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Topic subjectBoston Globe article on Def Jam Left f. The Roots
Topic URLhttp://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=19&topic_id=34364
34364, Boston Globe article on Def Jam Left f. The Roots
Posted by makesureshes18, Tue Nov-08-05 06:36 PM
http://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/articles/2005/11/08/jay_z_pays_tribute_to_his_rap_roots/



On ''Moment of Clarity" Jay-Z rapped, ''Truthfully, I wanna rhyme like Common Sense, but I did five mil, I ain't been rhymin' like Common since."

Some interpreted the lyric, from 2003's ''The Black Album," as a diss against the Chicago rapper now simply known as Common, but the line was more revelatory than inflammatory. It's an admission by one of the most critically and commercially successful rappers in pop music history that he might have pursued a similar path of forward-thinking, socially conscious rap if only it was as financially rewarding as less-challenging mainstream hip-hop.

Such thoughts might have prompted Jay-Z, in his capacity now as the president and CEO of Def Jam Records, to sign the Roots, Philadelphia's great hip-hop band, to his new label spinoff, Def Jam Left. Long respected by critics and in alternative hip-hop circles, the Roots have been putting out solid albums since 1995's ''Do You Want More?!!!??!" yet have never achieved widespread success.

The Grammy-winning rap band's new affiliation with a Def Jam roster that already includes Kanye West, Juelz Santana, and Ludacris might heighten commercial expectations, yet that's not the aim of Def Jam Left. As Jay-Z told Billboard, the label is designed to be ''an artist-driven label with very low deals so people are not pressured by first-week SoundScan , so we can build artists." (Jay-Z could not be reached for comment.)

When's the last time anyone in mainstream hip-hop spoke of the merits of creativity over commerce, and actually meant it? We may have snickered when Jay-Z claimed ''The Black Album" would be his last, but his signing of the Roots is giving serious hip-hop heads a reason to believe.

With Def Jam Left, and his inaugural signing of the Roots, Jay-Z has created a boutique label for rap artists with more on their minds than the run-of-the-mill topics stifling mainstream rap. For the most part, commercial hip-hop is where rock was in the early 1990s before Nirvana and its seminal 1991 album ''Nevermind" flushed away all that brain-dead hair-band nonsense. Jay-Z has been in the game long enough to know a change is long overdue.

With his multiple Grammy-winning debut ''The College Dropout" and this year's follow-up, ''Late Registration," West, a Jay-Z protege, proved there's an audience eager for something more than for mayhem and materialism. Ever the egotist, 50 Cent even takes partial credit for West's success.

''After 50 Cent, was looking for something nonconfrontational, and they went after the first thing that came along," 50 told MTV shortly after West's ''Late Registration" was released in August. ''That was West, and his record took off."

Young Curtis Jackson isn't necessarily wrong, although West's breakthrough was more than just a reaction by those turned off by 50's trite thuggery. It was about the hip-hop universe expanding instead of retracting, which is what it's been doing for the past decade. It was about creating space for both West and 50, as once there were mainstream audiences for both N.W.A and A Tribe Called Quest.

Once his success made clear there's a market for various styles of rap, West formed GOOD Music, which stands for ''Getting Out Our Dreams," and signed Common. With West still in the everything's-golden stage of his career, his patronage of his fellow Chicagoan has given the rapper the biggest album of his career, this year's ''Be."

Likewise, the Roots' next album will likely receive more attention than anything the group's done, simply because it's now linked with Jay-Z and Def Jam. For years, the Roots have been hip-hop's go-to band, having backed Jay-Z on his stellar ''MTV Unplugged" outing, as well as Eminem's live performance of ''Lose Yourself" at the 2003 Grammys.

Now, the Roots will hopefully find the larger audience its always deserved. With the hip-hop nation scrutinizing Jay-Z's moves as a music executive as closely as they once dissected his rhymes, the Roots' next album, ''Game Theory," due sometime in 2006, will be an anticipated event. If the album does well -- and mind you, the expectations are far more modest than those that accompany most Def Jam releases -- this could help usher in a welcome era where hip-hop can again revel in the kind of diversity that marked its evolution from cult status to world dominance.

Creating Def Jam Left and signing the Roots is Jay-Z's boldest move since he assumed Def Jam's leadership. He may have abandoned his dreams of rhyming like Common, but in making a serious commitment to broadening the breadth of mainstream hip-hop, he shows he hasn't abandoned his common sense.

34365, Well written....
Posted by onethree, Tue Nov-08-05 05:52 PM
...I hope enough folks get to know about this.

The part I liked was comparing the Roots to Nirvana in the early days of grunge crushing the plastic hair-metal bands at the time.

If 'Game Theory' is the Roots 'Nevermind', I'm hella curious as to what their 'Teen Spirit' is gonna be.

