The Jigga Opinion
On first week album sales predictions:
The only thing I think about the first week is… I got a string right, and I’m in a tie with the Beatles or something. I think the Beatles are number one and the Rolling Stones. It’s either, Elvis, the Beatles and the ‘Stones. They’re all in the running. It’s me and them. I’m in the company of those four. So the next number one album puts me over another one of them. That’s what I think about the first week. Other than that, I really think about making a great album. Because that part of it is over for me. It’s really just a challenge of making music and have everybody love it. The more people love it, the better for me. That’s it, because, I’m not going to make no money off the album. What am I going to do, recoup? [Laughs] That ain’t never going to happen.
On Curtis, Marshall and Andre:
50 and I… We’re competitors but we’re cool. It’s a line of respect. You might—you just never know. Tomorrow, he might go crazy and throw a shot. But we still compete at a high level, so it’s cool. Like, it’s a respectful thing. We see each other, we laugh. We do more laughing than anything. It’s weird. I think I set the tone early, you know what I’m saying, after his first record [“How To Rob”]. I seen him when I was going on stage [at Hot 97 Summer Jam]. And I was like, “You know, I’m a get you.” I think he respected that a lot. You know, I’m more friendly with Em. I don’t really have a rivalry with him at all. Like, we talk on the phone. We talk on the phone. It’s all hip-hop at the end of the day. We all fighting for our space but if everybody fail—it’s no good. You need for other people to keep the genre alive and keep it healthy. Strong. So you’re standing on something that’s worth something. Like we still need Detox. But Dre is a perfectionist. The thing about him is you’re never going to be mad at the end result. If you ever get it, you won’t be mad.
On the best MC’s today (present company excluded):
I think Andre 3000 is amazing. I think he’s—I’d put Em and Andre… 50… 50’s more of the total package. He has the total package. Fantastic melodies and an incredible hook writer and he’s a good rapper. He’s a really good rapper. But lyrically, I would put those two guys, you know what I’m saying up there. When Andre does rap, shit. It’s like, okay. It’s inspiring. When we see each other, we talk in detail. We don’t say, “What’s up, I’ll see you later,” we talk and we’ll have words. It’s a respect thing.
On Ann Jones’ baby boy:
That [battle] thing is so over, man. That thing is so over. Like I told you, he came to the studio that day, listened to the record [“Success”], like, “Yeah!” He was excited, ready to get on it and that’s it. That whole thing—we’re adults. We went through a thing that was a little more than rap because it was personal situations involved. But at the end of the day, we was just people competing at the top. We competed, two big blows, and then two heavy joints landed, boom-boom, and we shook hands and like, “Yo, I respect you because somebody would’ve crumbled under that pressure.” “I respect you cause your still standing nigga.” [Laughs] “A nigga would’ve fell out from that joint.” “Nigga, you still standing too, but we still got that thing.” But it’s good. The fact that people still fascinated by it is great, but we’re so far past that. So far past that.
On Foxy Brown:
At this point—you can only help somebody to a certain point then you gotta let them help themselves and hopefully you’ll meet back up. That’s where it is for me. It’s like, if you see somebody just keep banging their head on the wall, and you keep fixing it and they still banging their head and they keep doing things… You gotta at some point say—alright, you—gotta stop touching that, you’re going to get burnt. Stop touching that—you’re going to get burnt. At some point, you gotta let them touch it and get burnt. And then hopefully, they’ll come back around some day. You just got to let somebody walk his or her path.
On the rocks thrown at his Presidential throne:
It’s sad. You rather a guy—and I’m not being racist—you rather a white guy who’s never went in a booth tell you that [your record’s not good]? People are cool with that. They accept that more so than from somebody’s who done it. I mean, young artists they don’t have a problem… It doesn’t benefit me if you don’t sell records. Like, what happens to me?! It fucks me up as well. There’s a red dot on my shit like there’s a red dot on your shit. But the only thing I will say, I’ve done as much or more than anybody in my three years at this time of the music business. More than any person in the business. Broke new artists, maintained careers, brought back careers more than any other person. But just because of who I am, I’m on a higher level of critique. People don’t know, who’s the guy at Jive—Barry Weiss… Mark Pitts. No one is saying nothing about Mark Pitts! He’s putting out records! But me, every single release, it’s like, scrutinized. But once again, that’s the high level people hold me to. I love it. It makes me deliver and pushes me to deliver more. But it’s the gift and the curse as well.
