J & J Rundown: All About Jay-Z

Jay-Z and Kanye West to release full album

Jay-Z and Kanye West are working on a full album together.

The pair previously announced they were to collaborate for an EP called ‘Watch the Throne’, but Kanye has since revealed this will now become an album.

He told MTV:

“We’re putting out a whole album now. We had done five songs so far, but then a few of them kind of were out there – and I put them on my album. Sorry, Jay!”

Although Kanye used some of their initial ideas for his forthcoming ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’ album – including the track “Monster”, a version of which featuring Jay-Z has been released – he added the pair have set a date to record again, and he doesn’t expect Jay to have any problems coming up with lyrics.

He added:

“We’re going to the South of France at the end of this month just to record new ideas. We’ll probably be done with the album in like a day or whatever. If you think about it, it’s really easy for Jay: He only has to think of, like, 10 verses!”

Kanye has a long association with Jay, working with the star as a producer on his breakthrough album ‘The Blueprint’ in 2001.

Jay-Z to Stump for Obama Again in 2012

During the 2008 presidential election, Jay-Z made it known that he was rooting for now-President Barack Obama. The rap superstar appeared at campaign rallies with Obama and even sang his praises during (typically sold-out) shows.

Jay-Z hasn’t been involved in the upcoming mid-term elections, but that doesn’t mean he’s done with politics. While speaking with the New York Post, Deputy White House Press Secretary William Burton made it sound like the Obama camp is expecting Jay-Z to help out in 2012.

Burton joked about the rapper taking over a key economic post before admitting his appeal to the Democratic party.

“In all seriousness, keep in mind he was pretty active during the 2008 election, so I don’t think it’d surprise anyone that he would be involved again,” Burton said. “But it’s a little premature.”

I’m A Business, Man! Jay-Z’s 10 Smartest Business Decisions According to Vibe Magazine

Guess who’s bizzack? Less than a month before the release of “Decoded”, a book that breaks down the meanings behind many of his most complicated lyrics, Jay-Z is proving once again why he landed atop of the Forbes “Hip-Hop Cash Kings” list late last summer.

Last week, Hov teamed up with Microsoft‘s search engine Bing to launch an advertisement campaign that will see pages from his upcoming book plastered to billboards throughout the country as well as surfaces like the bottom of a pool and the top of a pool table. Jay-Z fans are encouraged to use Bing to find and locate these pages, and the first fan that locates all of them and “decodes” them properly will win a chance

to catch a Jay-Z concert in Las Vegas on New Year’s Eve.

It’s already proven to be an incredibly deft business move by Jay-Z. The promotion has given the book a ton of free press and a good chance of moving off bookshelves quickly on Nov. 16.

In honor of Hov‘s latest deal, VIBE looks back at 10 of his smartest business decisions. If you’ve ever wondered how he managed to take his life from Marcy to Madison Square, look no further.

Check out the list at VIBE.com.

“I think the list is a bit bogus. Nothing against VIBE by all means they are a great magazine. I just feel the list could have been put together more for his Business/Investment ventures, rather than what kind of champagne he prefers, but that’s just me.”

Here’s one from wikipedia.org:

Jay-Z has also established himself as an entrepreneur like his fellow hip hop moguls and friends, Russell Simmons, Dr. Dre and Sean “Diddy” Combs, who also have business holdings such as record companies and clothing lines. In an interview, he stated that “my brands are an extension of me. They’re close to me. It’s not like running GM, where there’s no emotional attachment.” He is the founder of the urban clothing brand Rocawear along with Damon Dash. Rocawear has clothing lines and accessories for men, women and children. The line was taken over by Jay-Z in early 2006 following a falling out with Dash. In March 2007, Jay-Z sold the rights to the Rocawear brand to Iconix Brand Group, for $204 million. Jay-Z will retain his stake in the company and will continue to oversee the marketing, licensing and product development.He also co-owns The 40/40 Club, an upscale sports bar that started in New York City and has since expanded to Atlantic City and Chicago. In 2008, the 40/40 club in Las Vegas was closed down and bought back by the hotel after attendance steadily declined. Future plans will see 40/40 Clubs in Tokyo and Singapore. In 2005, Jay-Z became an investor in Carol’s Daughter, a line of beauty products, including products for hair, skin, and hands, as well as fragrances.

