch at Private Residence on February 04, 2023 in Bel Air, California. (Photo by Momodu Mansaray/Getty Images for Roc Nation)
4. We’re not sure what 2 Chainz’s direction here is, but just run with it.
5. Journalism royalty, Elliott Wilson and Danyel Smith
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BEL AIR, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 04: (L-R) Elliott Wilson and Danyel Smith attend 2023 Roc Nation The Brunch at Private Residence on February 04, 2023 in Bel Air, California. (Photo by Momodu Mansaray/Getty Images for Roc Nation)
6. Push A Ton and Tyler understood the assignment.
7. Earn Your Leisure ‘Dem.
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BEL AIR, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 04: (L-R) Rashad Bilaland Troy Millings attend 2023 Roc Nation The Brunch at Private Residence on February 04, 2023 in Bel Air, California. (Photo by Momodu Mansaray/Getty Images for Roc Nation)
8. Ari Lennox, period.
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BEL AIR, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 04: Ari Lennox attends 2023 Roc Nation The Brunch at Private Residence on February 04, 2023 in Bel Air, California. (Photo by Momodu Mansaray/Getty Images for Roc Nation) vertical,photography,people,one person,arts culture and entertainment,usa,looking at camera,music,smiling,california,three quarter length,bel air,brunch,residential building,ari lennox
9. Bleek!
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BEL AIR, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 04: (L-R) Memphis Bleek and Ashley Cox attend 2023 Roc Nation The Brunch at Private Residence on February 04, 2023 in Bel Air, California. (Photo by Momodu Mansaray/Getty Images for Roc Nation) vertical,photography,people,arts culture and entertainment,usa,music,california,two people,three quarter length,bel air,brunch,memphis bleek,residential building
11. Teyana Taylor stays invited.
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BEL AIR, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 04: (L-R) Teyana Taylor and guest attend 2023 Roc Nation The Brunch at Private Residence on February 04, 2023 in Bel Air, California. (Photo by Momodu Mansaray/Getty Images for Roc Nation) photography,people,arts culture and entertainment,horizontal,usa,waist up,music,california,two people,bel air,brunch,teyana taylor,residential building
12. Kelly Rowland, period.
13. June Ambrose is a style legend despite the big cap.
15. The Butcher coming!
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BEL AIR, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 04: (L-R) Guest and Benny the Butcher attend 2023 Roc Nation The Brunch at Private Residence on February 04, 2023 in Bel Air, California. (Photo by Momodu Mansaray/Getty Images for Roc Nation) vertical,photography,arts culture and entertainment,attending,usa,music,california,guest,bel air,brunch,butcher,residential building
17. TEMS getting a lot of praise.
18. 2023 Roc Nation The Brunch – Arrivals
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BEL AIR, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 04: JID attends 2023 Roc Nation The Brunch at Private Residence on February 04, 2023 in Bel Air, California. (Photo by Momodu Mansaray/Getty Images for Roc Nation)
19. 2023 Roc Nation The Brunch – Arrivals
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BEL AIR, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 04: Offset attends 2023 Roc Nation The Brunch at Private Residence on February 04, 2023 in Bel Air, California. (Photo by Momodu Mansaray/Getty Images for Roc Nation)
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Source: Courtesy of Damon Dash / Damon Dash
It seems Dame Dash and Jay-Z are still not on good terms; even professionally. He says Hov only offered him 1.5 million for his stake of Roc-A-Fella Records.
As spotted Complex the outspoken mogul continues to be vocal as ever regarding all the ups and downs of bossing up. Recently the Harlem, New York native was as a guest on VEUIT TV. While he and the host discussed a variety of topics Dame’s reveal regarding his piece of the iconic record label quickly went viral. “When I was offered a certain amount of money for my interest in Roc-A-Fella Inc., which owns Reasonable Doubt, they offered me, like, a million and a half dollars—Jay-Z. And I was like, ‘That’s some disrespectful sh*t. So, I guess I have to sell it someplace else.’”
In 2022 Dash decided to take his percentage of the brand and sell it as a NFT as per his cousin and legal eagle Ronald Sweeney. The sale was quickly halted as Roc-A-Fella claimed Dame could not legally move forward with the sale. “The bottom line is simple: Dash can’t sell what he doesn’t own,” the company responded, as per by Rolling Stone. “By attempting such a sale, Dash has converted a corporate asset and has breached his fiduciary duties. His planned auction of Reasonable Doubt would result in irreparable harm. The Court should stop Dash from attempting to sell the copyright to Reasonable Doubt, require Dash to return the NFT of Reasonable Doubt to RAF, Inc., and hold him accountable for this brazen theft of RAF, Inc.’s most prized asset.”
