01x06 - Episode 6

[bunniefuu]

[♪ "Hovi Baby" by Jay-Z playing]

-[♪ music stops abruptly]
-[Rick Rubin laughing]

[Jay-Z] That was fun.
That was the thing

we discussed earlier
about trying to find,

like... [vocalizing]
You know, at some point,

"When the cats
get absent-minded,

"now it's time to rewind
and remind 'em

why I'm in the position
that I am."

You know, like letting
the track, like, inform,

like, different pockets.

"Chasing the hi-hat
all over the track."

-It's almost like...
-Yeah.

You know,
you're chasing the hi-hat.

"The snare is scared
of the air in here.

Boom!" [chuckles]

It's a perfect track
to say it to

-because it's such
a chaotic track.
-Yeah.

-And it's not obvious at all.
-Mm-hmm.

-Where vocals go.
-Right.

-It's more like
a freestyle, really.
-Yeah, yeah.

Where the beat's just rolling
and you're just talking.

TLC.

TLC was opening
a show somewhere...

and this was like their intro.
The band was playing.

[singing melody] "TLC!"

Like...
[continues singing melody]

Yeah.

-It was fun.
-So good.

"I'm so far ahead of my time.
I'm about to start another life.

"Look behind you,
I'm about to pass you twice.

"Back to the future.
Got to slow up for the present.

"I'm fast.
n*gg*s can't get pass my past.

How they proposed to deal
with the perfect present."

That's great. [chuckles]

Perfect present.

-Perfect present.
-Then extend the metaphor.

"I'm fast, n*gg*s can't get
pass my past.

"How they propose to deal
with the perfect present

when I unwrap
The Gift and the Curse
in one session,"

which is the name of the album,
and "present," the gift, and...

"Ain't no living person
could test him.

Only two resting in heaven--"
Biggie and Pac--

"can be mentioned
in the same breath as him.

"Seven straight summers,
critics might not admit it,

but nobody in rap did it."

It's another third person.

Putting your flag down there.

"Nobody in rap did it
quite like I did it.

"If you did it,
I've done it before.

"You get it. I had it.
I got mad at it.

"I don't want it no more.
And that goes from everything

"from flipping it raw, flipping
wh*res, flipping vocal cords,

"don't get it twisted,
get it right.

"Did it different,
did it better, did it nice,

did the impossible,
then did it twice."

It's just, you know,
braggadocios, like, just...

you know, banging on your chest.

Was this another one
that happened in one night?

-Yeah.
-[laughing]

Crazy, man.
Yeah, it was a crazy time.

Like, all this stuff
was happening so fast...

so quickly,
that when I look back on it,

you know, I've never made
an album before in nine day--

I've done albums pretty quick.
Black Album was,

I don't know how long we played
around with that, but not long.

But these songs was just--
when I look back on it

at the speed at which
this was happening...

-Yeah.
-...it's kinda like...

-It was just a moment.
-Yeah.

-It was a moment.
-Yeah.

You were in it.

Something about hearing
a track the first time,

I try to get it done
'cause I don't wanna come back

to try to match that energy.

I can match vocal tone.

-Mm-hmm.
-Like you know, you punch in a--

I can do that easy.
I'm really good at that.

I can hear the thing
and I-- I match that.

Guru's-- he loves that about me.

He's, like, all the time like,
"Perfect pitch."

-[laughing]
Always sounds the same?
-"I can't believe

-it always sounds the same."
-Yeah.

But for me, there's an energy

of when you first
hear a track...

and you start working on it
that can't be matched.

-Yeah.
-It can't happen again.

You can't hear it
for the first time again.

[Rick] Yes.

[snapping] And once you hear it,

there's some magic in that...

that it's just like...

-You can find your way in.
-Yeah.

-And there's an excitement.
-That's what it is.

The excitement
of hearing it the first time

and really, like,
that performance is gonna be...

just that much better.

-Yeah.
-That's what I find.

You said something about
making the songs

that you thought
that people wanted from you...

-Mm-hmm.
-...to when you started
making ones for yourself.

-Mm-hmm.
-I think of you as an artist...

more than an entertainer.

-Mm-hmm.
-Yes, your art is entertaining,

but it's a different way
of looking at it.

And I think the artist
is the one

who makes the things
for themselves

and we all get to enjoy it.

-Right.
-The entertainer's the one

-who's trying to please
the audience.
-Right.

-Correct.
-Yeah.

[chuckles] Yeah.

[♪ "Jail" by Kanye West playing]

♪ Guess who's going
to jail tonight? ♪

♪ Guess who's going
to jail tonight? ♪

♪ Guess who's going
to jail tonight? ♪

♪ Guess who's going
to jail tonight, tonight? ♪

♪ Guess who's going
to jail tonight? ♪

That remind me of Johnny Cash.