On failing to acquire the rights to rename the NJ Nets arena:
We wanted that. They turned us down. We’re on to the next one. John [Meneilly] called up me, like, “Yo, Izod got the thing.” I was like “Shit!” He was like, “On to the next one.” I was like, “Let’s go,” and that was it. That was big. We took a big swing. It was close—to the warning track. But that’s what happens. That’s part of it. Take your lumps, you know. Izod gave us a punch in the face.
On the real Frank Lucas:
I don’t think many people knew who he was. You know, but he did it [hustled] correctly. He did it all the way correctly. The only thing he didn’t do was leave. Cause when you get that much money there’s no hiding it. When the guy selling you the stuff is like, “Yo chill out, you gotta leave.” You gotta leave man. You gotta break out. C’mon man, now you’re being bad. That’s gluttony. God is going to punish you at this point. Right? 50 million in 1970? That’s great. 100 million in ‘70? That a little over doing it. $250 million? That’s like $2 billion or something back then. What’s wrong with him? What was he trying to do? What was the goal? What was the cut off point for him? He’s at 250! I would love to ask him that question. I’m going to ask him at the premiere.
This entry was posted
on Friday, November 2nd, 2007 at 4:41 pm and is filed under ** Highlight **, Bloggers, It Is What It Is
Share it:
.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
DIRECTORIES
NEW Jay-Z to Headline Bonnaroo Fest, Kid Cudi & Jay Electronica Added to Bill- 6 hrs ago
NEW Breaking News: Lil Wayne’s Jail Bid Postponed ’til March 2- 8 hrs ago
NEW XXL Gives Away Tickets to Haiti Benefit Show With Jim Jones & Styles P- 9 hrs ago
NEW Game Talks New DJ Drama Mixtape, Ashanti Collabo- 10 hrs ago
XXcLusive: N.O.R.E. on The War Report 2 - “Musically, This is Gonna be a Better Album”- 1 day
XXcLusive: Alchemist Says Eminem Working With DJ Khalil- 4 days ago
November 2nd, 2007
at 5:15 pm
T.R.E.Y. says:
has Hov been paying attention to Em’s “music” in the last three years or so?
Reply
November 7th, 2007
at 12:15 pm
mari says:
Im saying i wanna know why Frank didnt pull out make sure to follow up on dat one….
Reply
November 2nd, 2007
at 5:18 pm
nation says:
one jigga interview is cool. flooding us with his opinion, that has become slightly wack to me, isn’t. he said it himself, his value only sky rockets when he creates scarcity of Jay
Reply
November 2nd, 2007
at 5:35 pm
moresickaMC says:
50 makes damn great records…he’s one of the best rap song writers out now.
ya, Frank Lucas over did it…he was bound to fall.
Reply
November 2nd, 2007
at 5:45 pm
Mike Patch Fortworth,TX says:
Go Jigga!
Reply
November 2nd, 2007
at 6:01 pm
heAd-honcho0 says:
yo0u go0 jAy sTill huStlInG bAby hUrrY uP kIll Em
Reply
November 2nd, 2007
at 6:20 pm
Cello says:
I see why Hov was so motivated to do this album, he did Frank so to say. Then he reached that limit and started to make his money work for him. I have much respect for Jay’s Corporate understanding. “I’m not a business man I am a business man!” Personally I would like to see a movie with the details of how the Nicky Barnes and Frank Lucas of our day (Jay and Dame) fell out.
Reply
November 2nd, 2007
at 6:52 pm
junclassic says:
Jay gives good interviews. I think he made a great point when he said something to the effect of “What do I have to gain by your album doing bad? Thats a red dot for me too.”
