Jay Z admits 'Kingdome Come' was a mistake [Rolling Stone Type Lank]

[1970's Heron Flow]

As we reported earlier, Jay-Z invited us up to his Roc the Mike studio late last week to preview his forthcoming album, American Gangster. But once the Patron started flowing, the conversation took some surprising turns and the often tight-lipped MC opened up on a wide array of topics from Don Imus to his multiple retirements to seeing a man get shot to Kanye West’s spotty memory. Some highlights:

After discussing his lyrical motivation, Jay lamented the current state of hip-hop. “I don’t think people process music the same way [we used to],” he said. “Before, we used to listen to lyrics and then find out if the beat was hot later and then did the Wop.” In particular, he called out a line from MIMS’s “This is Why I’m Hot” for condemnation. “When a guy says ‘I could make a million saying nothing’ on a track, you know you’ve reached a bad place,” he said. “It’s way past salvaging. I’m going the other way. That’s why [my album] is the way it is.”

There’s no question Jay’s new album is “the way it is” — a gritty street record — because he drew on personal memories he hasn’t tapped in a while. Jay explored his early life in Brooklyn’s Marcy Projects, saying, “The things that we have to see in one day, a lot of people never see in their life. People could live their whole life and never see a crack vial or a dope needle or a shootout. When I saw my first person get shot, I was nine years old,” at which point he turned to the journalists in the room and asked if any had seen someone get shot. “It’s typical to see people get shot before you’re ten. That has to have some type of effect on you.” He added, “People act this way for a reason: hope. You start looking around the neighborhood and there’s no role models to look up to. You got the worst schools, the worst roads, the worst of everything. To see the straight way to get out of that, it’s so far away that you start losing hope.”
Reflecting on his youth, Jay defended his portrayal of street life. “I try to tell both sides of the story,” he said, citing lyrics from “Dead Presidents” (“Hit with the RICO, they repo your vehicle/Everything was all good just a week ago”). “There’s pitfalls: you might go to jail, you might get shot, your brother might die, and your neighbor’s mother just sold her crack and she’s messed up. And you’re messing up the community. You gotta deal with that.”

After playing “Ignorant ****,” a track on Gangster that deals with censorship and calls out Don Imus, Jigga let loose on the radio host and the controversy about hip-hop lyrics that was stirred by his firing. “Imus is a racist,” Hov declared. “He’s not a person that listens to rap or was influenced by rap, so the two things don’t have anything to do with each other, so **** him.”

Hov also reflected on the big marketing push that preceded his last album, Kingdom Come which saw him collaborating with everyone from Budweiser to NASCAR. “People talk about the marketing plan as if I spent some money. I’ve been watching this for a year — ‘the marketing plan was $30 million’ — I didn’t pay them, they paid me,” he said. “I didn’t pay Budweiser, I didn’t pay TNT, I didn’t pay HP, they all paid me. Looking back, I guess it was a little extravagant. Then I shut it down, as the president. Shot two videos and walked away from it. I did the right thing.” He also off-handedly suggested some regrets about Kingdom: “Maybe it was too sophisticated. Maybe I ****ed up.”

Jay also admitted some embarrassment at his repeated “retirements” and promised not to make any more promises. “I was watching Fade to Black on VH1, and I was cringing, because I kept saying, ‘It may be the last album’ — I’ve made two albums already!” he says, laughing. “When I put The Black Album out, I said I wasn’t going to say that anymore. I just stopped talking. Nobody believes it. Not even you.”

Since everyone has something to say about Kanye West these days, Jay noted that he loved Kanye’s Jigga tribute “Big Brother,” but light-heartedly corrected ‘Ye’s recollection of the facts — particularly that Hov made him buy tickets to a show at Madison Square Garden and that Jay stole West’s idea to record with Coldplay. “Not everything on the song was true, but it was true in his mind,” said Jay. “He says ‘Carleen said I could buy two tickets.’ You would think he didn’t get any tickets. I gave him four, he wanted six. It was a charity event! And Coldplay — I introduced him to Coldplay, I gave him the number! But I thought it was a brilliant song. It brought us closer together.”

http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2007/10/11/jay-z-defends-gritty-portrayal-of-street-life-admits-kingdom-come-and-retirements-may-have-been-mistakes/

[kingofduval904]

lol i been sayin that shish.. this dude didnt have a big budget.. he had alot of sponsors.. thats what all of these entertainers are looking for.. sponsors

[1970's Heron Flow]

lol i been sayin that shish.. this dude didnt have a big budget.. he had alot of sponsors.. thats what all of these entertainers are looking for.. sponsors
Ayo first off b hop off da b!tch dicc

second succ a dicc no homo

[fase ©]

good sh1t.

