We’ve been pretty busy this week, and with the DJBooth.net mixtape finalization process as well as our Closed Session yesterday with Tanya Morgan, I haven’t enough time to read and post as much as normal. A lot’s been going on this week with Jay-Z as we near the in-stores release of The Blueprint 3. In case you’ve missed some of the action, here’s a crash-refresher course.
Monday:
A couple more tracks leak off the Blueprint 3 in the AM, they are both produced by Kanye West/No I.D.. While not everyone can agree that they are great songs, everyone can pretty much agree that they’re better than what Timbaland provided. The full album leaks in the afternoon hours prompting Jay to say:
“I may be the most bootlegged artist in history…It’s a preview. I’m excited for people to hear the album. I’m very proud of the work I’ve done, so enjoy it…I can tell by the way my pager rings if a song is good or not. It’s really going crazy right now.”
Also on Monday: Jay-Z held a press conference to talk about his 9/11 Benefit show, had everybody on Bill Maher’s jock for successfully interviewing a Hip Hop artist on HBO, and provided the world with a dope Rhapsody commercial, which has perhaps been the best thing to spring from BP3.
Tuesday:
On Tuesday, pieces of Jay-Z’s interview with XXL Mag begin to surface on the net. The excerpt centers on how Jay will not respond to disses from The Game and Jim Jones on the basis that they are not worthy adversaries. Who would Jay respond to,
“It’s not in the spirit of competition, because he’s not competition for me. He’s not. Not then, not ever—he’d have to improve considerably. Competition for me is Nas, Eminem. Like Jim Jones? That’s ridiculous to me.”
MTV also continues piecing together their interview with Jay, today leaking a piece in which Jay recounts his experiences with DJ AM, and how he was amazed that AM still performed with him shortly after he was involved in a plane crash with Travis Barker.
Also Tuesday: With the full album on the internet, fans go back and forth about it’s quality. Also on Tuesday, our own indie rock beat writers gives Jay some other acts to check out, after he was spotted with Beyonce at a Grizzly Bear show after the weekend.
Wednesday:
More excerpts from October’s issue of XXL hit the web. The writer asks Jay about Pharrell and Kanye, as well as any future retirement plans. Jay says that any words towards those wearing tight pants/bright clothes are not directed at Kanye or Skateboard P., but those who try to emulate them without an original sense of style. He also addresses talk tht Ye out rapped him on “Run This Town” comparin it to Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant:
“What I’m saying is that’s just life. If [whose verse was better] was the thing, and we based [song quality] on that, after I’ve done 400 songs, I’m sure once the average of who was better on the song weighs out, I’m pretty high. Some nights [L.A. Lakers player] Pau Gasol can score more points than Kobe Bryant—not saying that Kanye is Pau Gasol, ’cause you have to be really clear with that—[but] as long as I’ve been in the game, that’s going to happen, once or twice or even three times.”
Not to be out done by leaking XXL interview, Oprah decides to announce that she’s taking her show to Michigan Avenue the same day that Jay-Z is appearing at Chicago’s House of Blues, and also sends out some excerpts of her own interview with Jay-Z.
Jay’s promo for his 9/11 show is also sent out…And the BP3 insert artwork goes viral, and includes lyrics.
Thursday:
Today starts with more from Jay-Z’s talk with MTV. In this clip he tells us that’s working on another new album that will be “the most experimental album of my career.” It’s still pretty early, so I’m sure more things will come out today. Next time I’ll post it’ll be from ATL…b**ches!