11/26/07 - Jay-Z Talks Lyric-Writing Process...

J-Banks · 11-26-2007, 05:12 PM

Jay-Z Talks Lyric-Writing Process; Jokes, 'I've Inspired A Generation Of Bad Writers'

MC reveals that he hasn't written down lyrics since his 1996 debut, Reasonable Doubt.

By Jayson Rodriguez

NEW YORK — Jay-Z, whose "Rain Man" recording process finds him mumbling words to himself in the studio before stepping into the booth to spit out a complete song, definitely has the corner locked when it comes to rappers composing full songs in their heads. Young tikes like Chris Brown and Sean Kingston even cite Hov as an inspiration for their own songwriting processes.

"I've inspired a generation of bad writers," Jay joked to MTV News last week.

But the Def Jam president and iconic rapper obviously wrote down lyrics at one point in time. In fact, he revealed the last time he actually did so was for "Can I Live," a standout track on his 1996 debut, Reasonable Doubt.

"What happened was, I was doing that song with someone else, and they heard the first verse and they was like, 'Man, you take that song. Finish it, 'cause it sounds like you got a lot more to say,' " Jay explained in a lengthy interview in which he discussed lyrics and songwriting. "You know, that type of thing. So I just wanted to get it down quick, I didn't want to keep going over it. It was like [the album] mastering time, so I just sat down in the booth and wrote that [verse]."

The verse contains multiple gems over the woozy, horn-laden production, like the lines: "I stepped it up another level, meditated like a Buddhist/ Recruited lieutenants with ludicrous dreams of getting cream/ Let's do this, it gets te-di-ous/ So I keep one eye open like, C-B-S, you see me stressed, right?"

According to Irv Gotti, who produced the track, the song was supposed to be a collaboration between Jay and a member of the rap group Original Flavor. Gotti mentioned he believed Nas was also set to appear on the track, too. But after the OF member passed on the guest appearance, Jay got to work finishing the song.

"From what I remember, he actually didn't write the full verse," Gotti wrote in an e-mail to MTV News. "But since the verse was so long, he wrote a few words down, and that made him remember the whole verse."

Although Jay has since long given up writing down lyrics himself, his advice for one of his nephews, who's an aspiring MC in his own right, is to write as much as possible. Repetition is the key to perfection, according to Jay.

"Why I tell him to write every day is because iit's like anything else: [You have to] practice," he said. "Basketball players play basketball their whole life, they practice every day. It only makes sense. You can only get better. The repetition. The more you do it you can only get better."

Jay has long since removed himself from the writing process, however he admitted the notion of actually penning lyrics does still appeal to him. So much so that he wanted to write down lyrics for The Black Album, which he believed was going to be his last album. But he couldn't shake the process that he's made so famous.

"It just felt better [the way I do it now]," Jay said. "In my mind, I wanted to sit down and write and do this thing a certain way. But your natural process is your process. It's difficult to go back to what you were doing when you were 15 or 16, but my process is different [now]. It sounds great on paper, 'I'm gonna sit down and write this entire album like I did before.' But once you get back in the studio and you been doing this process for years and years, it just felt natural to do it the way I been doing it. No paper, no pen, just listen to the music and do it."

Source-MTV

bananas · 11-26-2007, 05:16 PM

i think this american gangster album has good lyrics and a good concept! too bad it's not the OST...

devonmorris_2001 · 11-26-2007, 05:20 PM

lol its mad funny to me that he last song jay z WROTE was Can I Live and that is my favorite Jay-Z song of all time lol

Bkjj11 · 11-26-2007, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J-Banks

Jay-Z Talks Lyric-Writing Process; Jokes, 'I've Inspired A Generation Of Bad Writers'

MC reveals that he hasn't written down lyrics since his 1996 debut, Reasonable Doubt.

By Jayson Rodriguez

NEW YORK — Jay-Z, whose "Rain Man" recording process finds him mumbling words to himself in the studio before stepping into the booth to spit out a complete song, definitely has the corner locked when it comes to rappers composing full songs in their heads. Young tikes like Chris Brown and Sean Kingston even cite Hov as an inspiration for their own songwriting processes.

"I've inspired a generation of bad writers," Jay joked to MTV News last week.

But the Def Jam president and iconic rapper obviously wrote down lyrics at one point in time. In fact, he revealed the last time he actually did so was for "Can I Live," a standout track on his 1996 debut, Reasonable Doubt.

"What happened was, I was doing that song with someone else, and they heard the first verse and they was like, 'Man, you take that song. Finish it, 'cause it sounds like you got a lot more to say,' " Jay explained in a lengthy interview in which he discussed lyrics and songwriting. "You know, that type of thing. So I just wanted to get it down quick, I didn't want to keep going over it. It was like [the album] mastering time, so I just sat down in the booth and wrote that [verse]."