:laugh: , kanye probably gonna record another track now. "i love you big brother, why you gotta tell the media you gave me coldplay's number" or some sh1t.

[Sunzoo aka LC]

he's basically insulting the dumb *****s who couldnt identify with something other than crack rap...which is why he's bringin ignorant **** back to the forefront, it's showing that the buying public doesnt really want what they say they want

[kingofduval904]

" man all jay rap about is sellin coke"

.. jay drops kingdom come..

"man that sh!t wack, he talkin bout good credit, not puttin rims on your car to devalue it, how much he love his mama, his nephew dying, and whole bunch of off the wall sh!t!! we dont wanna hear that!!"

[1970's Heron Flow]

good sh1t.

:laugh: , kanye probably gonna record another track now. "i love you big brother, why you gotta tell the media you gave me coldplay's number" or some sh1t.
Check this out.. I bet if Jay heard it he'd instantly nut his camel shorts.
http://forums.sohh.com/showthread.php?t=916806

[TheY2DreProblem]

" man all jay rap about is sellin coke"

.. jay drops kingdom come..

"man that sh!t wack, he talkin bout good credit, not puttin rims on your car to devalue it, how much he love his mama, his nephew dying, and whole bunch of off the wall sh!t!! we dont wanna hear that!!"

thats exactly how it went lol.

[1970's Heron Flow]

" man all jay rap about is sellin coke"

.. jay drops kingdom come..

"man that sh!t wack, he talkin bout good credit, not puttin rims on your car to devalue it, how much he love his mama, his nephew dying, and whole bunch of off the wall sh!t!! we dont wanna hear that!!"
The content on Kingdome Come would have been fine had he chosen some better production. 70% of those beats was ass.

[gator_king]

I hate it when rappers try to blame the fans for them releasing sub par material. The album didnt go over peoples heads. It wasn't calculas..It just didnt sound good..

[1970's Heron Flow]

I hate it when rappers try to blame the fans for them releasing sub par material. The album didnt go over peoples heads. It wasn't calculas..It just didnt sound good..
Cosign.

[khrys_x]

I hate it when rappers try to blame the fans for them releasing sub par material. The album didnt go over peoples heads. It wasn't calculas..It just didnt sound good..
Amen...the actual "content" of Jay's post Reasonable Doubt material is irrelevant anyway, Jay bragging about selling crack isn't too much different than Jay-Z bragging about being middle aged...people didn't dislike KC because it was "too sophisticated"...people just thought it wasn't that good

[Stephano DiMera]

" man all jay rap about is sellin coke"

.. jay drops kingdom come..

"man that sh!t wack, he talkin bout good credit, not puttin rims on your car to devalue it, how much he love his mama, his nephew dying, and whole bunch of off the wall sh!t!! we dont wanna hear that!!"

LMAO, yep thats pretty much how it goes. "Man Kanye talkin some off the wall sh*t I, cant relate to that"

[1970's Heron Flow]

LMAO, yep thats pretty much how it goes. "Man Kanye talkin some off the wall sh*t I, cant relate to that"
Huh? Ye?

[kingofduval904]

lol jay wasnt braggin about selling coke on reasonable doubt.. he was giving the thoughts and mentality of a person who is involved in that sort of life style.


thats why you have songs such as 'regrets', 'politics as usual', 'feelin it', 'dead presidents'


all of those songs.. not only did they deal with the rush of making profit, but they also gave you a closer look at how fukked up that lifestyle is once you really in it..

n!ggas swear they understand that album but they still make dumb ass coments about it

[NotSoft]

Hov! puttin ye in his place...wonder how Ye feel knowin Beans is Jays favorite and he aint have to make a love song to Jay.

[1970's Heron Flow]

Hov! puttin ye in his place...wonder how Ye feel knowin Beans is Jays favorite and he aint have to make a love song to Jay.
:laugh:

[epideMIC]

he's basically insulting the dumb *****s who couldnt identify with something other than crack rap...which is why he's bringin ignorant **** back to the forefront, it's showing that the buying public doesnt really want what they say they want

" man all jay rap about is sellin coke"

.. jay drops kingdom come..