-Like, he was talking
about Johnny Cash.
-Yeah.

This is a Johnny Cash song.

"Guess who's going
to jail tonight?"

This was almost like-- we hadn't
made a record a while,

song together in a while
he just called like, "Yo."

So, it was like
a-- a reunion of sorts.

-Which was a fun experience.
-What was the feeling when
you heard the track?

Uh, I thought of Johnny Cash.

-Wow.
-I was like,
this is Johnny Cash.

-Even then?
-Vibe, yeah.

-And then writing the verse.
-Yeah.

Just having fun with that.
Like, just "God in my cells."

Like in your cells.
"That's my celly.

Made in the image of God,
that's a selfie."

I'm God, I'm made
in the image of God.

"Pray five times a day,
so many felonies."

You pray,
you fall on your knees.

So many "fell on knees,"
or felony.

"Who gonna post my bail?
Lord, help me. Hold up.

Donda, I'm with your baby,
touch back, road--"

the album's called Donda,
so now I'm having
a conversation with Donda.

"Tell him stop all of that
red cap, we going home."

Red cap, or we call it "cap"
when you lying.

It's called cap.

"Told him stop all that
red cap, we going home.

Not me with all of these sins,
casting stones."

Like, who am I to judge him

for whatever decision
that he wanted to make?

So, I'm-- I'm giving him sh*t

and also giving myself sh*t

-for giving him sh*t.
-Yeah.

"Not me with all these sins
casting stones.

This might be the return
of The Throne."

And that's the album we made.

"Hova and Yeezus
like Moses and Jesus.

"You are not in control
of my thesis.

"You already know what I think
about think pieces.

"Before you ask, he already
told you who you think he is.

"Don't try to jail my thoughts
and think precincts.

I can't be controlled with
program and presets. Reset."

Like, just re-- press the reset
on the whole thing.

"On my cell, in my cell tonight.

"Don't have to see you
to touch you.

"This is what Braille
looks like, it's on sight.

"If they take me to jail,
call my girl,

"tell her send my mail.

We know what hell look like.
Still, it's a hell of a life."

And all these are like
Kanye's song titles,

"Hell of a Life,"
"Yikes," "On Sight."

-Yeah.
-So, all these are like...

-References.
-...Kanye song t-titles.

So, just again,
another way to make--

tell you when I can make words
work on multiple levels,

I try to, like,
sneak it in there

just as an exercise
to keep me...

the challenge.

The challenge of writing.
I enjoy it.

What's the first time
you met Kanye,

or first time
you remember meeting him?

In the studio. I had a tape.

This was The Blueprint album.

And he had, like, five smoke--

like, again, Izzo,
H-- Heart of the City,
bah-bah-bah-bah.

-Gotta meet this guy.
-Yeah.

Comes in the studio,

and he stands on the table
and he starts rapping.

And I'm like...

"Is this the producer? Like..."

-[laughing]
-This guy?

And he's rapping much like he--

That's why I say
he's exactly like himself.

-Yes.
-Not as polished.

-The words aren't as great.
-Yeah.

-But he's exactly like...
-But same.

"I'm the savior of Chicago.

I'm gonna be
the best of all time," and...

And I'm like, "Get down
from the table, bro."

-[laughing]
-And we cut these songs.

-Yeah.
-I wanted to meet the producer.

-Yeah.
-And then, you know.

-So, good first impression.
-Great first impression.

-[claps, laughing]
-It's fantastic, Rick.

[chuckles] Yeah.
Great first impression.

And then, you know,
the relationship
grew from there.

And then, uh, yeah.

One of the most brilliant
creators we're gonna see.

-Yeah.
-Like, he-- he is as advertised.

-Yes.
-[chuckles] Yeah.

I think I was in the studio
with him when you sent
the-- the verse

and he was over the moon.

-Yeah.
-He was so excited.

-Yeah.
-And so proud that you

-would be on a song with him...
-Yeah.

-...at this point-- you know,
at that point in time.
-Yeah.

-Just made him...
-He's never lost that
no matter what.

No matter-- and the thing,
he's always had, like,

this space for me and his
reverence as his big brother.

And-- And it's-- You know,

obviously, he's--
he does his things

and whatever he does, but I know
he hasn't lost that feeling.

I think we argued about this
verse maybe two weeks after,

and I was like, "This is why
I didn't wanna do this verse."

[laughing]

It wasn't easy.
After, he was like,

"You know, the red line
is not making me comfortable."

And I was like, "Sorry."

-[laughing]
-I ain't gonna change it.

-Yeah.
-It's how I feel.

