The topic of “ghostwriting” has been a conversation that many hip-hop fans & enthusiasts have been having following last year’s Drake x Meek Mill x Quentin Miller saga. While many people understand that their favorite rapper might not write 100% of their lyrics, others believe they should and like to argue the case of authenticity when a debate is had. Well for those of you who believe only a true artist writes his lyrics, you might be surprised to hear that Jay Z, who’s arguably the best rapper of all-time, has used a ghostwriter in the past .
In a new interview with Power 106 LA, long time Kanye West-collaborator Consequence spilled the news on a record he once helped for Hov. According to Consequence, he and Kanye West came up with chorus for Hov’s Black Album standout “Encore.”
“One record in particular I was happy about to be a part of was Jay Z’s ‘Encore’. When me and Kanye (kinda) was on the phone & we actually kinda came up with the chorus back & forth.”
As DJ Booth points out the definition of a ghostwriter is someone who contributes to a song or project and does not receive an official writing credit. And what do you know, Consequence’s name is nowhere to be found on the song’s credits (See here).
Watch Consequence spill the news about his ghostwriting past in the new interview below. (Jay talk comes around 8:30 mark)