"man that sh!t wack, he talkin bout good credit, not puttin rims on your car to devalue it, how much he love his mama, his nephew dying, and whole bunch of off the wall sh!t!! we dont wanna hear that!!"

c/s

[grock2727]

It wasn't calculas..

SMH, yall kill me, but anyways, where was the admission of a "huge mistake"?

[1970's Heron Flow]

SMH, yall kill me, but anyways, where was the admission of a "huge mistake"?
He also off-handedly suggested some regrets about Kingdom: “I ****ed up.”

[grock2727]

What happened to the "Maybe"? I see what you're doing though, same thing the media does.

[1970's Heron Flow]

What happened to the "Maybe"? I see what you're doing though, same thing the media does.
:huh:

[ReInCaRnAtioN]

i hate when dudes albums suck and they use the it was over their heads it was soethign new and my fans didn't understand it

nugga ur album was weak as hell

[taskmaster]

i liked KC alot and the direction he was further going in artistically. hopefully we can expect more of the same and this is just a concept album...honestly, the prod. of the 2 released AG tracks isn't exactly mind blowing.

[1970's Heron Flow]

i liked KC alot and the direction he was further going in artistically. hopefully we can expect more of the same and this is just a concept album...honestly, the prod. of the 2 released AG tracks isn't exactly mind blowing.
Besides like 2 tracks nothing on KC was mind blowing production wise.

[SUGEKNIGHTJR.]

I hate it when rappers try to blame the fans for them releasing sub par material. The album didnt go over peoples heads. It wasn't calculas..It just didnt sound good..

so true!!!

[1970's Heron Flow]

so true!!!
Word.

[theworldismine13]

interesting

[boojitede]

Hova
Hova
Hova

[Nino...J-You-Ice...]

The album has some ill joints...

[young north]

Check this out.. I bet if Jay heard it he'd instantly nut his camel shorts.
http://forums.sohh.com/showthread.php?t=916806
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

[doeboy]

i hate when dudes albums suck and they use the it was over their heads it was soethign new and my fans didn't understand it
nugga ur album was weak as hellmaybe if you had a life and some pride/self esteem, then an artist's opinion about their own work wouldnt bother you so much. just a thought.

[RandyBodek]

lol @ "maybe it was too sophisticated", :dry:. dog, the album is wack, its just not good, aint got sh*t to do with it being "sophisticated".

[informerx]

Jay-Z still just doesn't get it. People didn't like KC because all he did was brag about being older and having more **** than everyone else. He also downplayed everything he was hyping from all of his previous albums like he is too good for that now. So what does the idiot do now? He goes right back to the same formula. I highly doubt that Dale JR paid him to show up. He has no interest in the hip-hop and hip-hop does not watch Nascar.

[doeboy]

Jay-Z still just doesn't get it. People didn't like KC because all he did was brag about being older and having more **** than everyone else. He also downplayed everything he was hyping from all of his previous albums like he is too good for that now. So what does the idiot do now? He goes right back to the same formula. I highly doubt that Dale JR paid him to show up. He has no interest in the hip-hop and hip-hop does not watch Nascar.i seriously question a lot of you ppl's quality of life. im deadass too. i mean, ppl who exhibit as much hate as you ppl do have to be living sh1tty lives.

[jayshiggs]

i seriously question a lot of you ppl's quality of life. im deadass too. i mean, ppl who exhibit as much hate as you ppl do have to be living sh1tty lives.

or it just makes you feel better to think that. :laugh:

[THE.ALL.STAR!™]

http://forums.sohh.com/showthread.php?t=915362&page=2

[skaybn]

" man all jay rap about is sellin coke"

.. jay drops kingdom come..

"man that sh!t wack, he talkin bout good credit, not puttin rims on your car to devalue it, how much he love his mama, his nephew dying, and whole bunch of off the wall sh!t!! we dont wanna hear that!!"

^yeah, basically.

[stillsouf]

" man all jay rap about is sellin coke"

.. jay drops kingdom come..

"man that sh!t wack, he talkin bout good credit, not puttin rims on your car to devalue it, how much he love his mama, his nephew dying, and whole bunch of off the wall sh!t!! we dont wanna hear that!!"

yep

[1970's Heron Flow]

http://forums.sohh.com/showthread.php?t=915362&page=2
:laugh:

[RandyBodek]

" man all jay rap about is sellin coke"

.. jay drops kingdom come..