And also,
I'm not only giving you sh*t,

I'm giving myself sh*t.

It's-- it's almost like
a blanket of protection

around you as your brother,
as your big brother.

I didn't know
he said that to you,
but I know when I heard it,

it made me uncomfortable
feeling like...

why is this on his record?

-Right, yeah. Yeah.
-You know, like it felt strange.

Now, based on everything
we've been talking about...

the place where you bare
your soul...

-Right.
-...is on these records.

So, in some ways,
the fact that it's on record

-makes it more personal...
-That's right.

-...than anything else.
-That's right.

And for me, it was a hug.

-It was a-- it was a safe--
a safety blanket.
-Yeah.

'Cause we had-- there was--
there was issues there.

I'm not gonna go back
to a space--

and it was almost like
acknowledging

-the elephant of, you know.
-Yeah.

Um...

But I-- I got what he-- I felt,
like, what he was saying.

But I also know
that if it was switched...

he would stamp out
the-- the artistic integrity

-of what he created.
-For sure.

-And that was important to me.
-He always does.

-Yeah.
-He always does.

And I understand--
This is what I said--

"I understand how you feel,

and you should probably
take the verse off."

If-- if it's-- if you feel
strongly enough about it,

I'm not gonna change it,
but respectfully,

you should take it off
because you also...

-This is your project.
-Yes.

And it should be presented--
everything on it

-should be the way
you want it to be.
-Yes.

That's another thing, I never
made the connection before,

but we could think
of that whole...

episode in Kanye's life

as a version of him
being in jail.

In some ways,
he was removed from...

-the community.
-Right.

And I would say
it was not by choice,

-because he was being himself.
-Mm-hmm.

-You know, he was being
true to himself.
-Right.

-So, it wasn't by choice...
-Mm-hmm.

...to distance himself.

-Right.
-It's interesting.

Next song.

-[Rick sighs]
-I don't wanna look.
I don't wanna look.

-Come on, give it to me.
-[♪ "k*ll Jay Z" playing]

Hey!

[chuckles] Hey!

-[♪ music stops abruptly]
-[Jay-Z chuckles]

-k*ll the image.
-Yeah.

k*ll the ego. k*ll the ego.

The whole idea was, gotta k*ll
all of that perception.

Superman, is super cool.

The whole thing we talking
about, about armoring.

Like, take all that off
and just really go there.

Yeah. I heard it as...

k*ll Jay-Z, the character...

-Yeah.
-...in the songs.

But what you're describing is,
that was really you,

so it was-- so it's...

-Yeah.
-...it's not just the character

-in the songs.
-Yes, yes.

It's your old-- old self.

I wasn't even trying
to lock into...

Like, I spent my whole career
trying to, like,

get really locked into the track
and, like, find a space

and really explore
the-- the technical aspect.

I wanted this one to be raw.

A lot of these was cut
inside the booth--

-I mean, inside the...
-Control room.

The control room
with, uh, handheld mics

and just like one take,
and, like,

just whatever is there
is just there.

-It was--
-Less of a performance.

Yeah, it was just in order
to get to this place,

we have to k*ll off the ego,

and k*ll off the-- the character
and the--

'Cause the ego
is the character, right?

-Mm.
-It's real,
but it's the character

that you, um, present
to the world.

-Mm-hmm.
-It's you.

-Yes.
-But it's what you present
to the world, the ego.

And just k*ll off the ego
and get to it.

You know?

You got to it.

[♪ "Ignorant sh*t" playing]

♪ Oh, I like the way you re-- ♪

♪ Like the way you receive me ♪

♪ Oh, I... ♪

Ayy!

[Jay-Z] This-- this one was like
an answer, like, to critics

about glorifying
a certain lifestyle

-in the tradition
of NWA, I guess.
-Yeah.

-Being provocative.
-Yeah.

"What you want?
f*ck, sh*t, a*s, b*tch, trick."

It's almost like a Richard Pryor
type of approach to it.

-Yeah.
-Like "f*ck, sh*t, a*s,

maricon, puta and weed."

Yeah, you're making fun
of the fact.

Yeah, it's like
an over-exaggeration.
Like, the whole verse

-is gonna be a curse.
-'Cause you're not even
saying anything.

Yeah, you're not even saying--
you're just cursing to curse...

-Yeah.
-...to prove the point.

-Yes. Yes.
-It's like, "you don't
understand what this is."

Then the critique, going like,
"They're all actors

"looking at themselves
in the mirror backwards.

"Can't even face themselves.
Don't fear no rappers.

"They're all weirdos,
De Niros in practice.

"So don't believe everything
your earlobe captures.

It's mostly backwards."

