jay-z Archives

JAY-Z’s Turns His Apology To Beyonce Into A Powerful Short Film (Video)

JAY-Z has now made his second music video from 4:44 available to the masses. The title track from the No I.D.-produced album comes as a music video that is just as evocative as "The Story Of O.J." with an entirely different medium and aesthetic. How JAY-Z’s New Album Is The... Read more

July 14, 2017 Video

Joey Bada$$ Ranks Kendrick Lamar’s Albums, As A Fan & Peer (Video)

Joey Bada$$ recently sat down with Montreality to discuss some of his views concerning everything from Kendrick Lamar to mumble rap to suicide. Early in the interview, the 22 year-old MC also expresses his love for JAY-Z’s 4:44 album, as well as the belief that his own music has helped inspire... Read more

July 12, 2017 Video

JAY-Z Announces North American Tour In Support Of 4:44

Already being called one of the best solo LPs of his 20-plus-year career, 4:44 will be celebrated on a 31-date North American tour beginning in the fall. JAY-Z has announced the details for the 2017 spectacle, which begins in October and spans two months. The Brooklyn, New York icon has been enjoying one... Read more

July 10, 2017 Fresh

How JAY-Z’s New Album Is The Blueprint For Grown Man Rap (Video)

In the last eight days, JAY-Z's 4:44 monopolized the Hip-Hop conversation and most of the pop culture space. There are a lot of headlines and developing storylines that can easily get in the way of the fact that a 47-year-old-rapper, mogul, and king of cool reached a definitive career milestone,... Read more

July 8, 2017 Exclusive, Food for Thought, TBD, Video

Here Are The Jewels From JAY-Z’s New Album That You Won’t See In The Tabloids

Nearly a week after its release, listeners are still unpacking JAY-Z's new album 4:44. As an MC with a reputation for double and triple entendres and veiled references, lines from all of Jay's songs have plenty to be decoded. But, on this LP he packed an enormous amount of material... Read more

July 6, 2017 Food for Thought

JAY-Z’s Physical Copies Of 4:44 Include 3 “Revealing” Bonus Songs. Here Are The Titles.

JAY-Z's 4:44 has reached platinum less than one week after release. However, the party is just getting started for the album's roll-out. What began as an exclusive to Tidal subscribers and Sprint customers is now coming to physical release, joining Jay's 12 additional solo titles. JAY-Z’s Video Is A Powder... Read more

July 6, 2017 Fresh

JAY-Z’s 4:44 Album Has Gone Platinum In Less Than A Week

Less than one week after JAY-Z released his 13th solo album, 4:44 is platinum. That Roc Nation LP was available June 30. As was the case with its 2013 predecessor Magna Carta...Holy Grail, the 10-track offering was accessible on a limited basis. In this case, only Tidal subscribers and Sprint... Read more

July 5, 2017 Fresh, News

JAY-Z’s Video Is A Powder Keg Designed To Blow Up Ugly Stereotypes & Impart Wisdom

In conjunction with JAY-Z's release of 4:44 comes a video to one of its most evocative songs. "The Story of O.J." examines race and the distribution of wealth and power in America. The video recreates the 1930s "Sambo" character from the films and cartoons of the same name. Hov' is... Read more

July 2, 2017 Video

Game Of Thrones: JAY-Z & Kanye West’s Battle May Be Turning Legal

"Nobody wins when the family feuds" - JAY-Z, "Family Feud." At 47-years-old, JAY-Z released 4:44, an album already being trumpeted as one of his best, and certainly a contender for 2017's most discussed. On it, the mogul offers up some of the most personal content of his career, frankly discussing his... Read more

July 2, 2017 News

Kendrick Lamar Names His Top 5 MCs Dead Or Alive (Video)

It's becoming more common to hear Kendrick Lamar's name mentioned in debates about the greatest MCs of all time. Even for those who are not fans of his music, it's become impossible to deny the Grammy winner's critical, commercial, and cultural achievements in Hip-Hop and beyond, and at this point... Read more

July 2, 2017 Video

People Are Watching The Fire In The Theater…Meanwhile The World Is Burning Down (Video)