Also dug what he said about heads scrutinizing him verses a Barry Weiss or even a Mark Pitts (who one time managed B.I.G.) Jay, yeah fam, you are under greater scrutnity, but Jay manned up and said he knows it comes wit the territory.
Hip Hop is so interesting man…
100
Reply
November 2nd, 2007
at 7:57 pm
INF says:
DAMN YN we all know this joint is hot why do you keep shoving this down our throats (nullus)
Reply
November 2nd, 2007
at 8:45 pm
soy yo says:
Em’s last three years? What are you talking about? He always does that; he lays low for a while and then ends all of them other rapper’s hopes. He kills it everytime he does it, no matter if his raps aint as frequent as other rappers’. See, Hov fears him because he doesn’t put the amount of personal work everybody else (including himself) does, but when he gets his shit together, he is a beast. If he hasn’t gone back to his bitter stuff is because he is raising kids and he is a family man. He spits fire; aint no hov, aint no kanye, aint no andre 3000. Don’t get him wrong, he the best period. Eminem > Hov and everybody else.
Reply
November 3rd, 2007
at 12:11 pm
ZEEE says:
i dont think em is greater than andre 3000, or jay z and nas .
Reply
November 2nd, 2007
at 9:08 pm
Ice says:
“You know, but he did it [hustled] correctly.”
Sad Jay, Frank Lucas snitched on over 100 people, the mvie only says he did it on corrupt cops, funny thing is the cop Russel Crowe portayed said it in an “American Gangster” BET special that even had Jay-Z on there Frank snitched on over 100 hustlers on his level and beyond, even his over seas connect in Thailand and I’m sure Jay knows that since he was on the same special and worked close to the movie.
tho he’s an old man now etc etc. he didnt hustle correctly cause turning states negates it all. Track 7, Vol. 2 take another listen Jay, you wrote it.
http://icedotcom.blogspot.com/
http://www.myspace.com/icedotcom1
Reply
November 2nd, 2007
at 9:09 pm
Ziploc Moe says:
Jigga must have a stake in XXL like Benzino had at the Source.
Reply
November 2nd, 2007
at 9:20 pm
Ice says:
“You know, but he did it [hustled] correctly.”
Sad Jay, Frank Lucas snitched on over 100 people, the movie only says he did it on corrupt cops, funny thing is the cop Russel Crowe portayed said it in an “American Gangster” BET special that even had Jay-Z on there Frank snitched on over 100 hustlers on his level and beyond, even his over seas connect in Thailand and I’m sure Jay knows that since he was on the same special and worked close to the movie.
tho he’s an old man now etc etc. he didnt hustle correctly cause turning states negates it all. Track 7, Vol. 2 take another listen Jay, you wrote it.
http://icedotcom.blogspot.com/
http://www.myspace.com/icedotcom1
Reply
November 2nd, 2007
at 9:21 pm
Frank White says:
im not sure if Em can bounce back this time though…For rap musics sake, i hope he can, because he is one of a select few that have held the torch, but over the years he has let all this bullshit influence him too much..
Reply
November 3rd, 2007
at 12:11 am
Beast74 says:
Soy yo Em is nice, but don’t go too far.
Reply
November 3rd, 2007
at 3:49 am
Jay-Z Speaks on the Real Frank Lucas, Foxy, 50 « The Digital Streets says:
[...] Read the rest of the interview here [...]
Reply
November 3rd, 2007
at 4:15 am
MrWillDoIt says:
I honestly think every bit of info we get from Jay-Z is valuable. I never get tired of hearing his perspective.
I mean, we get bombarded with hearsay and speculation, why not get the truth? This man is so damn intelligent.
And, no, I am not a Jay-Z stan. In fact, I’ll take some Krayzie Bone or dead prez over Jay any day. But I have to admit, Jay saves hip-hop every time he raps.
So, thanks YN for interview and thank you Hov for yor thoughts.
