Jay-Z came in clutch for Silkk the Shocker on his debut album. Silkk broke down the story with N.O.R.E. on Drink Champs. The No Limit veteran revealed how “You Know What We Bout” was submitted just a few hours before it was due to the label.
“I wanted Jay —nobody really knew Jay at the time I’m like, ‘Yo I need this song,’ [but] by the time I got to it Jay was poppin’ a little more,” described Silkk. “Rest in peace to DMX, I think it was supposed to be me, DMX, and Jay on a record. … What happened was, my album had to be turned in on a Thursday at 11am, and I think the tour [Jay-Z and DMX’s tour at the time] was over Wednesday night.” DMX missed the train for this track, but Jay showed up just in time.
“He left the show immediately, went back and knocked it out like 3am, 4am in the morning, and sent it,” he explained. “He coulda just been, you know, ‘I’m tired, I just rocked a show.’ … He came through, I hit Jay I’m like, ‘Yo how much I owe you?’ Jay like, ‘You ain’t owe nothing. Nah we good, it’s on the house.’”
Stories like this just show how real Jay has been from day one.