Quite a bit happened in the last week. Kendrick Lamar gave his second (and third) interviews about the creation and inspiration behind DAMN. Joe Budden, DJ Akademiks, and Migos played host to the most talked about red carpet event of the year to date at the BET Awards. JAY-Z released... Read more

July 1, 2017 Exclusive, Food for Thought, Lifestyle, TBD

JAY-Z Admits Infidelity & Explains His Issues With Kanye West On His New Album (Audio)

One of the biggest criticisms JAY-Z faced with the release of his 2013 album Magna Carta Holy Grail was that he had lost touch with the people. While Jay had always engaged in a form of aspirational Rap from the days of his "Big Willie talk" on his debut album... Read more

June 30, 2017 Audio

This 6 Hour DJ Premier Tribute Takes All Other Mixes Out With The Fader (Audio)

DJ Premier has had a busy June. After years upon years in the making, he and Year Round Records released MC Eiht's Which Way Iz West album. Furthermore, Preemo, Brady Watt, and the rest of The Badder Band toured the States for the first time. With PRhyme 2 confirmed to... Read more

June 28, 2017 Audio, Mixes

How Losing His Father Helped JAY-Z Escape A Hard Knock Life (Video)

"Momma loved me. Pop left me." JAY-Z's life is as interesting as his art. The Brooklyn, New Yorker walked a line between hustling his way out of the 'hood and pursuing a talent that he has called "God-given." By the mid-1990s, those worlds would masterfully intersect on Reasonable Doubt, giving... Read more

June 24, 2017 Exclusive, TBD, Video

JAY-Z Officially Announces His New Album & Shares A Preview (Audio)

JUNE 20 UPDATE: It has now been confirmed that No I.D. is producing JAY-Z's 4:44 in its entirety. Billboard confirmed the news. No I.D., a co-founder of group Cocaine 80s, and is best known for his work with Common, Vince Staples, and Jhene Aiko. He is a longtime Def Jam... Read more

June 19, 2017 Audio

Jay Z Is Celebrating Father’s Day By Bailing Out Dads Who Can’t Afford Their Freedom

If you're from neighborhoods like the Brooklyn one I grew up in, if you're unable to afford a private attorney, then you can be disappeared into our jail system simply because you can't afford bail. Millions of people are separated from their families for months at a time — not... Read more

June 16, 2017 Lifestyle

President Obama Inducts JAY-Z As The First MC In The Songwriters Hall Of Fame (Video)

Last night (June 15), Jay Z was inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame. The first MC or Rap artist to receive the honors was not in attendance for the Manhattan ceremony. He and wife Beyoncé are presently awaiting twins. However, Jay's acceptance speech was replaced with other types of... Read more

June 16, 2017 News, Video

Scarface Says Jay Z Is The Best Songwriter Of All-Time

Today (June 15) Jay Z is being inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Announced in February, the moment marks the first time a Hip-Hop artist will receive the prestigious honor. In celebration of the achievement, Tidal has compiled some remarkable peer praise for the Roc Nation MC. Common (who... Read more

June 15, 2017 Fresh

Slick Rick May Still Be Hip-Hop’s Best Storyteller. A New Video Explains Why.

Slick Rick's most recent album was The Art of Storytelling. That was 1999. However, Ricky Walters' place in Hip-Hop may very well be cemented. The British-born, Bronx-raised MC was part of a class that literally captivated the listener through verses. Beyond a series of cool lines, the Def Jam Records... Read more

June 14, 2017 Video

Mysterious Ads Cause Fans To Watch The Clock For A New Jay Z Album

Jay Z has not released an album since 2013's Magna Carta...Holy Grail. That album arrived on July 4 of that year, after it was announced June 16, during the NBA Finals. Following Kanye West's own fast-track release of Yeezus that very same month, the other half of Watch The Throne... Read more

June 6, 2017 Fresh

Watch 40 Years Of Hip-Hop History In 4 Minutes In A Mind-Blowing Mashup (Video)

