Jay-Z

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Lore & Background

Jay-Z and Kanye West first worked together on the song "This Can't Be Life" from Jay-Z's 2000 album *The Dynasty: Roc La Familia*, produced by West. West's early production work on Jay-Z's music helped raise his profile in the music industry. While originally only viewed as a producer, West eventually was seen as both a viable rapper and producer thanks to the success of his debut album, *The College Dropout*, and its singles. West continued to be one of Jay-Z's main producers on subsequent albums such as *The Black Album* and *Kingdom Come*. Jay-Z also appeared on Kanye's first two albums, and the two frequently collaborated. Further collaborative work included singles such as "Swagga Like Us" from T.I.'s *Paper Trail*, "Run This Town" from Jay-Z's *The Blueprint 3*, and both "Monster" and "So Appalled" from West's *My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy*. During the promotional stages of *My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy*, a remix of "Power" surfaced featuring Jay-Z. Following this, Kanye West announced on Twitter his intention to drop a five-track EP with Jay-Z, titled *Watch the Throne*. It was later revealed by West that the project had been expanded into a full-length album in an October 2010 interview for MTV. In an August 2011 radio interview with WEDR, Jay-Z shared the meaning behind the album's title: "It's just protecting the music and the culture. It's people that's in the forefront of the music. Watch the Throne, like protect it. You just watch how popular music shift, and how hip-hop basically replaced rock & roll as the youth music. The same thing can happen to hip-hop. It can be replaced by other forms of music. So it's making sure that we put the effort into making the best product so we can contend with all this other music, with dance music that's dominating the charts right now and indie music that's dominating the festivals."

Recording sessions took place at various locations including Avex Recording Studio in Honolulu, Hawaii; Barford Estate in Sydney, Australia; Electric Lady Studios; The Mercer Hotel; MSR Studios; and Tribeca Grand Hotel in New York City; Le Meurice in Paris, France; and Real World Studios in Wiltshire, England. Jay-Z said in an interview for *Billboard* that they often recorded in hotel rooms and that the album went through three iterations, as he and West had scaled back from their original musical direction. He noted difficulties in the recording process, including arguments with West regarding their direction. Following the release of lead single "H.A.M." in January 2011, Jay-Z stated that the less-than-stellar reception caused a change in the production of the album. Jay-Z announced that it was unlikely that the track would ultimately make the album. In an interview for *Rolling Stone*, Jay-Z discussed their insistence on recording in person and attributed it to the delay in releasing the album, stating, "If we were gonna do it, we were gonna do it together. No mailing it in."

In Their Own Story

The studio lights hummed low, casting long shadows across the mixing console. Two figures sat at opposite ends of the booth, headphones resting around their necks like ceremonial collars. The beat played softly, a loop that had been running for hours, waiting for the final decision. One gestured to the waveform on the screen, nodding slowly. The other leaned back, eyes closed, listening not just to the sound but to the weight of what it meant for the legacy they were building together.

Reader's Guide

Jay-Z served as a key collaborator and executive figure on *Watch the Throne*, a collaborative studio album released August 8, 2011, by Roc-A-Fella Records, Roc Nation, and Def Jam Recordings. The album features guest appearances from Frank Ocean, The-Dream, Beyoncé, and Mr Hudson, as well as vocal contributions from Kid Cudi, Seal, Justin Vernon, Elly Jackson, Connie Mitchell, Charlie Wilson, and Pete Rock. Samples of vocals by soul musicians Otis Redding and Curtis Mayfield are both credited as guest features. Seven singles were released, including "H.A.M.," "Otis," "Lift Off," "No Church in the Wild," and the Billboard Hot 100 top five hit "Niggas in Paris," with 3 of the singles receiving music videos. Jay-Z and West embarked on the Watch the Throne Tour from October 2011 to June 2012, which became the highest-grossing hip-hop concert tour in history. The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling 436,000 copies in the first week, and broke the iTunes Store first-week sales record at the time. It reached the top ten in 11 other countries, including Canada and the United Kingdom. It was certified quintuple platinum in the United States by the RIAA in November 2020. Jay-Z's wife Beyoncé recommended the involvement of Frank Ocean, who appears on both "No Church in the Wild" and "Made in America." Ocean admitted that Jay-Z intentionally intimidated him during recording sessions but declared his enjoyment of working with the two. "Lift Off" was recorded in Sydney, Australia, and features Beyoncé singing several lines. Jay-Z also shared the meaning behind the album's title in a radio interview, emphasizing protecting hip-hop culture from being replaced by other forms of music.

Did You Know?

• Jay-Z and Kanye West first worked together on the song "This Can't Be Life" from Jay-Z's 2000 album *The Dynasty: Roc La Familia*, produced by West.
• West's early production work on Jay-Z's *The Blueprint* (2001) helped raise his profile in the music industry.
• The *Watch the Throne* album was originally planned as a five-song EP before being expanded into a full-length album.
• Jay-Z and West recorded in hotel rooms and argued about direction during the recording process, with Jay-Z stating, "If we were gonna do it, we were gonna do it together. No mailing it in."
• The Watch the Throne Tour, from October 2011 to June 2012, became the highest-grossing hip-hop concert tour in history.