You guys are talking
about rap as a whole,

but it's two sects.

It's people that are
capitalizing and taking the bits

that they think are the reason
why people love this music,

and accentuating
those parts of it.

And they're not giving you
the struggle,

and they're not
giving you the pain

and they're not giving you
the-- the repercussions

-that your-- your nephew
died and...
-Yeah.

They're not giving you
the repercussion of this.

You know, so they actually--
they're part of that too.

-So, let me speak
to them as well.
-Yeah.

I'm only speaking to people
who-- who, um...

unfairly judge hip-hop or
mischaracterize what we saying,

because these guys are saying

they're actually doing
what you're saying.

"Don't believe everything
your earlobe captures

"unless it happens
to be as accurate as me.

And everything said in song
you happen to see."

-Yeah. Even then.
-Even then.

I can take creative license.

Even-- "Actually, believe half
what you see.

"None of what you hear,
even if it's spat by me.

And with that said--"
I take the creative license--

"I'll k*ll n*gg*s dead.

"Cut n*gg*s short,
give you wheels for legs.

I'm a K-I, double-L, E-R."
I'm not a k*ller.

I'm giving you...

-Yes.
-...the creative license.

"sh**t n*gg*s
straight through the ER.

Whoa. This ain't BR."

Black Rob made a song
called Whoa!

"Whoa, this ain't BR.
It's S.C. CEO, the next Lyor."

Like, I'm a businessman.
I'm going this way.

-Yeah.
-Like, "No, the next leader
of the whole free world.

And the first thing I'ma
do is free Sigel, go."

Tell me about the first time

that the hip-hop squad
in New York,

-the crackdown on hip-hop.
-Yeah. Yeah.

-When was that?
-That was...

'97?

'98.

So, I'm coming out of--
I went to do a show

-with Ja Rule.
-Mm-hmm.

I go in, I'm gonna do a little
performance and I leave.

I go in, I put my car.
I-- I got a security guard.

He has a g*n.
I didn't know at the time.

He told me he's licensed
and, you know,

he's licensed in certain states,
not New York.

Atlanta and whatever.

Apparently, he takes the g*n
and he puts it under the seat.

They see him. We go in the club.

They could have grabbed him
at any moment when they saw it.

They wait for me
to get back in the car.

When we make a right, cars come.

[vocalizing]
All these cars come.

Get out the car.

Now, I'm in the car
and it has a partition.

So, when they pull the car over,
I'm not even thinking, I'm like,

-"I didn't do anything.
I got no g*n on me."
-Yeah. Yeah.

And I see a guy on the phone.

I'm looking. I'm hearing him,
he's like, "Yeah? So, take him?"

And I did just--
I did the exact face you did.

I was like...

He was like,
"So, take him? Okay."

Hangs up, says, "Turn around,
put your hand behind your back."

I'm like, "What?
What are you talking about?"

He's like, "Put your hands
behind your back."

But straight-up targeted.

Lock me up, take me
to the station, whatever.

They take my photo, and then I--

then they start talking
about, like, the dossier.

"Oh, no, we got dossier
on everybody,

like this, and this, and that,
and this, and this, and that."

That was my first time
hearing and knowing

about this-- what we come
to know

as a hip-hop police,

like, where they was just,
like, specifically--

-Targeting hip-hop artists.
-Targeting hip-hop artists

and-- and making a foul.

So, it was like,
he's from Brooklyn

and this has happened to him,
and he got beef with this person

and they hang out
with this person

and bah-bah-bah-bah-bah.

And it was like
this whole squad.

And then after that, they used
to follow me everywhere.

I mean everywhere.
I come out of the car,

see the guy, "Yo, come on, man."

-Everywhere.
-Yeah.

Any place I came out of,
they was always there.

And that's why I did the song,
and 99 Problems.

-Yeah.
-We're just talking about
the hip-hop police.

Did it change how you behaved?

Like, did you change
how you moved in the city?

Uh, not really,
'cause I wasn't, again--

-You weren't doing anything.
-I was actually--

thought I was doing
something right.

I had a hired security guard,
I didn't have any g*n on me.

-Yeah.
-Like, in my view...

-Yes.
-...I was being an artist.

-You know, I used to have--
-You were!
Not even in your view.

Yeah, exactly.
I used to have 30 guys with me

-with all kind of weapons on us.
-Yeah. Yeah.

-Protecting ourselves.
-Yes.

Now, I was doing it
the right way.

The feelings of what
was going on in that night,

was it like, "I can't believe
this is happening."

Yeah, definitely.

-[chuckles]
-And Romero was climbing.

I remember that point Romero
was climbing his cell.

Like, he was like,
"Let me outta here!" [laughing]

-Being funny or being serious?
-No, no, he was so serious.

