From Diary of Jay-Z: The J To Z Of Jay-Z…
“I went to every single record label, and they was like, ‘This guy is terrible. He’s nothing,’ ” Jay told MTV News prior to the release of The Blueprint in 2001. “I had to put [Reasonable Doubt] out myself, because nobody would sign me.”
That was back in 1996, when Roc-A-Fella records was born, not out of entrepreneurial expansion but, as Hova made clear, out of necessity. “I would press up singles and go to the record stores myself, collect $100, $200, come back, give them some more records,” he recalled. “It started like that.”
Jay wasn’t embittered by his struggle, though. If anything, it gave him a sharper perspective on the music business. “It made me appreciate it so much more,” he said. “No one gave me anything. They didn’t give me a record deal. I really just took my time and grew it step by step by step by step. I could have easily been like, ‘Maybe what I’m talking about ain’t right! Nobody wants to sign me!’ That would have stopped the suffering. But I didn’t.”
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Can you imagine how much the people who passed him up have beat themselves up?
alot….but im sure if ppl leave comments they will have sumthing negative to say…
See, this is why I have no love for O and Sparks, Peedi Crackwhore or any of them dudes who talk about how Jay didnt help them. Sh*t, he gave you more of an opportunity than he had, and ya’ll still can’t make it work???? Bums
imagine if u took jigga and beyonces money and stacked it up in one room
word, i needed to see this today. motivational.
Cosign what JD said also.
I also cosign with JD. Jay’s story applied to Kanye as well. Adversity always overcomes any obstacle. I respect Jay’s grind.
I really do respect Jay-Z as a businessman and an artist. Would love to read an auto-biography on the man.
Jay’s story is not uncommon. Many of the big name artists out today have been told that they’re not good enough to be a success by many A&Rs. That’s why these guys get replace all the time. They stay fucking up. But most of you rappers’ skin is too thin to weather that type of treatment.
See, this is why I rocks with Jay. This clip was real motivational to me. It tells me to keep my head up on my plight to be a successful artist even if there is people telling me I’m not worth it, mindlessly hating on blogs behind screen names with no links (lol) and things like that.
Good clip.
[...] was like, ‘This man is terrible. He’s nothing,’ ” Originally posted here: Jay-Z On Record Labels (Video) | 2dopeboyz Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: diary, [...]
Jay-Z On Record Labels (Video) | 2dopeboyz | Driving record live today. said this on August 27th, 2009 at 5:06 pm
That’s real talk, too. Thats why hip hop sounds weak now, cuz A&R’s stay losin by signin wack shit, just to put one single out, while respectable artists aren’t maybe grindin the way they should. Atmosphere did it that way, too.
and props on the kangol lol