Jay-Z – Glory

via Money Cash Ho’s

Ours is an era of collaborative possibility, when anything from Dockers to a cellular phone pouch can seem desirable with the right synergistic pairing. This is how the business of buying and selling things continues to renew itself, in the endless permutation of new and old. There is something fresh and democratic about it, as the market divides itself up into thousands of little inlets, all the capsule collections and collaborations with Target and down-market bridge lines allowing all segments of the populace to luxuriate every now and then. As a result we’ve grown comfortable with unlikely juxtapositions and mutually beneficial alliances, all in the name of something greater, from “Marvel Comics X Williams-Sonoma” to Pusha of Clipse shouting out the “hipsters” and the “felons.”

Instead of competition, we now live in a culture that produces mutually beneficial agreements. Instead of rivals there are dream teams, talents taken around the globe in the name of common goals, brand visions, the quid pro quo backslap culture of “liking” and retweeting. Instead of a guy emerging from a bench-clearing brawl with his arm dislocated, we have the Miami Heat and their “Big Three.”

I’m not all in on the record but I’m not all out either. Recognize their strengths, yeah, certainly. Recognize their fear of failure in their inability to express a sense of vulnerability, especially with respect to paper, oh hell yeah. Kanye opens up sometimes, but not enough to be relatable. He remains Chi-town? Brooklyn ’til Jay die? Oh word, so whats good with the significant disconnect to current events? But you know where they do manage to connect? Aspirationally. And maybe that’s enough. Is it enough? And lets be practical here. It’s a safe assumption that both Jay-Z and Kanye are well aware of what the deal is in the streets. Following that thought then is the fact that it is a conscious decision not to address certain topics, not to ruffle certain feathers. Knowing their roots, that’s what’s most disappointing to me. Knowing that they can, that they probably want to, but that they choose not to. Business, not personal.

Oh yeah, that Neptunes beat is tough. Loop status.

related:
“Their new rap language is frequently mired with self-improvement psychobabble and new age management principles.”

Taken from an upcoming Doo Wop blends mix.

“Biggie, Jay-Z and Nas rhyming over nothing but 80′s music.”

The Ruler’s Back by djdoowop

There was almost a Jay-Z jeep?

previously: “Jay-Z’s Great Champagne Robbery”

It might be the best marketing in the history of wine. The story of how a rap mogul transformed a $50 champagne into the next Cristal—and received millions for doing so.

prev & related: “Hip-Hop’s Unofficial Sommelier” (Branson B)

via Bol

Shout to Ananda Lewis.

via 40Glocc

Em at his rawest.

Also, a few-years-old unreleased record from the Aftermath camp: Eminem – Syllables ft. Jay-Z, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Cashis, & Stat Quo

via SB & YHTN

via upnorth

Jay Electronica – Shiny Suit Theory ft. Jay-Z, The Dream

re-upped by nr

Kanye West – The Joy ft. Jay-Z, Charlie Wilson, Kid Cudi (Prod. by Pete Rock)

Although I shudder to hear Jay-Z twist his voice to add that Kanye slur I’m glad he asked himself this: Would you rather be paid or overrated? Although I gather he meant it as a rhetorical statement I can’t help but sense he sounded unsure. Broke and a whole lot of respect? And the RZA verse was the main reason I downed this, so fair warning, there is no RZA verse.

Kanye West – So Appalled ft. Jay-Z, Pusha T, Swizz Beatz, RZA, Cyhi The Prynce

D-Nice giving a cool play-by-play of what’s going down at Yankee Stadium tonight. Apparently, a lot of big name artists are coming out to perform with Eminem e.g. Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, etc. And Jay-Z hasn’t even got on yet. $300 tickets get the gas face. link

RS: You’re not a hip-hop fan.

JW: Not particularly. I find OutKast and Wu-Tang Clan interesting. But I consider music to be storytelling, melody and rhythm. A lot of hip-hop has broken music down. There are no instruments and no songwriting. So you’re left with just storytelling and rhythm. And the storytelling can be so braggadocious, you’re just left with rhythm. I don’t find much emotion in that.

I already regret writing this. Link

YC kept it PC recently when XXL probed a recurring theme. Steel sharpens steal? Is Jay-z really this charismatic?

Jay-Z, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, developer Bruce Ratner, and NJ Nets majority owner and Russian mogul/billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov at Gracie Mansion

via rr

Link