You know, he has a car company.

That's a weird feeling
to be locked in a cage

and you've never been
locked in a cage.

-Like, he was standing on--
-Well, it's a weird feeling
no matter what,

-being locked in a cage.
-Period, but-- but you know,

you know, at some point, again,

these are the things
that come with it.

So, when you were locked
in the cage, you have to know

at some point
you might be locked in a cage.

And you can't be shell-shocked.

-Yeah.
-But if you are a...

-an innocent bystander...
-Yes.

...and they say you're going
to jail, that's a weird feeling.

-It's a wild story.
-Yeah.

[♪ "99 Problems" playing]

♪ Ninety-nine problems
but a b*tch ain't one ♪

-[♪ music stops]
-[Jay-Z] Yeah.

-[Rick sighs]
-[Jay-Z chuckles]

What do you remember
about that experience?

That studio session,
which was great.

That was fun. That was amazing.

Um...

Yeah, it's like-- we was talking
about the rap patrol.

It was like, all this
was going on at that time.

Like, and that--
that's what was happening.

It was just talking about
all the, you know, 99 problems.

It's just like-- like stating
the obvious.

-Yeah.
-"If you grew up with holes
in your zapatos,

"you'd celebrate the minute
you was having dough.

"f*ck critics,
you kiss my whole as*h*le.

"If you don't like my lyrics,
you can press fast forward.

Got beef with radio."
Like, at that time,

like, it was becoming, like,
the premier artist in the city.

-Mm.
-Everyone's trying
to squeeze you.

You know, radio stations,
like you--

"If you go to our competitor
across the street,

we're not gonna
play your record."

And I would never play
those politics.

-Yeah.
-My answer was,

are you only gonna
play my records?

'Cause you certainly play
other rappers' records.

So, I can't go across the street
and play Z100

or your competition,
but you can play my competition?

That's never gonna fly with me.
Just the principle of it.

-Yeah.
-You know, so I was
the first artist

on Power 105 when Hot 97

-was the dominant, um, station.
-Mm-hmm.

Which pissed Hot 97
at the time off.

And what they did
was kinda smart.

'Cause I had this album
coming out, Black Album...

and people wanted it.

They couldn't take me
totally off the radio.

My popularity
in the city at that time

was at a point they couldn't
take me off the radio.

So, they just didn't play
my new songs

and played all my old songs.

Like, that was their answer
to like--

almost like
they're blackballing me.

Um, that didn't last long
'cause I stood my ground

and, you know, I was like,
I'm not having it.

Like, again,
it's just not right.

-It's their loss.
-So, that's what I say.

That's-- that's the line,
it says, "Got beef with radio."

-Yeah.
-"If I don't play they show,
they don't play my hits.

-I don't give a sh*t."
-Yeah.

Like, it's, you know.

And I-- I don't know
if they was used to dealing

with that kind of personality.

So, I was the first one
on Power 105.

And then,
when The Source Magazine

was like the dominant magazine,

I was the first one
on the cover of XXL.

-Which Source didn't like.
-Yeah.

-Yeah.
-So, it was all that
was happening at this time.

"Rap mags
trying to use my Black a*s.

"So, advertisers can give 'em
more cash for ads.

"I don't know
what you take me as

or understand the intelligence
that Jay-Z has."

You know, I'm--
I was hip and clear

to everything they was doing,
and it was like--

But you understand
what's interesting about this

is these were
tried and true methods

-of the record business,
of radio.
-Still.

-This is-- This was the way--
-Still.

-Yeah, this was the way
the game was played.
-Yeah.

-And you said,
"I'm not playing that game."
-Exactly.

And you did it
in many different avenues...

-Yeah.
-...of the music world.

-Mm-hmm.
-You-- you reinvented

what was possible to do
within the music business.

-Mm-hmm.
-I started a label,

and I didn't know that you could
do the things that you did.

-Even with my own label,
didn't understand that.
-Right. Right.

Then I go into this story of--
This is a real story.

I was going to Virginia
from New York City.

In the car
we had like a stash spot.

A stash spot is like
you press a button,

and like a panel opens,

and you can stash some stuff
in there, and then you press it.

-It's a secret compartment.
-Mm-hmm.

This is before the cops
figured it out.

So now, the cops have a--
there's a machine.

-Oh, like X-ray?
-More like a magnet.

So, they'll press it,
and everything that got a magnet

-would pop open in the car.
-I see.

-It's amazing, like...
-[laughing]

-Intelligence,
counterintelligence...
-Yeah.

...or the black market
of anything, like, the police

and the underworld
play this catch-up game.

So, we created the stash.

They created the stash-buster.

