Wiz
05-26-2003, 10:57 PM
Here is the interview for Jay-Z and 50 Cent....
EW:So for the record,which of you is the better mc?
50:He is by far,i've been listening to him for a long time.Im the new kid
EW:Thats not what you say on your records
50:I know because im confident.I've always been competetive.But when you got 8 years under your belt and the kid only has one summer.....
Jay-Z:Seniority rules.But all records are made to be broken.You've got Dr J and then you have Michael Jordan and then you've got Kobe,you know what i'm saying?The game just keeps surviving,thats what its about.if he continues on hos path,he could be the greatest.Who knows?its hard to judge
EW:Why team of for a tour
Jay-Z:Alot of times in hip hop,things that could be big never get to happen.You used to have the FRESH FEST[in 1984.You had Run DMC,Whodini,the whole lineup on one tour.You seldom get that now.I believe in putting out the hottest thing.We could have toured seperately but we figured if we bring it together it would be unstoppable
EW:Why does hip hop continue to be unstoppable in the marketplace?
Jay-Z:I think the music speaks directly to the youth culture than any other music[He gestures toward 50]We never even met[growing up]but we share basically the same story.We all grew up the same way and people who never lived there,they can just pick up a cd and experience the whole thing without having to get shot at[50 and Jay laugh]
50:They want to do things and not reep the reprucussions.Thats why action films are entertaining.In real life,if you jump out of a building onto a moving train,your fucked.But its entertaining to see it happen.The material i put out on the street is acceptable in an action film,but[les so]in music-because its based on true experience.
EW:Your music has been criticised for having too much sex,violence and profanity.What would happen if you eased up on that stuff?
Jay-Z:They wouldnt feel it.They wouldnt buy ti.Thats a fact.You absolutely know thats a fact.
50:And it wouldnt be me as an artist,so it would have no substance.It would just be words over some music.
EW:But why does sex,violence and profanity have to be the substance so much of the time?
Jay-Z:people can tell if something is contrived.We're doing whats naturl to us.We're having fun in the studio talking about experiences that we went through.For us to take ourselves out of our element just to please someone else.it wouldnt be what we do
50:How many newspapers do you think get sold a day worldwide?Aint shit positive in none of them.Maybe Sunday in the entertainment section.Everything else is about someone who did some shit they wasnt supposed to do.People want to see that
EW:even some hip hop fans say your music is too fixated on materialism and violence.Does that bother you?
Jay-Z:Nah because that sends a signal to me immediately that people dont listen to the album.
EW:That stuff is just on the hits?
Jay-Z:There you go.That lets you know what the world wants."Big Pimpin" was a huge hit but i put out a single before and after it.
EW:What were they?
Jay-Z:Yeah exactly.On my fifth album i had "Give it to Me" and "Soon You'll Understand"[sample lyric:You said the streets claim lives/but i wanted things like bling bling ice,i was wrong in hindsight].So "Give It To Me" plays on the radio for eight months a year but nobody picks up 'Soon You'll Understand."Thats the way the world is man.So if sombody says "Jay-Z just about champagne and all that" then i know[snaps his fingers]automatically that you dont listen to the album.
EW:How true to life is that Big Pimpin stuff?On thursday night at the jay-Z house,are you sipping Cristal with 10 women in G-strings or do yuou watch Friends like the rest of us
Jay-Z:[Joking incredulous]You watch Friends?[Luaghs]I watch alot of sports
50:People look at an artist and go,"This guy has a bentley!"every company sends me free colthes so what do you spend the money on?things that excite the people who look at you.Outside of that,theres nothing else to do with your paper,so you get what you like.I like things that not necessarilly into;i just bought a 55 Impala.And i want things when i cant have them.When you on the curb,a benz looks like a spaceship.[He and jay laugh]You think thats gonna take me outta here.I'm not gonna feel like this anymore
EW:You guys are at different points of your career.jay-Z do you find yourself wanting to talk about different things as you get older?
jay-Z:Yeah i believe so,if yopu listen to my first album and then my new album,you'll see there's a broadness there.The shit i was upset about then aint the same shit i'm upset about now.I'm more upset about the press.I aint aint have no press then.I'm upset about the DA.The DA has a publicist,did you know that?Thats unreal to me,thats not justice,thats drama.I'm upset about the people that dont want me to move in their building because I'm a young black dude.They dont want me to live in that penthouse BUT I take my home seriously.It aint like theres gonna be 30 niggas in my house having a party every night.
