The former Roc-A-Fella A&R recently appeared on the R.O.A.D podcast where he delved into his history with the legendary label, working with Jay-Z, and defining the label’s distinct production style. Hip Hop deserves the credit for some of the biggest records in Jay’s catalog since the signature sound of the label heavily depended on his ear for production.
LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 25: (L-R) Kareem Biggs Burke, Jay Z, and Kyambo "Hip Hop" Joshua at Fourth of November presents 20th Anniversary of Reasonable Doubt on June 25, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Bezjian/WireImage)
While he shared some tales of Jay's studio sessions, he also dived into a few songs that he turned down. Some of them included massive records that have withstood the test of time.
Hip-Hop presented the beat for “Still Not A Player” before it ultimately landed in Big Pun’s lap. He also tried to get Jay-Z on “Whoa!” which wound up becoming Black Rob’s biggest hit. Finally, he revealed that he tried to get Jay-Z to rap on the beat for Mr. Cheeks’ “Lights, Camera, Action.”
“He said it was too slow,” Hip-Hop recalled of Jay’s reaction to “Lights, Camera, Action.” “I was like ‘Whatchu mean it’s too slow?’”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 01: Jay-Z is seen out and about in Manhattan on August 01, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Robert Kamau/GC Images)
The hosts then asked how he felt about the success of the song. He explained that he didn’t feel any way about Jay turning the beat down.
“Nah, it’s like whatever is best for the record," he said. And I know that a record just got to motivate [Jay-Z]."
Check out the clip below and let us know your thoughts in the comment section.
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Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years.
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