Jay Rock Explains Where It All Began, And What A Journey… (Video)
TDE’s rise began with Jay Rock, who ushered the independent label to major distribution through a Warner Bros. Records deal nearly a decade ago. The Watts MC who was the youngin’ around the old heads brought that acquired knowledge, respect, and that wisdom to his music, uncut Gangsta Rap at a time when it was still out of vogue.
With just one album out (2011’s Follow Me Home), Jay specializes in being quiet, but highly attentive and deliberate. This month’s “Parental Advisory” shows that the big homie within Black Hippy isn’t staying quiet for long though, with perhaps another hiii-powered monster in the cannon.
That being said, AFH saw right now as the perfect time to share Jay Rock’s “Where It All Began” interview. Filmed several years ago, Jay explains how the albums of Master P, the songs of Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dogg, and the styles of 2Pac and Busta Rhymes were a major influence. Jay recalls the impact of watching Big Beat Records’ (and later Death Row’s) O.F.T.B. (Operation From The Bottom) do it on a large scale in the notorious Nickerson Gardens. He also expounds on why his music is so raw, given what he’s witnessed and lived with “since the sandbox.” This is a rare, introspective glimpse at an artist with so many paid dues, and yet so much ahead of him.