EW:So for the record,which of you is the better mc?
50:He is by far,i've been listening to him for a long time.Im the new kid
EW:Thats not what you say on your records
50:I know because im confident.I've always been competetive.But when you got 8 years under your belt and the kid only has one summer.....
Jay-Z:Seniority rules.But all records are made to be broken.You've got Dr J and then you have Michael Jordan and then you've got Kobe,you know what i'm saying?The game just keeps surviving,thats what its about.if he continues on hos path,he could be the greatest.Who knows?its hard to judge
EW:Why team of for a tour
Jay-Z:Alot of times in hip hop,things that could be big never get to happen.You used to have the FRESH FEST[in 1984.You had Run DMC,Whodini,the whole lineup on one tour.You seldom get that now.I believe in putting out the hottest thing.We could have toured seperately but we figured if we bring it together it would be unstoppable
EW:Why does hip hop continue to be unstoppable in the marketplace?
Jay-Z:I think the music speaks directly to the youth culture than any other music[He gestures toward 50]We never even met[growing up]but we share basically the same story.We all grew up the same way and people who never lived there,they can just pick up a cd and experience the whole thing without having to get shot at[50 and Jay laugh]
50:They want to do things and not reep the reprucussions.Thats why action films are entertaining.In real life,if you jump out of a building onto a moving train,your fucked.But its entertaining to see it happen.The material i put out on the street is acceptable in an action film,but[les so]in music-because its based on true experience.
EW:Your music has been criticised for having too much sex,violence and profanity.What would happen if you eased up on that stuff?
Jay-Z:They wouldnt feel it.They wouldnt buy ti.Thats a fact.You absolutely know thats a fact.
50:And it wouldnt be me as an artist,so it would have no substance.It would just be words over some music.
EW:But why does sex,violence and profanity have to be the substance so much of the time?
Jay-Z:people can tell if something is contrived.We're doing whats naturl to us.We're having fun in the studio talking about experiences that we went through.For us to take ourselves out of our element just to please someone else.it wouldnt be what we do
50:How many newspapers do you think get sold a day worldwide?Aint shit positive in none of them.Maybe Sunday in the entertainment section.Everything else is about someone who did some shit they wasnt supposed to do.People want to see that
EW:even some hip hop fans say your music is too fixated on materialism and violence.Does that bother you?
Jay-Z:Nah because that sends a signal to me immediately that people dont listen to the album.
EW:That stuff is just on the hits?
Jay-Z:There you go.That lets you know what the world wants."Big Pimpin" was a huge hit but i put out a single before and after it.
EW:What were they?
Jay-Z:Yeah exactly.On my fifth album i had "Give it to Me" and "Soon You'll Understand"[sample lyric:You said the streets claim lives/but i wanted things like bling bling ice,i was wrong in hindsight].So "Give It To Me" plays on the radio for eight months a year but nobody picks up 'Soon You'll Understand."Thats the way the world is man.So if sombody says "Jay-Z just about champagne and all that" then i know[snaps his fingers]automatically that you dont listen to the album.
EW:How true to life is that Big Pimpin stuff?On thursday night at the jay-Z house,are you sipping Cristal with 10 women in G-strings or do yuou watch Friends like the rest of us
Jay-Z:[Joking incredulous]You watch Friends?[Luaghs]I watch alot of sports
50:People look at an artist and go,"This guy has a bentley!"every company sends me free colthes so what do you spend the money on?things that excite the people who look at you.Outside of that,theres nothing else to do with your paper,so you get what you like.I like things that not necessarilly into;i just bought a 55 Impala.And i want things when i cant have them.When you on the curb,a benz looks like a spaceship.[He and jay laugh]You think thats gonna take me outta here.I'm not gonna feel like this anymore
EW:You guys are at different points of your career.jay-Z do you find yourself wanting to talk about different things as you get older?
jay-Z:Yeah i believe so,if yopu listen to my first album and then my new album,you'll see there's a broadness there.The shit i was upset about then aint the same shit i'm upset about now.I'm more upset about the press.I aint aint have no press then.I'm upset about the DA.The DA has a publicist,did you know that?Thats unreal to me,thats not justice,thats drama.I'm upset about the people that dont want me to move in their building because I'm a young black dude.They dont want me to live in that penthouse BUT I take my home seriously.It aint like theres gonna be 30 niggas in my house having a party every night.