In February 2003, through a mutual friend, I met Theron Smith, who’s a video director from Brooklyn. 9th knocked it out and it was incredible.Īs the record’s sound was solidified, relative newcomer 9th Wonder traveled from North Carolina to NYC to contribute to the album. Jay really put 9th Wonder on the spot, like, Do this. It wasn't a replacement for Premier’s song, but it was that feel that Jay was looking for. That's how the 9th Wonder record came about. Jay had a specific song that he wanted Premier to do and I think he came with something else. Ultimately, the Dre thing didn't happen and the DJ Premier thing didn't happen. We went down to see Timbaland in Miami, or Pharrell in Virginia, and Rick Rubin in L.A. From that point on, we just went on trips. The other shit was obvious: Kanye and Just. We always wanted to do something with Rick Rubin or Dr. We thought The Black Album was going to be his last, so the concept was, “Let’s work with the producers we've worked with, and producers we've never worked with before.” It was going to be like the ultimate wish list-Jay's list and my list.
And whenever he uses a track, it’s like Christmas. My career, my start, came from Jay, so of course I was going to keep him abreast of any and everything I thought was dope for the project. So The Black Album was one where I was working from afar but I was still involved, getting Jay tracks from my production company. I left Roc-A-Fella to go over to Atlantic in 2003, and The Black Album dropped in November of that year. I’d been at Roc-A-Fella since 1996 I either A&R'd or co-executive produced everything, from Vol. So he was like, Okay, you’re going that way, I’m going this way. Even when Just was cooking up in the B room and Jay was recording something in the A room, Just would walk over and be like, “This is crazy, what the hell.” Just is very competitive, and he would hear everything the other producers were doing. Hip Hop Since 1978 co-founder, Blueprint Group CEOĪround that time, we were in Baseline Studios. Especially in this day and age, when the shelf life of a record is very short. The instant reaction that people get when that comes on is amazing. During my shows, or Jay’s shows, when “Public Service Announcement” comes on, it still rings off as if it just came out yesterday even though it’s 10 years old. Ultimately, I’m happy that it stood the test of time. You never know that you’re making a classic when you’re making it. When you’re in the mix of making something, you’re just trying to put your best foot forward. Producer, “December 4th” and “Public Service Announcement”
We wanted make this great album to walk off on. A lot of things we were trying to do all came together on The Black Album. We did Blueprint, Reasonable Doubt and everything in between. I started working with Jay in high school. By speaking with a number of core contributors to The Black Album, we tried to capture the unwavering spirit of an icon determined to make his mark on history. That never happened, but it was a very real sentiment at the time, and one that largely informed the ornate, boundary-pushing production of the album. And yet, it was all coming to an end leading up to its release in 2003, The Black Album was billed as Jay Z's final album, with the implication that the rapper would go on to focus on the other entrepreneurial endeavors that were beginning to define his output just as much as music had. His love for button-down dress shirts at the time ushered in a wave of hip-hop's cohabitation with the fashion industry and inspired legions of impressionable youth to abandon the throwback sports jerseys Jay himself had championed a year prior. He sold out Madison Square Garden with the speed of a seasoned rock veteran. In seven years, Jay Z had transitioned from full-time hustler to a hip-hop mogul and one of the world’s most powerful pop culture influencers. The Black Album was something larger than music it was a cultural event.