It ain't nothin' like Hip-Hop music...Over the last 40 years, there have been few forces in pop culture with more impact than Hip-Hop. Like Rock & Roll before it, the music and lifestyle shaped an entire generation and has had untold influence around the world. The Rub: The History of... Read more

June 5, 2017 Video

The 2017 Forbes Rap List Shows Drake Has Passed Wayne & Has Birdman In His Sights

The 2017 rankings for the Top 5 wealthiest Hip-Hop artists have been released. Compiled through estimation and public record, Forbes and its longtime editor Zack O'Malley Greenburg take an annual look at the assets and estimated wealth surrounding some of Rap music's leading artists, producers, and some of its multi-threat... Read more

May 10, 2017 News

The Woman At The Center Of The JAY-Z & Nas Beef Speaks Up & Tells Truths (Video)

Carmen Bryan is not a household name. However, she was strongly referenced in one of the most famous feuds in music history. In 2001, Jay Z launched "The Takeover" as part of his Blueprint campaign. The opening song to the acclaimed album put a reportedly longstanding tension with Nas out... Read more

May 1, 2017 Video

Freeway Recalls Meeting Nas After Dissing Him Amid The Roc Beef (Video)

Last month, Freeway officially signed with Roc Nation. The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania MC had long been wearing the caps, and appeared close to Jay Z and the label and management firm through appearances and concerts. In the 2000s, Freeway and State Property were hit-making fixtures at Roc-A-Fella Records shortly before the... Read more

April 29, 2017 Video

A New Study Says Rap Music Has The Fewest Drug References Of Any Genre

In recent years, much attention has been paid to the prevalence of lyrics glorifying the use of drugs in Rap music. In addition to decades of references to alcohol and cannabis, over the last few years, a number of artists have rapped about MDMA (aka Molly) and other substances, including... Read more

April 26, 2017 Lifestyle

Hot DAMN. Kendrick Lamar Projected To Achieve Third #1 Album.

Last week, Kendrick Lamar did his DAMN. thing, literally. Including last year's untitled unmastered. compilation, this is the Compton, California MC's fourth major label title, and apparent fourth album in a run that began with 2011's Section.80. According to Billboard, it also appears that the Top Dawg Entertainment flagship artist... Read more

April 18, 2017 Fresh

Lil Wayne Joins Roc Nation. The “Best Rapper Alive” May Soon Get His Cash Money.

Lil Wayne has been symbolically estranged from Cash Money Records for more than two years. While Weezy F. Baby has since been photographed with onetime adoptive guardian Birdman (the label's co-founder) during his $51 million lawsuit, the New Orleans, Louisiana MC has been unable to release projects, namely the long-awaited... Read more

April 12, 2017 News, Video

Talib Kweli’s 10 Favorite Albums Are An Eternal Reflection Of Great Music

Last month, Raekwon raised some eyebrows and even more discussion when he listed his Top 10 albums. While his own acclaimed purple tape and Ghostface Killah's Supreme Clientele were on the list, Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) missed the cut. That prompted some discourse from fans, surrounding the classic LP upon... Read more

April 12, 2017 Fresh

Rikers Island Jail May Be Closing. Jay Z Supports The Plan.

For 85 years, New York City's Rikers Island jail complex has been one of the most notorious prisons on the planet. Lodged on an island in the East River, between Queens and The Bronx, the facility is often home to as many as 10,000 inmates and another 9,000 officers. It... Read more

April 2, 2017 Lifestyle

Kendrick Lamar Says He’s The Best Rapper Alive & Leaks His Album Release Date (Audio)

Kendrick Lamar began the last 24 hours with a curious social media post. While the Roman numerals "IV" were a hint towards a fourth album in the eyes of many, Lamar followed almost a full day later with a song: "The Heart Part 4." Whether it belongs to the fourth... Read more

March 24, 2017 Audio

Celebrate DJ Premier’s Birthday With A 5 Minute Megamix Of His Greatest Hits (Audio)

Today marks the birthday of one of Hip-Hop's most beloved figures. DJ Premier turns 51 years old on March 21. For nearly 30 years, the Prairie View, Texas native-turned-bona fide New York musician has been making Heads nod, along with causing their faces to scrunch up, and air-scratch with their... Read more

