Video: Jay-Z f. Swizz Beats, “On to the Next One”
When Jay and Swizzy were filming this video at Deitch, there was a brief debate over whether they should in fact pour paint over the $100 million Damien Hirst platinum/diamond skull. Swizz was against it on some preservation of art shit, but Jay was all Fuck it, it came out in 2007, and obviously defiling one of contemporary art’s priciest pieces is some next shit. Like future graff. A hundred milli is like ZZZZZ-ville to Jay-Z. It was a non-issue, really. The more important decision was, which Juggalo to cast as the video’s muy importante scary faux Joker? At first they were going with Tina, a 14-year-old Juggalette from Dayton, but her dickhole parents (state-appointed guardians, really) wouldn’t sign the waiver, plus they decided if they were going to employ a Grace Jones/Brigitte Nielson-style goddess to do the Ang Lee scene, it would be a good look to go with a dude. Pause. Hence Geoffrey, the man you see here. Not a real Juggalo cause all the Faygo makes them too rowdy/unreliable on set, but Geoffrey’s a good representation, no? Also, Swizz Beats collects a lot of art.
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posted on Jan 4, 2010 in MUSIC VIDEO
Video: Jay-Z f. Mr Hudson, “Forever Young”
- story Peter Macia
Gotta say, the Alphaville song that this borrows the chorus from was our senior prom theme and we would not trade life as a semi-adult in New York City for that youthful night of drinking vodka and OJ out of a coffee pot in a smelly hotel room while our friends made out in the bathroom for a billion dollars. 30 is the new 30 is the new for 40 is the new 40 is the new et cetera. Act your age, bros!
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posted on Dec 22, 2009 in MUSIC VIDEO
Video: Jay-Z f. Alicia Keys, “Empire State of Mind” (FADER Version)
- story Peter Macia
Apparently the snitches we rely on to pass our ideas to rich and powerful weren’t listening when we pitched our treatment of this video, so here goes. Hype, feel free to redo, so long as we get a cut.
FADER IN: VERSE ONE:
As the first notes of “Empire” ring through the speakers, the camera focuses on the front door of Jay’s old building in Marcy. A few current young residents stand near. As Jay’s verse begins, he emerges from the door and the camera dollies with him. He walks east through Marcy, gathering followers behind him with every step until the first chorus.
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posted on Oct 30, 2009 in MUSIC VIDEO
Video: Jay-Z on Oprah
- story Peter Macia
In conjunction with her feature on Jay for O Magazine, Oprah brought Hov to her show, and, as she has made her trademark, got him to show her things no one else has seen, like his office at Rocawear (looks kind of like ours times a billion and with really nice stuff in it and no empty Red Bull cans stacked in the corner). Watch the full interview after the jump, special thanks to B. Dot at Rap Radar.
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posted on Sep 25, 2009 in MUSIC VIDEO
Premiere: Caspa f. Dynamite MC, “The TakeOver” MP3
If you read this site regularly you know we are on a single-minded campaign to get more rappers on dubstep beats so it can be more popular in the States so its purveyors can tour here more, and also because Jay-Z on Joker would be a monster. Take for example this spooky beat from Caspa aka “The Dopest Ghost in Town”: the wobble sounds that much harder with a dude rapping on it like he maybe wants to punch you in the face. Go in, Dynamite! Coincidentally, Caspa is consistently amazing (ok, maybe we’re obsessed) and touring the States (he hits NYC on Wednesday, September 23 at Le Poisson Rouge). This track comes from his album Everybody’s Talking, Nobody’s Listening, which is heartbreakingly bonkers. North American tour dates after the jump.
Download: Caspa f. Dynamite MC, “The TakeOver”
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posted on Sep 17, 2009 in MP3 / STREAMS
Stream: Crookers f. Kelis, “No Security”
What with the epic “Scars” with Basement Jaxx and this sparkly dubstep joint from our Milano party brethren Crookers, we’re impressed by Kelis‘ sudden ubiquity, having just popped a kid and gotten divorced and all. As Annie Mac (that’s Annie Mac, right?) says on this radio rip, the new US mainstream’s interest in dubstep is kind of bazonkers, though we’re still waiting for that Jay-Z/Joker collabo. But then Ms Rogers has always been adventurous—you’ll recall her early work with Neptunes when they were the hottest shit in space—and we hear she’s been working on her new album with our beloved Switch, which sounds like one of the best ideas ever. Until that transpires, we’ll marvel at this YouTube rip of “No Security,” which Crookers put up on their own blog. That’s kind of funny, right?
