7) “HOLA’ HOVITO”
Produced by TIMBALAND
JAY-Z: [Juan Perez, owner of 40/40 Club,] is Dominican. You know, that’s like my brother. So it’s always a Latin influence, and you always have a bunch of people around. He actually helped me with that record. Like, “bujando.” ’Cause I was like, “What’s that shit they be saying when, you know, when you up there? What’s that?” So he was there. Actually, we were gonna have him say, “Hola’ Hovito,” but he was like, “Man, I can’t do that shit.” [Laughs] Bujando—I don’t know if it means cops, but it’s the code for cops.
TIMBALAND: Jay-Z is like my brother. We have a long history together. Working with him is like working with family. I cherish every moment
of the recording process, and each song means something to me. We just try to have fun and make good music. We go in and creatively vibe. We were both in a good place when we recorded [“Hola’ Hovito”], so we just had a good time. Each song we create has a special meaning to us.
LENNY S: When we worked with Tim [at that time], we would go to Manhattan Center Studios, on 34th Street, and that’s where he always
worked. He would play us the heat, and Jay would record the song right there… That one was a one-off… If Tim plays four or five joints, Jay does two or three. He always nailed it.
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