March 21, 2017 Audio, Mixes

Fat Joe Airs Out Terror Squad’s Dirty Laundry & Defends His Name (Video)

Fat Joe is one of Hip-Hop's most controversial figures. The Bronx, New Yorker has roots in some of the hardest Rap music of the '90s, starting with his '93 debut, Represent. However, in the days after Big Pun's sudden 2000 death, Joe stepped forward to become a mainstream giant, making... Read more

March 3, 2017 Video

Finding The GOAT Producer: Pete Rock vs. DJ Premier. Who Is Better?

“Finding the GOAT Producer,” the third installment of Ambrosia For Heads’s annual battle series features Hip-Hop’s greatest producers vying for the #1 spot. Thirty producers were pre-selected by a panel of experts, and two slots will be reserved for wild-card entries, including the possibility for write-in candidates, to ensure no... Read more

March 3, 2017 Finding the GOAT

Finding The GOAT Producer: DJ Premier vs. RZA. Who Is Better?

“Finding the GOAT Producer,” the third installment of Ambrosia For Heads’s annual battle series features Hip-Hop’s greatest producers vying for the #1 spot. Thirty producers were pre-selected by a panel of experts, and two slots will be reserved for wild-card entries, including the possibility for write-in candidates, to ensure no... Read more

February 27, 2017 Finding the GOAT

Swizz Beatz Premieres A New Song Featuring Nas, Jay Z, DMX & Jadakiss And It’s Unreal (Video)

Note: To hear the track, skip to 2:27:15 in the long video, or play the short clip just below. Although they have both reached G.O.A.T. status among Hip-Hop producers, with catalogs of hits rivaled by few, at their cores, Just Blaze and Swizz Beatz are still DJs too. With nothing... Read more

February 25, 2017 Video

O.C. Tells The Heartbreaking Story Of How He Learned Of Big L’s Death (Video)

O.C. recently released his album Same Moon Same Sun. Available without cost for download, the D.I.T.C. Entertainment LP is the latest in a career that spans back more than 25 years. The Brooklyn, New York representative has been a key MC within Diggin' In The Crates, and made important records... Read more

February 24, 2017 Video

Finding The GOAT Producer: Pete Rock vs. Kanye West. Who Is Better?

“Finding the GOAT Producer,” the third installment of Ambrosia For Heads’s annual battle series features Hip-Hop’s greatest producers vying for the #1 spot. Thirty producers were pre-selected by a panel of experts, and two slots will be reserved for wild-card entries, including the possibility for write-in candidates, to ensure no... Read more

February 24, 2017 Finding the GOAT

Jay Z Creates A Playlist Of MCs Who Should Join Him In The Songwriters Hall Of Fame (Audio)

Yesterday (February 22), Jay Z made history, again, by becoming the first Hip-Hop artist chosen to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. As one of the most successful and prolific MCs of all-time, with 21 Grammys, 100 million records sold and 13 number one albums under his belt,... Read more

February 23, 2017 Audio, News

Finding The GOAT Producer: DJ Quik vs. Dr. Dre. Who Is Better?

“Finding the GOAT Producer,” the third installment of Ambrosia For Heads’s annual battle series features Hip-Hop’s greatest producers vying for the #1 spot. Thirty producers were pre-selected by a panel of experts, and two slots will be reserved for wild-card entries, including the possibility for write-in candidates, to ensure no... Read more

February 23, 2017 Finding the GOAT

Jay Z Becomes The First Rapper In The Songwriters Hall Of Fame

While Jay Z is a man of many "firsts" on the business side, his artistry is what allowed him to be in that position. All 15 of Jay's solo and collaborative albums are platinum, in many cases multiple. He has 13 #1 releases, including his 2004 Collision Course EP with... Read more

February 22, 2017 News, Video

Jay Z Is Launching A Venture Capital Fund To Help Early Stage Entrepreneurs Succeed