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posted on Sep 14, 2009 in MP3 / STREAMS
Thoughts on Jay-Z and Lil Mama (and of course Kanye) at the VMAs
- story Peter Macia
Thanks to the wondrous internet, those of us who didn’t watch the MTV VMAs live last night were able to catch up on its most ridiculous and embarrassing moments today, after doing a bunch of other stuff and getting some lunch and listening to some music and staring out the window for a while. Kanye ran up on whats-her-name, ruining her “moment,” but in all truth, he created a moment for her that will last much longer than any she could have created with her thank you speech. You’re welcome. But the coup de grace was former FADER feature subject and Harlem pocket rocket, Lil Mama, bumrushing Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ closeout performance of “Empire State of Mind.” As you’ll see in the video, the performance was carefully scripted and scheduled to have Jay come out of his limo on the street an onto the stage just as his verse was set to begin. And he did. And he and Alicia did a nice rendition of the song, which has recently become the only thing people who own cars will play in said cars while driving through NY streets. New Yorkers are hyped on this shit—it’s kinda crazy. It’s even made some of us transplants reconsider our feelings about this city, and maybe that’s why that girl jumped on that stage. She’s probably listened to the song a hundred times and rapped and sang every word, daydreaming about being on that level. And then that level was, like, three feet away from her, so she stepped up. You can’t really blame her either. It’s like if Jay-Z had a Twitter, we’d all be @’ing that dude like we knew him. He would be our Facebook friend if he was on that too. She was just love RT’ing Hov’s performance, that’s all. She probably also thought a bunch of fools would follow her up there on some Girl Talk shit, which would’ve actually been kind of awesome, but it didn’t happen. So there she is. And without her, we wouldn’t have Jay’s incredible gasface. Plus, if anyone thinks she ruined a classic moment for dude, it was the MTV VMAs. Jay’s classic moment was on Friday night.
Oh, and by the way, FADER Label’s very own Matt & Kim snatched a moon man for Best Breakthrough Artist video. Congrats dudes!
(video and pick via Nah Right)
Exclusive: Jay-Z on Fuse Setlist From Backstage
- story Peter Macia
Straight from backstage at Jay-Z’s Answer The Call 9/11 concert on Fuse, we got the actual setlist, so if you saw it or you were there, print this out and say Jay gave it to you. Check it out after the jump. And remember next year that September 11th is a national day of service from now on. (via Rob Stone’s iPhone)
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posted on Sep 11, 2009 in MUSIC NEWS
Contest: Win Tickets to See Jay-Z at Madison Square Garden
- story THE FADER
Because we love you and know that you’re jockin Jay-Z and particularly his forthcoming The Blueprint 3, we’re offering one lucky winner a pair of tickets to spend an intimate evening with him on its release day. Just you, Shawn Carter, and the entirety of Madison Square Garden. And because it’s on September 11th, all the proceeds are going towards the New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund, and airing live and commercial-free on FUSE at 9pm/8c (check it here). So if you don’t win, you can still watch it and have a myriad of reasons to purchase tickets. To enter, tell us which track off a Blueprint album is your favorite and why in the comments and make sure to register with your legit email so we know where to find you.
Stream: Jay-Z, The Blueprint 3
- story Sam Hockley-Smith
If you didn’t already “find” The Blueprint 3 on the internet, or if you are NORE, there is now a totally free and legal way to enjoy the record a week before its release, courtesy of MTV. Obviously, listening from your desk isn’t as fun as wandering around trying to figure out who would sound good on the hypothetical remix for “Hate” or what this album means for the future of New York rap (more indie rock?!?), but the bright side is that we now have a new excuse to look up more pictures of Jay in big fur hats.
Stream: Jay-Z, The Blueprint 3
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posted on Sep 1, 2009 in MP3 / STREAMS