The verse contains multiple gems over the woozy, horn-laden production, like the lines: "I stepped it up another level, meditated like a Buddhist/ Recruited lieutenants with ludicrous dreams of getting cream/ Let's do this, it gets te-di-ous/ So I keep one eye open like, C-B-S, you see me stressed, right?"

According to Irv Gotti, who produced the track, the song was supposed to be a collaboration between Jay and a member of the rap group Original Flavor. Gotti mentioned he believed Nas was also set to appear on the track, too. But after the OF member passed on the guest appearance, Jay got to work finishing the song.

"From what I remember, he actually didn't write the full verse," Gotti wrote in an e-mail to MTV News. "But since the verse was so long, he wrote a few words down, and that made him remember the whole verse."

Although Jay has since long given up writing down lyrics himself, his advice for one of his nephews, who's an aspiring MC in his own right, is to write as much as possible. Repetition is the key to perfection, according to Jay.

"Why I tell him to write every day is because iit's like anything else: [You have to] practice," he said. "Basketball players play basketball their whole life, they practice every day. It only makes sense. You can only get better. The repetition. The more you do it you can only get better."

Jay has long since removed himself from the writing process, however he admitted the notion of actually penning lyrics does still appeal to him. So much so that he wanted to write down lyrics for The Black Album, which he believed was going to be his last album. But he couldn't shake the process that he's made so famous.

"It just felt better [the way I do it now]," Jay said. "In my mind, I wanted to sit down and write and do this thing a certain way. But your natural process is your process. It's difficult to go back to what you were doing when you were 15 or 16, but my process is different [now]. It sounds great on paper, 'I'm gonna sit down and write this entire album like I did before.' But once you get back in the studio and you been doing this process for years and years, it just felt natural to do it the way I been doing it. No paper, no pen, just listen to the music and do it."

Source-MTV

Enuff said.

DIRTYSOUTH PIMPIN · 11-26-2007, 05:53 PM

Jay z is the best rapper alive, but i do believe he have been writing down some of his lyrics. Thats a lot of sh*t to remmember. Even r&b singers forget their words at times, and rap lyrics are much harder to remmember.

SiLvEr 5n1p3r 786 · 11-26-2007, 06:02 PM

so heez sold 30 mill albums off freestlyz??

ChUcK C · 11-26-2007, 06:10 PM

ite kooo propzzz

BLUE HFNER · 11-26-2007, 06:14 PM

Jay-z Is The Best

ImOnMyBkShyt · 11-26-2007, 06:19 PM

best rapper alive fuck u haters

Desert Eagle · 11-26-2007, 06:31 PM

SO Basically he sits down, hears a beat and starts putting words together?

Shyne · 11-26-2007, 07:02 PM

very interesting shit. I remember when they talked to Big Tigg and he said somthing to the effect that he had talked to Jigga about not writing his lyrics and jay told him: "man, ive lost more albums then I can count doing it that way". So it shows even jigga is prone to mistakes trying to do that shit.

West Coast Avenger · 11-26-2007, 07:23 PM

It amazes me how the majority of you buy into this

kevin413 · 11-26-2007, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SiLvEr 5n1p3r 786

so heez sold 30 mill albums off freestlyz??

they aint freestyles he took time thought it all upin his head then went in the booth and spit it freestyle is goin in there and jus sayin the first shyt dat comes mind

vanillagorilla · 11-26-2007, 08:02 PM

maybe thats why he recycles his flows so many times in american gangsta, he is getting old prolly be forgeting he already said that shit lol jj

heartless monster · 11-26-2007, 08:35 PM

propzzz though but jay need 2 retire

Gttm303 · 11-26-2007, 09:22 PM

wonder what he sounds like if he did write down some lyrics

MC B STREETZ · 11-26-2007, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bananas

i think this american gangster album has good lyrics and a good concept! too bad it's not the OST...

co-sign yo

ns_diplomat · 11-26-2007, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by West Coast Avenger

It amazes me how the majority of you buy into this

for real homie......I cant believe dat nigga never wrote a whole song....wtf

justchristopher · 11-26-2007, 09:43 PM

i just wanna know how he remembers all that shyt

Da Real Deal · 11-26-2007, 09:48 PM

Jay-Z in the studio

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kIJAVF0Jl0

Zhiwai · 11-26-2007, 10:37 PM

Props on this

IbeWazir · 11-27-2007, 12:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SiLvEr 5n1p3r 786

so heez sold 30 mill albums off freestlyz??

Kinda. He'll freestyle in the studio for a long time and pick out his best lines and keep puttin' 'em together till he has a full song.