We created--
and it was like this,

-like, arms race.
-Yes.

-An arms race.
-And it's always escalating.

-It's always escalating.
Exactly.
-Yeah.

So, we're driving on the road,
we're doing nothing.

That's why I say "55 in a 54,"

and just more so driving
while Black.

-Yeah.
-Because we wasn't speeding.

-Yeah.
-Nothing's happening.

We get pulled over.

Also, driving 55 in a 54
is great,

because there is no


-Exactly.
-That doesn't exist.

-It doesn't exist.
-Yeah.

-That's an excuse.
-It informs you

-that it's just an excuse. Yeah.
-That's an excuse, yes.

You also have the line,
uh, like...

right, before you get
to what happens,

uh, "License and registration,
step out of the car.

You carrying a weapon on you?
I know a lot of you are."

It was to let you know that
you're speaking to a r*cist.

-Yeah. Absolutely.
-Just the way that,
"A lot of you are."

What do you mean
"A lot of you are"?

And also, "'Cause I'm young and
I'm Black and my hat's real low.

Do I look like
a mind reader, sir?
I don't know."

-[chuckles] Yeah.
-Yeah.

-Great lines.
-Yeah, thank you.

-Great lines.
-They come over

and they say-- search the car.

-But we're criminals.
-Yeah.

We know these
kind of things, right?

Everyone's been to court,

everyone knows the law
a little bit.

You wanna know who really
knows the law, is criminals.

They go to the law library
when they get locked up,

and they know
every bit of the law.

And they've asked,
"Can we search the car?"

No. What did we do?

We didn't do anything.

But what they can do,
if a K9 comes

and the-- and the K9
picks up a scent,

now they have a reason

-to search your car.
-Yeah.

They call in the K9 unit.
We're there, we know.

It's like, oh, my God,
it's-- We're done.

-We're cooked.
-Yeah, when they come,
you're done.

And K9 unit's taking
a really long time.

We're sitting on the side
of the road and--

and the officer gets impatient.

And he's all,
"Just get out of here."

And when we leave,

maybe three minutes
off the thing...

we see a K9 unit
speeding down...

-Wow.
-...the other side of the road.

And we got off the-- we got off
the highway at that point.

Yeah. Disappeared.

-Just-- just in case.
-Yes, of course.

-Just in case, like we--
-Of course.

We were supposed
to continue down the highway.

-Got off the highway and just...
-Yes. Yes.

...took, like, the scenic route.

-It documents--
-It's another
divine intervention moment.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Also, interesting that,
"99 problems,
but a b*tch ain't one,"

is in fact talking about
the dog.

It was, again, a creative way

-to be provocative.
-Yes.

To take that phrase
when everybody,

"Oh, you rappers, all you say is
'b*tch, b*tch, b*tch,
b*tch, b*tch.'"

-Yeah.
-Like, and a lot of times
we saying "b*tch,"

we're not talking about females.

And this is the perfect example
to use it...

-Yes.
-...because we talking about
what you call a b*tch

-is a female dog.
-Yes.

[chuckles] Right, so it was like
the perfect time

to be provocative,
at the same time tell a story,

and at the same time,
list all the things

that I was going through.

So, it's-- These are
the 99 problems.

The benefit of being provocative
is that you want to know more.

When I hear a song
that's provocative,

-I'm interested.
-Right.

-It's the carrot that allows you
to get to the depth.
-Yeah.

-Hopefully, there's depth.
There's some songs that are...
-That's right.

-That's right. That's right.
-...just provocative,
and it's not so--

-For the sake of
being provocative.
-And then it end--

-And then-- then it don't work.
-Yeah.

Then it's empty.
It's like a jelly donut.

Tastes good, but there's
nothing in there for you.

-Yeah.
-[chuckles] Yeah.

[♪ "Threat" playing]

-[♪ music stops abruptly]
-[Rick] Yeah.

Just the-- the attitude
in the vocal.

The voice you're using
is so cool.

Thank you, it-- it's really
based on this-- there's like--

when Joe Pesci was like,
"You put my money to sleep.

"I'll tell you what
I'm gonna do. [chuckles]

"I'm gonna wake up early.
I'm gonna make breakfast
with my kids.

"I'm gonna come down
to that bank,

I'm gonna bust your
f*cking head."

[both laughing]

"And you know what?
Around five or 10 years,

"you'll probably be coming
out of your coma.

"And I'll be coming home
from jail.

You know what I'm gonna do?"

[both laughing]

"I'm gonna come back down
and bust your f*cking head again

'cause I'm f*cking crazy."

It was just such a great scene.

So, it was really based on that,

-like-- like taking that.
-Joe Pesci's incredible.