Dash claims the lawsuit was based on inaccurate information saying “I got the lawsuit, ’cause again, I got accused of doing something I didn’t, to stop me from doing it, and then everybody just went missing,” he explained. “So I had to deal with the lawsuit on my own.” Luckily, the parties came to the agreement where he could sell his portion of Roc-A-Fella Records but “dispose of any property interest in Reasonable Doubt.”
You can watch Dash discuss things below starting at the matter below.
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Source: Jim Spellman / Getty / Jonathan Mannion
After shocking the Hip-Hop world when he sued Jonathan Mannion, the photographer who took the iconic Reasonable Doubt cover art, JAY-Z and Mannion have come to an agreement on the matter.
In June 2021, Jigga slapped Mannion with an unexpected lawsuit for selling photographs, specifically the ones he shot for the Reasonable Doubt cover art, without his consent.
The Brooklyn rapper/mogul demanded Mannion fork over millions of dollars after asking Mannion to cease his sale of the merch featuring the photos. The two men tried to settle in January 2022 but failed and were set to battle it out in court in March, but a resolution in the matter has been met.
According to court documents obtained by AllHipHop, JAY-Z and Jonathan Mannion were working diligently to reach a settlement asking the judge to vacate the trial, implying that cooler heads have prevailed.
Crisis Averted
They have until February 17 to file the necessary paperwork. According to the documents, the “parties have engaged in settlement discussions and agreed in principle on the terms of the settlement, which includes a stipulated dismissal of this action, subject to execution of a long-form settlement agreement.”
At the time of the lawsuit’s announcement, Jonathan Mannion’s attorney said, “Mr. Mannion has created iconic images of Mr. Carter over the years, and is proud that these images have helped to define the artist that Jay-Z is today. Mr. Mannion has the utmost respect for Mr. Carter and his body of work, and expects that Mr. Carter would similarly respect the rights of artists and creators who have helped him achieve the heights to which he has ascended. We are confident that the First Amendment protects Mr. Mannion’s right to sell fine art prints of his copyrighted works, and will review the complaint and respond in due course.”
We’re happy to see the two legends in their respective crafts have worked things out.
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Photo: Jim Spellman / Getty
Written By D.L. Chandler , Senior Editor Posted 16 mins ago @dlchandler123 D.L. Chandler is a veteran of the Washington D.C. metro writing scene, working as a journalist, reporter, and culture critic. Initially freelancing at iOne Digital in 2010, he officially joined the iOne team in 2017 where he currently works as a Senior Editor […]
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Jay-Z’s “Big Pimpin” was one of the biggest records of his career and while it featured UGK (Bun B and Pimp C), Pimp C actually had his reservations about getting on the track when he first heard it.
In an interview with R.O.A.D. podcast, former Roc-A-Fella A&R Kyambo “Hip-Hop” Joshua reveals that Pimp C actually wanted nothing to do with the song after he misinterpreted one of Jay-Z’s lines on the track. “He thought Jay was saying that he was playing with his d**k in the truck. So he’s like, ‘Man, I’m not getting on no song with another man talking bout playing with himself in the truck. Young Hov, you my boy, but, damn, what you trying to have me doing?’”
We can see why he’d think that at first listen, but you’d have to hear it again to see that Jay actually said: “‘Til I need a nut, ’til I need to beat the guts/ Then it’s ‘beep beep’ and I’m pickin’ ’em up/ Let ’em play with the d*ck in the truck.”
But aside from the misunderstanding, Pimp C’s relationship with the late-great Tupac Shakur had him hesitant to work with Jay as well. Tupac had dropped a few bars aimed at Jigga over his friendship with The Notorious B.I.G. saying that Pimp was “a big 2Pac fan and 2Pac had just passed away not too long ago. And he heard of something, I guess ’cause Pac said something about Jay. So [Pimp C] was like, ‘I’m not f*cking with him, ’cause Pac ain’t f*cking with him.’”
Fortunately though, Pimp eventually decided to hop on the track and Hip-Hop history was made as “Big Pimpin” went on to become a smash record and went platinum back in 2000. What an era that was.
Check out the full interview with Kyambo “Hip-Hop” Joshua below and let us know if “Big Pimpin” would’ve been as big a record as it was without Pimp C or UGK on the track.
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Veteran rapper Bun B took time to reflect on Jay-Z’s apparent usage of his lyrics for one of his hits and on their relationship in an interview.
The “Still Trill” rapper sat down as the guest on the most recent episode of the People’s Party with Talib Kweli podcast. At about the halfway mark the discussion soon turned to his feelings about the revelation that the first four lines of the third verse of Jay-Z’s “99 Problems” were taken from Bun B’s verse from the UGK song “Touched.” The track was on their iconic 1996 album Ridin’ Dirty. “99 Problems” would go on to be one of the standout hits from The Black Album.