Reply
November 3rd, 2007
at 8:40 am
eny says:
i agree with u nation. yeah he’s good at his “hustle” which is to “hustle” the consumer, he doesn’t give a damn the messages he sending out or his fans, he’s just trying to live up to his hype people have about him and starting new records, he said it himself “It’s me and them. I’m in the company of those four. So the next number one album puts me over another one of them. That’s what I think about the first week.”then it becomes about making good music.fuck this camel. his priorties are wack and so is his new album he should of stayed retired and run the company, thats what they pay him for.that cocksucker.
Reply
November 3rd, 2007
at 8:47 am
starrScream says:
finally opening up more
now listen ti my shit!!!
http://www.myspace.com/starrscream
Reply
November 3rd, 2007
at 9:54 am
theone says:
Credit given when credit is due…..YN is the best……Straight up……Nobody is doin this Mag shit like him I mean his work speaks for its self…….I’m enjoyn it my nig……..Keep it up!
Reply
November 3rd, 2007
at 10:41 am
J S-O-T says:
I agree with soy yo to an’ extend but i think T.R.E.Y was criticising the quality of Em’s work over the last three years more than the quantity, no doubt Eminem can still slaughter a track but he is less consistent than he once was.
I hope Em’ does “an Eminem show” with his new album lol, let me explain, i still remember everyone bangin’ on about “The Blueprint” and “Stillmatic” an’ everyone forgot ’bout Em’ for a minute, then he jus came with “The Eminem Show” and, for me, it was better than both Nas an’ Jay albums, not as funny as his others but his flow on that is probly’ the best i’ve ever heard on a record, not to mention the lyrics.
Eminem, when on form >>>>> everyone, don’t front
Reply
November 3rd, 2007
at 4:58 pm
Cal says:
JSOT Man you are a rare one that i’ve scoured through Eminem listeners to find. Finally someone who appreciates Em’s best album and not focusing on just the rapist suicidal dope fiend EM (whom I got no beef with)!!
Reply
November 3rd, 2007
at 10:03 pm
D. PROPHET says:
JAY’S STILL THE NICEST MC………..
Reply
November 4th, 2007
at 1:43 am
kevin says:
have u people heard americam gangster…CRAZY ALBUM!!!!..dont worry jay imma cop it when it drop….need that dead prez 3..ur killin em …..ITS THA ROC!!!!!!
Reply
November 4th, 2007
at 2:02 am
Jer-Z Styles says:
In my opinion people should not blame HOV if there singles fail…He cant make people come tothe studio and constanly grind out singles.Yo real talk jokers gotta stay in their lane.HOV’s job is to sign the jokers then get them in the studio.I dont see anybody getting at Puff or Jermaine Dupri or even 50.Loose change signed maad people but cats like Mase and M.O.P. have yet to release a single.As Jays biggest fan…..pausehe is the King of New York.Who else could take time off drop a hot 16 or a joint like dear summer,or appear on Kanyes diamonds remix….then come back with an album called Kingdom Come….nobody,and I mean absolutely nobody but Jigga.Look how long its takingDre to put Detox together….like 5 years.Jay said he was coming back for the top spot….Lemme see who else will come out in the next year and can truly say they are king.Lastly I want to thank Hov for putting the ROC back together…..Fuck DAME…all he did was sit and complain.Nobody got at him about jokers making music.Look what he did he got his Harlem crew and put them on with no Problem.Made sur niggas pockets was LLLLLLLLLarge.But at the same time cats wanna blame Jay for mishaps for cats not putting out albums.When this shit is all said and done……..Brooklyn will be on top,and HOV,HOV will do like MIKE did get another title And hang up his microphone.
Reply
November 4th, 2007
at 4:57 am
twinn says:
ask him why his last album was so weak and why he tryna dress like jim jones now? he wanna be like jim? what happened to having more money?