-Oh, he's amazing. Amazing.
-The best.

And it's funny.
It's like he'll say that--

-And it's funny.
-And it's funny.

-Gangsters are hilarious.
-Yeah.

The way they see life
is really funny.

You know, you think a--
like, people think gangster

this brute that doesn't speak
or know how to speak.

But gangsters are pretty much--

most of them, to create
a business like the ones

that's been created,
you have to be intelligent.

You just use your intelligence
in a different way.

-Great song. I love this one.
-Thank you.

There were some good lines
in here. [chuckles]

Yeah, there's a lot
of good lines.

Yeah. [chuckles]
"I put hands on you.

I dig a hole in the desert.
They'll build the Sands on you."

-Like, you'll be under
the Sands hotel.
-Yeah.

"Lay out blueprint plans on you.

We Rat Pack n*gg*s,
let Sam tap dance on you."

And that was, uh, Dame.
"We let Sam tap dance on you.

"Then I Sinatra, shot ya,
g*dd*mn you.

I put the boys in the box like
David Blaine let the audience--"

-oh, "I George Bush the button."
-[chuckles]

You know you just get, like,
those lines that, like,

it's really cool to say,
instead of saying "push."

-Yeah.
-I push the button.
"I George Bush the button."

At the time, I think George Bush
was doing, like, Iraq w*r

-or something like that
when they--
-Yeah.

And then, that's why
the "oil" comes next.

Geor-- "I George Bush the button
for the oil in your car.

Lift up your hood." Run it.

"Then lift up your whole hood
like you got oil under it,"

-like the neighborhood.
-Yeah.

Like you got oil under it.

It was just like these...

you know, creative threats.

-It's great.
-Yeah.

Yeah.

♪ Me and my confidants,
we shine ♪

♪ You feel the ambiance,
y'all n*gg*s just rhyme ♪

[♪ "Dead Presidents II" playing]

[♪ music ends]

So, this happened to, um, me
and-- me and a friend of mine.

We were coming from, uh,

we went uptown
to buy some product

and we were
coming out the building.

And-- and obviously, like,

you coming into
someone's neighborhood,

like I said,
"All cars we learn 'em."

-Yeah.
-That was the line.
"All cars we learn 'em."

People know their neighborhood
as well.

So, we're coming
into a neighborhood,

-and they're like,
"Who are those guys?"
-Mm.

So, when we go up
in the building,

we go up into this building,
like fifth floor or something

to this strange house.

We're sitting in
this strange house with--

This was a normal thing, right?
And it's just like,

-you don't know what
could happen in here.
-Mm-hmm.

But we leave
and we walk out the building.

And some guys
are outside the building.

They got a g*n.
He's like, "Give us your sh*t."

And we're like, "Oh sh*t."

And put a g*n
to my friend's side.

And, like, he pulls away.
sh**t, bow.

Grab-- we start
running up the block.

We run up to the next block,
he sits down on the floor.

"Let me get a Pepsi."
I don't know why
he asked for a Pepsi,

but he needed something.

Get in the cab
and we go to the thing.

So, this is the story of that.

You know, um, "hospital days,"
and we went to the hospital

and he's sitting up there,
"reflecting when my man
laid up."

-"On the uptown." It was uptown.
-Yeah.

"Hot block." It was a hot block

'cause that's where
they sold drugs.

"He got his side sprayed up."
Got shot in the side.

"I saw his life slipping."
A bit of exaggeration.

-He wasn't dying,
but he did get shot.
-Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

Um, "It was a minor setback.
Yo, still in all we living."

-And this is the mentality
you have.
-Yeah.

"Just dream about--"
we wanna find out who did it.

-Exact our revenge.
-'Cause no one else
is gonna do anything.

-That's right. Yeah.
-Yeah.

Nah, he's not going to jail.

There's not-- no nothing.
They out there.

-Yeah.
-And it's like,
however long it take.

"I'll do better,
slay these n*gg*s faithfully.

"m*rder is a tough thing
to digest, it's a slow process.

-And I ain't got
nothing but time."
-Yeah.

All we got is time
to think about revenge

and, like, we ain't doing
nothing else.

-We on the block every day.
-Mm-hmm.

We're hustling
and we getting it in every day.

The only thing
you got to think about
is what someone's done you.

-Yeah.
-How you gonna
get them back and...

-Yeah.
-...when you gonna catch them,
and bah-bah-bah.

We think about that constantly.

[♪ "Public Service Announcement"
playing]

[♪ music ends]

Mm. Shoo.

-Man, I was saying that
I wish I had this song...
-Yeah.

-...when I came back.
-Yes.

Imagine if the first thing
you heard after The Black Album

was "Allow me
to reintroduce myself."

