Jay-Z on Juan Epstein: Why “Takeover” was better than “Ether”, what Biggie taught him about the downside of fame, and more…

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-When asked if it’s true that Jay-Z holds grudges for things, like who preferred “Ether” over “Takeover.” Hov says, “Think of it as a computer, it has music and then you have other. That’s my life. things that I love and resonate with me, I remember. Things that I don’t really care about, that’s ‘other.’ And I could care less.”
-insight into Jay-Z’s work day, and Jay’s past as Ciph’s boss at Roc-a-Fella, re: “We tried make reggaeton work.”
-Jay-Z recounting his first meeting with Big Daddy Kane….during the time when Hov was actually juggling rapping and hustling out of town. “I was almost embarrassed to say I wanted to be a rapper, it took me a long time to do that…..I met Kane, he remembered me, he came to the projects and picked me up in that Batmobile Benz.”
-the banter about Hot97 curmudgeon, Mr. Cee. LOL
-Jay-Z taking us into the friendship he had with Biggie: “After ‘Brooklyn’s Finest,’ I dont think there was a single day that we didn’t speak…I actually spoke to Big, while he was at the [Vibe] party.” And even more illuminating was what Hov learned from Biggie about the pitfalls of fame. I’ve gotten to the point where I hate watching and listening to interviews that artists do during their “promo” tours. Because they’re not like this. Just conversations that I wish I was there to chime in on.

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