Dangermouf · 11-27-2007, 01:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SiLvEr 5n1p3r 786

so heez sold 30 mill albums off freestlyz??

Yeah aye, what a pile of crap, he pre write all his shit, memorizes it, and then plays this mumbling joke to make him look like the shit when he spit please, I heard T.I do the same shit sept he mumbles when he raps aswell.

Babe Truth · 11-27-2007, 01:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dangermouf

Yeah aye, what a pile of crap, he pre write all his shit, memorizes it, and then plays this mumbling joke to make him look like the shit when he spit please, I heard T.I do the same shit sept he mumbles when he raps aswell.

ur an idiot, all his producers even say he just goes in the booth and does his thing, watch the vidoe of timbo sayin that shit

lil ass kids trying to hate on hov, wake the fuck up high schoolers

shadybizness1 · 11-27-2007, 01:42 AM

propz....good read

11-26-2007, 05:12 PM	#1
J-Banks Super Moderator Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Providence, RI Posts: 21,015 Repped: 5,294 Repped 53,425 Times in 7,839 Posts Blog Entries: 1 Neg Reps: 53 Neg Repped at 93 Times in 86 Posts	11/26/07 - Jay-Z Talks Lyric-Writing Process... 11/26/07 - Jay-Z Talks Lyric-Writing Process... Jay-Z Talks Lyric-Writing Process; Jokes, 'I've Inspired A Generation Of Bad Writers' MC reveals that he hasn't written down lyrics since his 1996 debut, Reasonable Doubt. By Jayson Rodriguez NEW YORK — Jay-Z, whose "Rain Man" recording process finds him mumbling words to himself in the studio before stepping into the booth to spit out a complete song, definitely has the corner locked when it comes to rappers composing full songs in their heads. Young tikes like Chris Brown and Sean Kingston even cite Hov as an inspiration for their own songwriting processes. "I've inspired a generation of bad writers," Jay joked to MTV News last week. But the Def Jam president and iconic rapper obviously wrote down lyrics at one point in time. In fact, he revealed the last time he actually did so was for "Can I Live," a standout track on his 1996 debut, Reasonable Doubt. "What happened was, I was doing that song with someone else, and they heard the first verse and they was like, 'Man, you take that song. Finish it, 'cause it sounds like you got a lot more to say,' " Jay explained in a lengthy interview in which he discussed lyrics and songwriting. "You know, that type of thing. So I just wanted to get it down quick, I didn't want to keep going over it. It was like [the album] mastering time, so I just sat down in the booth and wrote that [verse]." The verse contains multiple gems over the woozy, horn-laden production, like the lines: "I stepped it up another level, meditated like a Buddhist/ Recruited lieutenants with ludicrous dreams of getting cream/ Let's do this, it gets te-di-ous/ So I keep one eye open like, C-B-S, you see me stressed, right?" According to Irv Gotti, who produced the track, the song was supposed to be a collaboration between Jay and a member of the rap group Original Flavor. Gotti mentioned he believed Nas was also set to appear on the track, too. But after the OF member passed on the guest appearance, Jay got to work finishing the song. "From what I remember, he actually didn't write the full verse," Gotti wrote in an e-mail to MTV News. "But since the verse was so long, he wrote a few words down, and that made him remember the whole verse." Although Jay has since long given up writing down lyrics himself, his advice for one of his nephews, who's an aspiring MC in his own right, is to write as much as possible. Repetition is the key to perfection, according to Jay. "Why I tell him to write every day is because iit's like anything else: [You have to] practice," he said. "Basketball players play basketball their whole life, they practice every day. It only makes sense. You can only get better. The repetition. The more you do it you can only get better." Jay has long since removed himself from the writing process, however he admitted the notion of actually penning lyrics does still appeal to him. So much so that he wanted to write down lyrics for The Black Album, which he believed was going to be his last album. But he couldn't shake the process that he's made so famous. "It just felt better [the way I do it now]," Jay said. "In my mind, I wanted to sit down and write and do this thing a certain way. But your natural process is your process. It's difficult to go back to what you were doing when you were 15 or 16, but my process is different [now]. It sounds great on paper, 'I'm gonna sit down and write this entire album like I did before.' But once you get back in the studio and you been doing this process for years and years, it just felt natural to do it the way I been doing it. No paper, no pen, just listen to the music and do it." Source-MTV __________________ JBanksblog.com - check it out __________________

11-26-2007, 05:16 PM	#2
bananas Veteran Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Luxembourg Posts: 1,176 Repped: 710 Repped 12 Times in 6 Posts Neg Reps: 1 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	i think this american gangster album has good lyrics and a good concept! too bad it's not the OST... __________________ myspace.com/urbanhustlestreetstyle myspace.com/smokeitprod myspace.com/daboutz