Jay-Z serves as co-brand director for Budweiser Select and collaborates with the company on strategic marketing programs and creative ad development. He provides direction on brand programs and ads that appear on TV, radio, print, and high-profile events. He is a part-owner of the New Jersey Nets NBA team paying a reported $4.5 million for his share. He is interested in relocating the team to Brooklyn. In October 2005, he was reported in English media as considering buying a stake of Arsenal F.C., an English soccer team. He has also invested in a real estate development venture called J Hotels which recently acquired a $66 million mid-block parcel in Chelsea, New York. Jay-Z and his partners are contemplating constructing a high-end hotel or an art gallery building on the newly acquired site which has the potential to go up about twelve stories. Through his company Gain Global Investments Network LLC, had an interest estimated between 2 and 7% in the Aqueduct Entertainment Group (AEG) consortium which in January 2010 was awarded a contract to operate a 4,500 slot machine racino at the Aqueduct Race Track. Jay-Z became interested in the project after New York Governor David Paterson who awarded the contract said there had to be an affirmative action component to the ownership. Jay-Z initially approached Steve Wynn who was also bidding on the contract. On March 9, 2010, Jay-Z and Flake withdrew from the project and Paterson recused himself from further involvement.

Jay-Z’s Interview With The Wall Street Journal

Here are excerpts from an interview from The Wall Street Journal with Jay-Z in his office.

WSJ: This book puts a frame around your career. When did you really start thinking about how you wanted to present your legacy?

Jay-Z: You think about legacy before you even start. When a kid is practicing on the basketball court, it’s “5-4-3-2-1 and the crowd goes crazy!”

As you start realizing your dreams and it’s tangible, you think about it in a real way. But I think that emotion happens from the beginning, from record one.

The legacy, I think about that as I make the music, all the time. How can I make the best album of all time? You always fail. But every time I go up to bat, I’m thinking how can I make an album better than “Thriller.”

WSJ: I’ve talked to some of your friends who say that when you guys make personal career decisions, you’re taking into account how the decisions will move hip-hop culture forward overall. Can you give me an example?

Jay-Z: For us, this is the music that saved a generation. So there’s a big responsibility for those who it saved to make sure that thing is intact for the next generation. We’re the first generation that really took advantage of it, starting with Puff [Daddy] and Master P, guys who really made a name and became successful as entrepreneurs.

Even more than that, when you’re under attack so much as a genre [as hip hop is], you’re forced to come together. But probably the last time we really came together on something was working for Obama, lending our voice and the people we had toward that campaign. Whether he does a great job or not is almost secondary to what it did for the dreams and the hopes of an entire race. Just based on that alone, it’s a success, the biggest we’ve had. Period. To date. It’s Martin Luther King’s dream realized. Tangible. In the flesh. You can shake his hand.

WSJ: What would you change about hip-hop if you could?

Jay-Z: We have to find our way back to true emotion. This is going to sound so sappy, but love is the only thing that stands the test of time. “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” was all about love. Andre 3000, “The Love Below.” Even NWA, at its core, that was about love for a neighborhood.

We’re chasing a lot of sounds now, but I’m not hearing anyone’s real voice. The emotion of where you are in your life. The mortgage scandal. People losing their jobs. I want to hear about that.

WSJ: What’s the most important decision you made along the way to help keep your career in your own hands?

Jay-Z: We got lucky. In the beginning we couldn’t get a deal. We had to work our own records in the beginning. It gave us a different way to negotiate when we came to the table. Most people get excited and take the first deal they’re offered. We had a little bit of success already, so we were stubborn enough to think that we could really do it at that point. They offered us a deal and we asked for a co-venture. That pretty much ensured that we’d have control from the beginning, from album one.

WSJ: You don’t hand out awards. Are there other things you say no to automatically?

Jay-Z: That doesn’t have anything to do with building the myth. I’m just uncomfortable speaking. I can do a stadium show for two hours and I’m in my comfort zone. But if you look at any of my acceptance speeches they’re maybe seven seconds. I want to get off the stage.

For more on his interview, check out The Wall Street Journal

Check out a video below of an exclusive Amazon.com interview with Jay-Z about his book “Decoded”

Jay drops some book knowledge in this exclusive interview for Amazon.com. He gives more detail about what we can expect from “Decoded” when it hits stores on November 16th.

Source: Zimbio

Related Articles

• Jay-Z & Kanye West To Release Full Album, Not EP (current.com)
• “Jay-Z To Campaign For President Obama? + Eminem Is The #1 Hottest MC?” and related posts (theybf.com)
• President Obama To Hire Jay-Z For 2012 Campaign? (current.com)
• Kanye West Cutting Album With Jay-Z (spin.com)
• Kanye And Jay-Z To Collaborate On A Full Album! (perezhilton.com)

Music News: Flo Rida Talks About New Album And More

Rapper Flo Rida sits in an interview and talks about his new album R.O.O.T.S (Route of Overcoming the Struggle), his recording breaking single “Right Round” featuring Ke$ha, his life and the hardships of it growing up, his trip to Africa for the MTV Awards during the Barack Obama presidential election and how it changed and influenced him and more.

As previously reported, Flo Rida’s “Right Round” single broke digital history with 636,000 downloads in one week and over 2 million in total since it’s release .