Reply
November 4th, 2007
at 7:45 am
Shakakree says:
“YOU KNOW, BUT HE DID IT [HUSTLED] CORRECTLY. HE DID IT ALL THE WAY CORRECTLY.” - JAY-Z
COME ON NOW JAY HOW DID FRANK LUCAS DO IT ALL THE WAY CORRECTLY WHEN HE SNITCHED ON SO MANY PEOPLE OVER 100 CONVICTIONS WERE HANDED OUT BECAUSE OF HIS TESTIMONY.
IN THE MOVIE IT SHOWS HE ONLY SNITCHED ON CORRUPT POLICE AND FRANK LUCAS HIMSELF HAS SAID THAT HE NEVER TESTIFEID AGAINST ANYONE BUT THE REAL COP RICHIE ROBERTS WHO RUSSEL CROWE PLAYS IN THE MOVIE SAID HIMSELF THAT FRANK LUCAS DID INDEED TURN STATES EVIDENCE AND GAVE UP HUSTLERS ON HIS LEVEL AND ABOVE AND EVEN GAVE UP HIS THAILAND HEROIN CONNECT. ON AN “AMERICAN GANGSTER” MOVIE SPECIAL THAT AIRED ON BET THAT EVEN HAD JAY-Z ON IT.
WHEN YOU SNITCH, EVERYTHING YOU DID DON’T HOLD NO MERIT ONCE YOU START TELLIN. REAL NIGGAS DON’T SANCTION RATS.
LISTEN TO TRACK 7 ON VOL. 2 AGAIN JAY, YOU WROTE IT.
HTTP://ICEDOTCOM.BLOGSPOT.COM/
HTTP://WWW.MYSPACE.COM/ICEDOTCOM1/
Reply
November 4th, 2007
at 9:15 am
Rae Tha Great says:
You can’t even put 3 $tacks in a category. That dude ZONES OUT. He number #1 in his on lane. Better than Wayne in my opinion. Can’t wait for that solo album. The Love Below was okay but he could’ve been more lyrical, tight production. And too think when Outkast first came out I always thought Big Boi was better. Peace
Reply
November 4th, 2007
at 6:45 pm
Not Familiar Wit Internet Terms says:
Wut da fuck do nullus mean???
Reply
November 4th, 2007
at 7:19 pm
King B says:
You can’t really compare any of these rappers, or argue who’s greater. They’re all in different categories. It’s like comparing a comedy movie to a horror flick. You could try, but at the end of the day, it’s all about opinions and tastes. It’s like arguing about who was the coldest member of the Captain Planet Planeteers. lol
Reply
November 4th, 2007
at 7:54 pm
fort says:
Em is a beast period, Hov knows it, 50 knows it. Andre is up there but sometimes the guy makes music for the future which us mortals are not ready for. Ems next cd will be a monster, the guy will go at anyone and make it sound good.PS its going to be a double cd
Reply
November 5th, 2007
at 6:39 am
Henzo Matsala aka f*** Losers says:
Jay Z this, Jay Z that.
What the fuck is wrong withcu people @ xxl.
This nigga is done anf fucked up. Just because he is loaded with some cash, then he thinks he is all that. Nigga fuck you.
Reply
November 5th, 2007
at 9:42 am
Sir Wil says:
I think overall, it was a good interview. Sir Wil of myspace.com/wilpowermusicproductions
Reply
November 5th, 2007
at 11:03 am
JAYSTONE says:
EM IS WACK!!!!!!!!!!NAS IS BETTER THAN HIM.
Reply
November 5th, 2007
at 12:20 pm
Azia says:
Does anyone know what brand of sunglasses Jay is wearing on his cover shot? THEY ARE HOT TO DEATH!!! Are they LV, Gucci, ect???
Reply
November 5th, 2007
at 2:29 pm
BumpHipHop: The Hip Hop News Source » Jay-Z XXL Outtakes says:
[...] Full story at XXL. [...]
Reply
November 5th, 2007
at 3:32 pm
Loony T says:
Andre 3000 is the best simply because he is just as potent lyrically as he is in production. Em’s production is not that amazing. 50 is just a good gimmick to sell. He is nowhere near in the same field as Andre, Em, Jay, or Nas
Reply