11-26-2007, 06:14 PM	#8
BLUE HFNER LIL_BLUE HEFNER J.R™ Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: FL Posts: 2,311 Repped: 529 Repped 2,493 Times in 193 Posts Neg Reps: 6 Neg Repped at 5 Times in 4 Posts	Jay-z Is The Best __________________ "In this market they let impersonators walk 'round 50 bodied you, I just laid the chalk down" - Lloyd Banks

11-26-2007, 07:02 PM	#11
Shyne Sons Of Liberty Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Iowa Posts: 5,552 Repped: 3 Repped 2,054 Times in 849 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 151 Times in 95 Posts	very interesting shit. I remember when they talked to Big Tigg and he said somthing to the effect that he had talked to Jigga about not writing his lyrics and jay told him: "man, ive lost more albums then I can count doing it that way". So it shows even jigga is prone to mistakes trying to do that shit. __________________ myspace.com/vocabthemc http://coldglassofoj.blogspot.com

11-26-2007, 09:48 PM	#20
Da Real Deal Most Likely To Succeed Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Chicago Illinois/Jackson,MS Posts: 4,988 Repped: 893 Repped 2,800 Times in 612 Posts Neg Reps: 178 Neg Repped at 150 Times in 102 Posts	Jay-Z in the studio http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kIJAVF0Jl0 __________________

11-26-2007, 05:20 PM	#3
devonmorris_2001 Yea Yea It's da illest.. Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Born in Utica NY 3~wun~5 Stand Up L.E.S.!!... Reside in ATL East$siide L-town Posts: 306 Repped: 15 Repped 68 Times in 12 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	lol its mad funny to me that he last song jay z WROTE was Can I Live and that is my favorite Jay-Z song of all time lol

11-26-2007, 05:53 PM	#5
DIRTYSOUTH PIMPIN Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: JACKSON COUNTY FLORIDA Posts: 182 Repped: 70 Repped 0 Times in 0 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	Jay z is the best rapper alive, but i do believe he have been writing down some of his lyrics. Thats a lot of sh*t to remmember. Even r&b singers forget their words at times, and rap lyrics are much harder to remmember.

11-26-2007, 06:02 PM	#6
SiLvEr 5n1p3r 786 Veteran Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: UK Posts: 1,487 Repped: 1,455 Repped 0 Times in 0 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	so heez sold 30 mill albums off freestlyz??

11-26-2007, 06:10 PM	#7
ChUcK C Banned Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Southside Jamaica Queens,New York Posts: 7,072 Repped: 2,941 Repped 27 Times in 13 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	ite kooo propzzz

11-26-2007, 06:19 PM	#9
ImOnMyBkShyt Join Date: May 2006 Location: 718 all day Posts: 905 Repped: 2 Repped 2 Times in 1 Post Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	best rapper alive fuck u haters

11-26-2007, 06:31 PM	#10
Desert Eagle Veteran Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: LONDON Posts: 4,871 Repped: 41 Repped 160 Times in 39 Posts Neg Reps: 1 Neg Repped at 1 Time in 1 Post	SO Basically he sits down, hears a beat and starts putting words together?

11-26-2007, 07:23 PM	#12
West Coast Avenger Da West Coast Head Smasha Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Los Angeles, Killa CAli Posts: 54 Repped: 3 Repped 0 Times in 0 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	It amazes me how the majority of you buy into this

11-26-2007, 08:02 PM	#14
vanillagorilla Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 290 Repped: 88 Repped 2 Times in 1 Post Neg Reps: 1 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	maybe thats why he recycles his flows so many times in american gangsta, he is getting old prolly be forgeting he already said that shit lol jj

11-26-2007, 08:35 PM	#15
heartless monster T.R (TEAM RICH) Join Date: May 2007 Location: brooklyn east new york T.R (TEAMRICH) Posts: 2,030 Repped: 568 Repped 446 Times in 129 Posts Neg Reps: 1 Neg Repped at 3 Times in 3 Posts	propzzz though but jay need 2 retire

11-26-2007, 09:22 PM	#16
Gttm303 Taking a big risk Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Long Beach,California Posts: 8,975 Repped: 2,012 Repped 25 Times in 8 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	wonder what he sounds like if he did write down some lyrics

11-26-2007, 09:43 PM	#19
justchristopher Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 209 Repped: 1 Repped 0 Times in 0 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	i just wanna know how he remembers all that shyt

11-26-2007, 10:37 PM	#21
Zhiwai G_unit_soldier_Chang Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Puerto Rico Posts: 9,469 Repped: 15 Repped 49 Times in 8 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	Props on this

11-27-2007, 01:42 AM	#25
shadybizness1 Veteran Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: British Columbia Posts: 1,234 Repped: 432 Repped 267 Times in 29 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 1 Time in 1 Post	propz....good read

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