Even a casual Jay Z fan has to admit that the Brooklyn, New York MC has redefined what it means to be a businessman. The young hustler from Bed-Stuy is now one of the wealthiest and most successful entrepreneurs and artists in music history, pushing the boundaries of Rap fame... Read more

February 22, 2017 Lifestyle

R.A. The Rugged Man Remembers Watching Biggie Write Rhymes In The Studio (Video)

Early on in his career, R.A. The Rugged Man worked alongside The Notorious B.I.G., but the musical partnership was cut short when Biggie was killed in 1997. However, the Long Island, New York MC was around early enough to witness Christopher Wallace before, during, and after he became Big Poppa,... Read more

February 21, 2017 Video

Jay Electronica Explains Why He Has Not Released His Album Yet (Video)

Few albums not named Detox have the lore of Jay Electronica's long-awaited debut album, Act II: Patents of Nobility (The Turn). When Dr. Dre released the Compton album and officially scrapped the infamous Detox, Jay Elec's LP became the last unicorn standing. Since his 2007 mixtape, Act I: Eternal Sunshine... Read more

February 21, 2017 Video

Finding The GOAT Producer: A Tribe Called Quest vs. Timbaland. Who Is Better?

“Finding the GOAT Producer,” the third installment of Ambrosia For Heads’s annual battle series features Hip-Hop’s greatest producers vying for the #1 spot. Thirty producers were pre-selected by a panel of experts, and two slots will be reserved for wild-card entries, including the possibility for write-in candidates, to ensure no... Read more

February 16, 2017 Finding the GOAT

CeeLo Green Wants Beyoncé & He’s Not Afraid To Say It (Video)

Taking risks is a big part of CeeLo Green's career. Coming from Goodie Mob, the Georgia MC/singer explored acapella poetry, Spoken Word, Jazz, and fully formed ballads on his self-titled debut in 2002. In the years since, the Dungeon Family alum won big when he formed Gnarls Barkley with Dangermouse.... Read more

February 15, 2017 Video

Finding The GOAT Producer: DJ Premier vs. Rick Rubin. Who Is Better?

“Finding the GOAT Producer,” the third installment of Ambrosia For Heads’s annual battle series features Hip-Hop’s greatest producers vying for the #1 spot. Thirty producers were pre-selected by a panel of experts, and two slots will be reserved for wild-card entries, including the possibility for write-in candidates, to ensure no... Read more

February 14, 2017 Finding the GOAT

Jay Z & Beyonce Celebrate Their Lives, Catalogs & Shining Trophy Cases (Audio)

Just hours after Beyoncé's artful Grammy performance Sunday night (February 12), she releases new music alongside husband Jay Z, and Roc Nation's DJ Khaled. All three attended the 59th Grammy Awards, with the Carters (accompanied by Blue Ivy, Beyonce's mother, and Jay's longtime right-hand Ty Ty) were in the front... Read more

February 13, 2017 Audio

Finding The GOAT Producer: Just Blaze vs. Kanye West. Who Is Better?

“Finding the GOAT Producer,” the third installment of Ambrosia For Heads’s annual battle series features Hip-Hop’s greatest producers vying for the #1 spot. Thirty producers were pre-selected by a panel of experts, and two slots will be reserved for wild-card entries, including the possibility for write-in candidates, to ensure no... Read more

February 9, 2017 Finding the GOAT

Jim Jones Gets Teary Detailing His Sacrifices For Cam’ron & Dipset (Video)

Yesterday (February 8), it was announced that Jim Jones signed to Jay Z's Roc Nation. The same night, the Bronx, New York native and onetime The Diplomats mainstay appeared on Funkmaster Flex's show. There, Jim sat for more than an hour, and cleared the table on his frustrations with Cam'ron—a... Read more

February 9, 2017 Video

Foe Turned Friend. Jay Z Signs Jim Jones To Roc Nation.

At the height of Roc-A-Fella Records, a number of interviews have suggested that co-founder Jay Z was not always thrilled with Cam'ron and The Diplomats. From Dame Dash's impromptu promotion of childhood friend Cam' to label VP, to reports of wrongly parked cars in the mogul's designated spot, to reportedly... Read more

February 8, 2017 News