-Wow.
-"My name is Hov."

-Jesus.
-Jeez. So, how could
that have happened?

-W-We thought we were done.
-Yes.

The Black Album.
I was playing it

in the studio for-- you know
how they get the reviews

in, like, The New York Times
and Village Voice--

Everyone was coming through
and we were having

listening sessions
for the press.

And in that session...

this writer, I forget her name--

on the Unplugged thing
that I did with The Roots...

-Mm-hmm.
-...I had a Che shirt on,

-and I had Biggie's Jesus piece.
-Mm-hmm.

And I was wearing the piece
on the ch-- thing like normal.

And she was like, you know,

"You had this
diamond-encrusted thing,

and it was banging
Che's forehead."

-And, like, she--
-[laughing]

She went like--
I'm like, "It's a shirt."

[chuckles] Not-- I didn't have
Che on my chest.

-Yeah.
-Like, you know?
But she made it.

She went really far with
painting this picture
of who I was

and talking about capitalism,
and all this thing.

And-- And that's how I wrote
the third verse.

This is her talking to me,
and I'm-- I'm speaking to her.

-Yeah.
-"Ving ain't lie, I done
came through the block.

I'm like Che Guevara
with bling on."

I told her, "I'm complex."

-Yes.
-I'm-- I'm not an angel.

-Yes.
-"I never claimed
to have wings on.

"I'm getting
my 'by any means' on.

"Whenever there's a drought,
get your umbrellas out.

-You can blame Shawn."
You-- you could blame me.
-Yeah. Yes.

-But I did not invent the game.
-Yes.

-I'm speaking to her and what...
-Yes.

...she was talking
to me about that day.

So, this song was
the last song we made.

It wasn't supposed to be
on the album.

That's why it's called
the "interlude."

-It came out so good
that we were like...
-Yeah.

"Nah, that's going on there,"
and we took a song off.

But if you didn't know you were
gonna be coming back...

-No, no, I didn't know,
of course not.
-...you had to get it out.

Yeah, yeah, it was just
too good.

-It was too good.
-And it was like, we can't--

We not-- We never even
thought to hold it.

I was gonna say,
have you ever held a song back

-for a future project?
-Not consciously.

But songs-- some songs
that made it late,

that didn't make it
for timing reasons,

or like,
maybe a sample reason...

-Yeah.
-...you know, got left off.

But not-- not strategically.

But imagine.

"Allow me to reintroduce myself,
my name is Hov."

-We can dream.
-Yeah.

[laughing]

[♪ "Dirt Off Your Shoulder"
playing]

♪ Turn the music up
in the headphones ♪

♪ Tim, you can go and brush
your shoulders off, n*gga ♪

♪ I got you, unh, yeah ♪

♪ If you feeling
like a pimp, n*gga ♪

♪ Go on, brush your
shoulders off ♪

♪ Ladies is p*mps too, go on,
brush your shoulders off ♪

♪ n*gg*s is crazy, baby,
don't forget that boy
told you ♪

♪ Get that dirt off
your shoulder ♪

♪ I probably owe it to y'all,
probably be locked
by the force ♪

♪ Tryna hustle some things
that go with the Porsche ♪

♪ Feelin' no remorse,
feelin' like my hand
was forced ♪

♪ Middle finger to the law,
n*gga, grippin' my ba*ls ♪

♪ Said, the ladies, they love
me, from the bleachers,
they screamin' ♪

♪ All the ballers is bouncin',
they like the way
I be leanin' ♪

♪ All the rappers be hatin'
off the track that I'm makin' ♪

♪ But all the hustlers,
they love it just to see
one of us make it ♪

♪ Came from the bottom
of the bottom
to the "Top of the Pops" ♪

♪ n*gga, London, Japan,
and I'm straight
off the block ♪

♪ Like a running back,
get it, man,
I'm straight off the block ♪

♪ I can run it back, n*gga,
'cause I'm straight
with the Roc ♪

♪ If you feelin'
like a pimp, n*gga ♪

♪ Go on, brush your
shoulders off ♪

♪ Ladies is p*mps, too, go on
brush your shoulders off ♪

♪ n*gg*s is crazy, baby,
don't forget that boy
told you ♪

♪ Get that dirt
off your shoulder ♪

♪ You gotta get that dirt
off your shoulder ♪

♪ You gotta get that
dirt off your shoulder ♪

♪ You gotta get that dirt
off your shoulder ♪

♪ You gotta get that
dirt off your shoulder ♪

♪ Your homie Hov in position,
in the kitchen with soda ♪

♪ I just whipped up a watch,
tryna get me a Rover ♪

♪ Tryna stretch out the coca,
like a wrestler, yessir ♪