November 8, 2005

Boston Globe on Jay-Z Signing the Roots

Jay-Z pays tribute to his rap roots
The Grammy-winning rap band's new affiliation with a Def Jam roster that already includes Kanye West, Juelz Santana, and Ludacris might heighten commercial expectations, yet that's not the aim of Def Jam Left. As Jay-Z told Billboard, the label is designed to be ''an artist-driven label with very low deals so people are not pressured by first-week SoundScan [sales], so we can build artists." (Jay-Z could not be reached for comment.)

When's the last time anyone in mainstream hip-hop spoke of the merits of creativity over commerce, and actually meant it? We may have snickered when Jay-Z claimed ''The Black Album" would be his last, but his signing of the Roots is giving serious hip-hop heads a reason to believe.

With Def Jam Left, and his inaugural signing of the Roots, Jay-Z has created a boutique label for rap artists with more on their minds than the run-of-the-mill topics stifling mainstream rap. For the most part, commercial hip-hop is where rock was in the early 1990s before Nirvana and its seminal 1991 album ''Nevermind" flushed away all that brain-dead hair-band nonsense. Jay-Z has been in the game long enough to know a change is long overdue...

Posted by jsmooth995 at November 8, 2005 10:40 PM

Comments

For the most part, commercial hip-hop is where rock was in the early 1990s before Nirvana and its seminal 1991 album ''Nevermind" flushed away all that brain-dead hair-band nonsense.

i can't tell you how exciting a movement change like this sounds right now. I don't think I have ever felt this dispondant about a current climate of hiphop in my life. Full marks to Jay for even paying lip-service to this kind of shift...

Posted by: Mr K at November 9, 2005 7:08 AM

does this mean i have put away my throwback and platinum fronts? aww, hell naw.

Posted by: the crossfader at November 9, 2005 10:41 AM

Physician...heal thyself!!

WHEN (not if...) Jay-z makes his next album lets see how close he sticks to this argument. He's been rapping for years about "dumbing down to double my dollars" and the ORIGINAL press for the Black Album had us all gassed for a return to the Reasonable Doubt days. But when push came to shove, he went back to standard. There were bangers on that album but "Change Clothes" as the lead single?!?!? RD had "bling" and hustler anthems, but it was also about the lyrics.

Regarding the Roots, I haven't purchased an album since Phrenology (and can't remember the last time I listened to that album) and its going to take a lot for me to get hyped about a new release from them.

I'll be a hip hop fan for life but I've accepted that its a business and people do what they have to. But thats why I'm buying fewer and fewer full albums.

Posted by: proofinthepudding at November 9, 2005 11:26 AM

ProofinthePudding.. One do yourself a favor and take a listen to the last album "The Tipping Point" and take a good listen.

Other than that I agree with you

Posted by: Belve at November 9, 2005 1:38 PM

before you can have a Nirvana, you need to have a Guns N Roses. Who is the Guns N Roses of this scenario? Kanye?

Posted by: i'm the skwidawd at November 9, 2005 4:00 PM

belve,
i should have been more explicit. phren was the last roots album i PURCHASED. after getting burned once, decided to download TTP before buying. its was OK, but other than "star" and "stay cool" didn't really feel it. i deleted the rest and i'm keeping my fingers crossed for the next album though.

Posted by: proofinthepudding at November 9, 2005 5:02 PM

The nirvana comment is what i've been posting (saying) for a minute while alot of people were equating the Wu for being the equialent of grunge.
If only J could sign J-live.

Posted by: pexdiggy at November 10, 2005 10:20 AM

guns n roses = lil jon

Posted by: jondis at November 10, 2005 8:07 PM

Kanye and his comments make him a good choice for an Axl Rose :)

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