"man that sh!t wack, he talkin bout good credit, not puttin rims on your car to devalue it, how much he love his mama, his nephew dying, and whole bunch of off the wall sh!t!! we dont wanna hear that!!"

this would be a good use of sarcasm if you took the time to realize that there's way more sh*t to rap about than EITHER selling drugs or your stock options and G5's and San Tropez, etc... just because n!ggas complain about jay-z rappin about sellin coke all the time doesnt mean they should automatically be satisifed when he "switches it up" and instead raps about all the money he has and we don't and having power lunches with some rich Jew. where's the "Regrets" type of records? "Lucky Me"? "Where I'm From"?? KC is trash son, "Beach Chair" is the only song I f*cks with hard. there's some other okay joints but for the most part that album is straight dodo.

[doeboy]

this would be a good use of sarcasm if you took the time to realize that there's way more sh*t to rap about than EITHER selling drugs or your stock options and G5's and San Tropez, etc... just because n!ggas complain about jay-z rappin about sellin coke all the time dont mean they should be satisifed when he "switches it up" and instead raps about all the money he has and we don't and having power lunches with some rich Jew. where's the "Regrets" type of records? "Lucky Me"? "Where I'm From"?? KC is trash son, "Beach Chair" is the only song I f*cks with hard. there's some other okay joints but for the most part that album is straight dodo.if you want to hear those type of records, then go back and listen to them. if you dont like the album then you dont like the album, i just dont understand why ppl feel the need to hate. why do you feel the need to try and force your opinion on others? you even get mad when ppl dont share your opinions, its a joke.

Hov also reflected on the big marketing push that preceded his last album, Kingdom Come which saw him collaborating with everyone from Budweiser to NASCAR. “People talk about the marketing plan as if I spent some money. I’ve been watching this for a year — ‘the marketing plan was $30 million’ — I didn’t pay them, they paid me,” he said. “I didn’t pay Budweiser, I didn’t pay TNT, I didn’t pay HP, they all paid me. Looking back, I guess it was a little extravagant. Then I shut it down, as the president. Shot two videos and walked away from it. I did the right thing.” He also off-handedly suggested some regrets about Kingdom: “Maybe it was too sophisticated. Maybe I ****ed up.”

^^^ that always seemed like common sense to me, but to let ppl here tell it dude spent 20-30 million on promotion. where are those ppl now?

[scbond3]

Jay-Z still just doesn't get it. People didn't like KC because all he did was brag about being older and having more **** than everyone else. He also downplayed everything he was hyping from all of his previous albums like he is too good for that now. So what does the idiot do now? He goes right back to the same formula. I highly doubt that Dale JR paid him to show up. He has no interest in the hip-hop and hip-hop does not watch Nascar.
Dale is more of a "wigger" then you think coming from someone who lives in NC...

[kanethegreat]

" man all jay rap about is sellin coke"

.. jay drops kingdom come..

"man that sh!t wack, he talkin bout good credit, not puttin rims on your car to devalue it, how much he love his mama, his nephew dying, and whole bunch of off the wall sh!t!! we dont wanna hear that!!"

Pretty much


the only thing rap fans nowadays want to do is hate

[1970's Heron Flow]

Pretty much


the only thing rap fans nowadays want to do is hate
Nobody hated on Graduation, if Camel Joe can put out an album with good beats and decent lyrics then he'll be fine. But he probably won't because he's old as christ now.

[Kingofkings]

Jay is sh1tting on the nas stans and the people making these dumb threads every day.

[1970's Heron Flow]

Jay is sh1tting on the nas stans and the people making these dumb threads every day.
Huh?

[Dr. Liggins]

It's getting to the point you can't even make a reasonable critique about Jay without being labeled a hater and dealing with a pile on of his ever growing stans.

[doeboy]

Huh?i honestly pity you. youve probably got about 20+ different names all averaging 20+ posts a day a piece.It's getting to the point you can't even make a reasonable critique about Jay without being labeled a hater and dealing with a pile on of his ever growing stans.being overly critical is hating. the problem is that you haters think you can criticize and complain about every move that some rapper makes, but you seem to think that you yourselves are above criticism. "how dare you criticize me for criticizing jay", fuk outta here lil dude.

[1970's Heron Flow]

i honestly pity you. youve probably got about 20+ different names all averaging 20+ posts a day a piece.being overly critical is hating. the problem is that you haters think you can criticize and complain about every move that some rapper makes, but you seem to think that you yourselves are above criticism. "how dare you criticize me for criticizing jay", fuk outta here lil dude.
huh?