Flo Rida’s album R.O.O.T.S features artists Nelly Furtado, Pleasure P, Akon, Wyclef Jean and others and production by Drumma Boy, Danja, DJ Montay, The Inkredibles, amongst others.

Flo Rida’s album R.O.O.T.S is scheduled for release March 31, 2009.

Check out the video interview of Flo Rida below.

Source: HipHopRX

Celebrity News: John Legend Speaks Out About NY Post Cartoon!

John Legend is one of few artists who have vocally stood up to the New York Post for this Tuesday’s mess of an illustration. Will anyone else join the cause and let their voices be heard? Jay-Z, Kanye West, T.I., or Diddy?

Check out the letter below and speak on it in the comments section:

Dear Editor:

I’m trying to understand what possible motivation you may have had for publishing that vile cartoon depicting the shooting of the chimpanzee that went crazy. I guess you thought it would be funny to suggest that whomever was responsible for writing the Economic Recovery legislation must have the intelligence and judgment of a deranged, violent chimpanzee, and should be shot to protect the larger community. Really? Did it occur to you that this suggestion would imply a connection between President Barack Obama and the deranged chimpanzee? Did it occur to you that our President has been receiving death threats since early in his candidacy? Did it occur to you that blacks have historically been compared to various apes as a way of racist insult and mockery? Did you intend to invoke these painful themes when you printed the cartoon?

If that’s not what you intended, then it was stupid and willfully ignorant of you not to connect these easily connectable dots. If it is what you intended, then you obviously wanted to be grossly provocative, racist and offensive to the sensibilities of most reasonable Americans. Either way, you should not have printed this cartoon, and the fact that you did is truly reprehensible. I can’t imagine what possible justification you have for this. I’ve read your lame statement in response to the outrage you provoked. Shame on you for dodging the real issue and then using the letter as an opportunity to attack Rev. Sharpton. This is not about Rev. Sharpton. It’s about the cartoon being blatantly racist and offensive.

I believe in freedom of speech, and you have every right to print what you want. But freedom of speech still comes with responsibilities and consequences. You are responsible for printing this cartoon, and I hope you experience some real consequences for it. I’m personally boycotting your paper and won’t do any interviews with any of your reporters, and I encourage all of my colleagues in the entertainment business to do so as well. I implore your advertisers to seriously reconsider their business relationships with you as well.

You should print an apology in your paper acknowledging that this cartoon was ignorant, offensive and racist and should not have been printed.

I’m well aware of our country’s history of racism and violence, but I truly believe we are better than this filth. As we attempt to rise above our difficult past and look toward a better future, we don’t need the New York Post to resurrect the images of Jim Crow to deride the new administration and put black folks in our place. Please feel free to criticize and honestly evaluate our new President, but do so without the incendiary images and rhetoric.

Sincerely,
John Legend

Source: theurbandaily

“I think this cartoon is straight wrong and not funny. I think NY Post should get in trouble for doing this. This cartoon is not a joke, this is a serious matter and racist. What are your thoughts on this issue?”

Kiss Kiss,
jnelj4u

Designer L♥VE: Russell Simmons For Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart to Launch Simmons Clothing Line…

According to Business Week, Hip-hop entrepreneur Russell Simmons‘ American Classics line of men’s clothing is set to roll out. But with consumers spending less, Wal-Mart keeps mum. As most apparel retailers announce job cuts and store closures because of sluggish sales, it is a precarious time for any of them to launch a new brand. But on Feb. 15 Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) will roll out a new line of men’s clothing designed by hip-hop entrepreneur Russell Simmons in 350 stores, about 10% of its U.S. outlets, and on its Web site. The launch will come less than a week after the world’s largest retailer announced that it will move buyers in the apparel division from its Bentonville (Ark.) headquarters to New York to increase the focus on fashion.

For a company whose financial performance has trounced rivals such as Target (TGT) in recent months by focusing on lower-price essentials rather than more expensive discretionary items, the move seems surprising, especially as Wal-Mart flopped famously in its previous efforts to sell more fashionable, pricier clothing. One such effort was a women’s line designed by Mark Eisen, which alienated the store’s core customers. “Fashion is tricky,” says retail consultant David Lockwood of Mintel Research. “This is not macaroni and cheese or over-the-counter vitamins, which they know really well.” But as Wal-Mart slows its store expansion, it needs to sell higher-profit items to continue generating growth—and apparel is one segment that can still draw new customers.
Priced to Sell…

This time around Wal-Mart is keeping a tighter rein on the price and the trendiness of new clothing items. Simmons’ American Classics line will be priced between $9.99 and $29, with about 80% of the clothes at $15 or less. Simmons, who launched the Phat Farm clothing label in 1992 and another brand in 2008 called Argyle Culture, sold in Macy’s (M), says his new focus is the “urban graduate,” whom he describes as 25-to-50-year-old men such as Will Smith, Adam Sandler, and Barack Obama, who grew up with hip-hop clothes but as professionals can no longer don baggy pants and shirts sporting oversize logos. American Classics’ first season has a heavy focus on purple, navy, and white and includes jeans, sweater vests, casual sports shoes, and woven and knit shirts.
♦ Read Full Story

Source: businessweek.com

Happy President’s Day!