“I feel like enough people know,” the Port Arthur, Texas native said. “But I don’t feel like it’s that big of a deal. I would call it mutual respect. We do this a lot in Hip-Hop, right? Where we have artists who have said, ‘Fuck that was dope, the way he said that.’ And sometimes you wanna pay homage to that wordplay. How many songs, Kweli, have you listened to and been like, ‘I woulda rhymed that last part like this.’”
He continued plainly: And I think that’s what happens. I think you feel like, ‘This is a dope rhyme, I don’t think enough people heard this shit. I’m finna drop this shit in here.’ Sometimes you take a dope rhyme and make it a hook, and then people gotta go back and figure it out. But nah, I don’t think a lot of people know that. I don’t think it’s a big deal that they don’t know. Or a big deal if they do.”
The Trill Burgers founder has often spoken about his connection with Jay-Z, dating back to Pimp C’s guest verse on “Big Pimpin” from Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter. In the years since Pimp C’s passing, Bun B has shared that his UGK partner had initial misgivings about appearing on the track out of respect for the late 2Pac.
“So, 2Pac was not a Jay-Z fan, this is very well-known,” Bun B said in another podcast interview. “Jay-Z had been introduced to UGK by a big DJ in New York named Clark Kent. And he’s like, ‘I like these guys, I wanna work with them.’ And Pimp C did not want to fuck with people that 2Pac did not fuck with, because he thought 2Pac was the best judge of character.”
Check out the entire podcast episode below.
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Source: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin / Getty / Kodak Black
Another day, another rapper or celebrity sharing their head*ss opinion on Tory Lanez being found guilty of shooting Megan Thee Stallion.
Legal expert and frequent court visitor Kodak Black is the latest person with something to say about Tory Lanez being found guilty on all charges.
Like the ridiculous petition started by “fans” and Lanez’s father, Sonstar Peterson, and other family members, Black also stupidly believes that JAY-Z and Roc Nation have something to do with the trial’s outcome.
Kodak Black Thinks JAY-Z Is A “F*ck N*gga”
In an Instagram Live session, the rapper shared his unwanted opinion, chastising the victim in all of this, Megan Thee Stallion, for speaking on the matter while dissing the GOD MC, JAY-Z.
Via HipNMore:
Who advised this sh*t before Christmas? And Jay-Z standing behind this, you a f*ck n*gga homie,” Kodak said, dissing Jay-Z and believing the wild rumors that his company Roc Nation has a big role to play in the case. “And Meg, you supposed to be from the streets …. even it was a gunshot on your foot (and not pavement fragments) … I know a b*tch who got shot in the toe, too. I know a female who got shot in the toe. You don’t see her talking about sending n*ggas to jail.” He also called Tory a “good n*gga.”
“This shit aint right, homie. For real, bro,” Kodak continued. “And Tory Lanez a good nigga, bro…This shit fu**ing with my Christmas Eve. Everybody shit ain’t for me to speak on. But it’s like ni**as aint finna talk about that. Ni**as finna act like this shit ain’t never happen. I don’t know. I wasn’t in the courtroom. But at the same time, if it is some fu**ed up shit going on, ni**as ain’t gonna wanna say nothing because of the politics bullshit. And all of this Jay-Z shit. But I don’t like that shit nan bit.”
You can watch Kodak Black spew his stupidity below.
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Photo: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin / Getty
Former rivals Nas and Jay-Z find themselves on equal footing in one regard on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart, as Nas’ King’s Disease III debuts at No. 10 on the chart dated Nov. 26. With the arrival, the Queens MC lands his 16th top 10, tying Jay-Z for the most among rappers in the chart’s history.
King’s Disease III opens with 29,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Nov. 17, according to Luminate; 20,000 units of the starting sum derive from streams, equaling 26.5 million official on-demand streams of the album’s songs. Of the remaining units, 8,500 are in traditional album sales, with the outstanding balance owed to track-equivalent album units. (One unit equals the following levels of consumption: one album sale, 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams for a song on the album.)
As the new album enters the list, here’s an updated leaderboard for the rappers with the most top 10 albums on the Billboard 200:
16, Jay-Z16, Nas15, Drake15, Future12, Eminem12, Lil Wayne12, YoungBoy Never Broke Again11, Jeezy11, Kanye West11, Snoop Dogg
Elsewhere, King’s Disease III begins at No. 4 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and at No. 3 on Top Rap Albums. On the former, it becomes Nas’ 18th top 10, the second-best sum among rappers there, behind Jay-Z’s 21.
King’s Disease III is the third installment of what has become an annual series from Nas. The first edition arrived in August 2020 and peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200. Its next iteration came 12 months later and improved on the original, starting at a No. 3 best on the Billboard 200. Between King’s Disease II and King’s Disease III, Nas released another album, Magic, which reached No. 27 this January.