We would like to wish you all a Happy President’s Day!

Kiss Kiss,
Jnel & J.

Wire Talk: Weekly Rundown in the News

Elisabeth Hasselbeck Pregnant Again!
The View host just announced on the show that she’s three months
pregnant with her third child. Mazel tov, Lizzie. You know, “Palin” could work as a boy’s name or a girl’s name, just sayin’.

Megan Fox: Like Angelina Jolie, Only Not Terrifying…
Megan Fox supposedly will make the next Lara Croft: Tomb Raider movie, which inspires the News to make a list of what she has in common with Angelina Jolie.

Former New Jersey gov Jim McGreevey says it’s not true that he tried to bribe his way into a Hannah Montana show for his daughter, and he has the ticket stubs on his fridge door to prove it.

New Citigroup chair Richard Parsons took Amtrak to D.C. for a meeting with Obama, doing the budget-y right thing after that whole flap about that $50 million jet the bailed-out company just canceled.

RFK Jr.‘s daughter, Kick, who goes to Stanford, has supposedly moved to New York to intern for Jann Wenner at Rolling Stone.

Cindy Adams says who the big inside-knowers think are going to get the major Oscars. Adams also says that John Updike, who just died, “wrote trillions of words.” C’mon, lady. The man was prolific, yes, but trillions?

Then Liz Smith says something about Daniel Radcliffe inviting Sasha and Malia Obama onto the Harry Potter set.

Hilary Swank’s ex Chad Lowe and his girlfriend are apparently expecting a baby girl in May.

Drew Barrymore and Justin Long are no longer dating but still hanging out and laughing together. Nice!

Sly dog Jean-Paul Belmondo, 75, dates a hot Belgian nightclub owner named Barbara Gandolfi who’s 33!

Jessica Simpson may not really be a size 2.

Stephanie Meyer, the Twilight vampire-books writer, says she won’t finish the fifth book in the series because she’s bummed someone put the unfinished version online.

Michael Cera will supposedly do the Arrested Development movie, which is supposedly going to happen after all.

Jeremy Piven took back his promise to take (sort-of?) girlfriend Ashley Chontos to the Golden Globes, so he took her to the SAG Awards, but she didn’t even get to sit with him there.

Guy Ritchie‘s dad said he hopes his son never gets back together with Madonna.

Michelle Obama will be the third First Lady after Jackie and Hillary to have a wax version of herself at Madame Tussauds.

50 Cent says he’s coming out with some kind of dietary supplement.

Wow Me Wednesday: Obama’s Are Fashion Icons!

First lady Michelle Obama wore a sparkling yellow sheath dress with matching coat by Cuban-born American designer Isabel Toledo for the inauguration of her husband, a choice many applauded as a cheerful message of hope and a vote for the American fashion industry.

In some light, the embellished ensemble took on a pale-greenish cast, coordinating nicely with green gloves from J. Crew and Jimmy Choo green patent pumps.

President Barack Obama wore a red tie and white shirt with his suit, topped with an overcoat adorned with an American flag pin.

Their daughters were style icons in their own right, with 10-year-old Malia in a double-breasted periwinkle-blue coat with a blue-ribbon bow at the waist, and Sasha, 7, in a pink coat with orange scarf and satin belt, a coral-colored dress peeking out at the hem. Their coats were from Crewcuts by J. Crew.

The fashion industry has eagerly looked to the election of Obama for months, embracing his wife as an emblem and ambassador of modern style, who wears clothes from young designers as well as mainstream American retailers.

Toledo designed the outfit with hopes Obama would choose it for the ceremony, though Toledo did not know for certain until Tuesday morning. She said she chose the “lemongrass” color for the optimism it represents.

“I didn’t want a traditional blue or red,” Toledo said. “That color has sunshine in it. I fell in love with it. So did she.”

The unusual shade of yellow “really popped” on Michelle Obama’s complexion, said fashion designer Kai Milla, wife of Stevie Wonder and an invited guest to the swearing-in ceremony.

Hamish Bowles, Vogue magazine’s European editor at large who curated the Metropolitan Museum Costume Insitute exhibit on Jackie Kennedy in 2001, said he sees a resemblance in the inaugural styles between the two first ladies. “She’s off to an auspicious start,” Bowles said of Obama.

“Mrs. Obama’s choice (of clothing for the inaugural ceremony) … was appropriate, dignified and elegant, but it also had a considerable element of fashion panache,” said Hamish Bowles, Vogue magazine’s European editor at large.

Source: AP