Something that (in effect) destroys materialism and thuggery - hmmmmmm....
34366, Geffen tried to do that as well though....
Posted by HighVoltage, Tue Nov-08-05 06:42 PM
Nirvana was signed to Geffen, they took a gamble and it paid off.

They signed The Roots hoping to have the same effect, but in hip hop.... but we know how that turned out.

Difference is that Def Jam knows hip hop.... Geffen doesnt.
34367, Hence Game Theory...
Posted by onethree, Tue Nov-08-05 06:48 PM
...hope it works.
34368, Sorry
Posted by punkhopjazcee, Wed Nov-09-05 10:59 AM
Nirvana released one album before Nevermind broke them through to the mainstream. The Roots have realeased six studio albums and have yet to reach a wide audience in the States. It'll have to be someone else.
34369, news flash: TFA nearly went platnum
Posted by HighVoltage, Wed Nov-09-05 11:06 AM
the audience is there. it just takes a good label to market them correctly.
34370, My aren't we the studious one...
Posted by onethree, Wed Nov-09-05 11:08 AM
...it was the idea of changing the game, chief - not about career discography.

You might as well have said the Roots are brothers and Nirvana is a bunch of white guys.

Apples and oranges.
34371, Deleted message
Posted by okpdan, Tue Nov-08-05 06:35 PM
No message
34372, ..................
Posted by aoxomoxoa, Tue Nov-08-05 06:37 PM
will someone pleez tell me what Def Jam Left is? Left Jam, Def Left... or whatever the heck
34373, Def Jam...and whatever is LEFT of it.
Posted by los79, Tue Nov-08-05 09:31 PM
34374, its said it in the article really...
Posted by HighVoltage, Tue Nov-08-05 09:38 PM
left jam is a new branch under Def Jam for artists they are trying to further develop.

basically, it lets them make the music they want to make without having to worry about soundscan numbers and album sales.

it will let the roots do what they want do, while *hopefully* getting the proper promotion they have been lacking their career.
34375, how funny
Posted by allison, Tue Nov-08-05 10:17 PM

you know more than dan

good!
34376, meh
Posted by aoxomoxoa, Tue Nov-08-05 10:36 PM
miss me again
34377, ?
Posted by HighVoltage, Tue Nov-08-05 10:36 PM
you lost me there...
34378, of course I read the article and that's the same shit being printed
Posted by aoxomoxoa, Tue Nov-08-05 10:35 PM
in every article that's been out on this "subject"

The Roots are signed to Def Jam proper, I know that much. I know who came up with the idea for the Left label and when that was. I know this idea was relayed to Jay-Z. Perhaps Jay-Z intends to do this. It did come out in an interview and "news" spread like pandemic. But as far as i know, he's not talking to The Roots about it. Once again, their papers say Island / Def Jam. No mention of anything Left. I also know Jay has got his hands full (ya think?) with not just Def Jam but also clothing lines, basketball teams, vodka, soccer teams?, cosmetics?, beyonce's pubes? .. and the list goes on. Def Jam is equated with big artists that sell units (that's the idea anyway). They're gonna start up some indy shit now? Maybe. The left label has an interesting premise for breaking artists. Anyway, I don't hear a single person in Okayplayer land speaking or working on any Def Left project and naturally, I have asked. This isn't to say its not happening. I haven't seen any news that matters (to me, given what i know) on the supposed subject. People want to pick at it, I understand... I'm just saying ... is there any REAL info on this anywhere?

34379, oh, and by the way
Posted by aoxomoxoa, Tue Nov-08-05 10:50 PM
I own all the domain names

http://defleft.com/
http://defjamleft.com/
http://leftjam.com/
http://leftjammusic.com/
34380, so you these talks have been going on since march?
Posted by gusto, Wed Nov-09-05 01:07 AM
34381, True
Posted by Bialy, Tue Nov-08-05 11:01 PM
Nobody has said anything official on Def Jam Left. For all anybody knows that could've been brought up in passing.

I have a feeling thats why nobody is out saying there even is a real functioning Left label or even real plans for one.

I also think thats why ?uest said he has no expectations.

Jay is so busy he might've said that one day and never given it a second thought.

Until I start seeing something official I think its just as likely they get lost in the shuffle with all the other artists that never drop at Def Jam.

At least under a separate umbrella they can do their own thing and most likely release a project whenever they want.

Hopefully they just don't get left hanging.
34382, You think Beyonce has pubes????
Posted by _JP, Wed Nov-09-05 01:41 PM
>I also know
>Jay has got his hands full (ya think?) with not just Def Jam
>but also clothing lines, basketball teams, vodka, soccer
>teams?, cosmetics?, beyonce's pubes? .. and the list goes on.

You think Beyonce has pubes? She always struck me as the shaving or waxing type. Hhhuuummmmm??? I'm gonna have to think about this some more.
34383, RE: Boston Globe article on Def Jam Left f. The Roots
Posted by scribalartz, Tue Nov-08-05 06:48 PM
something about this article seems silly and uninformed...can't put my finger on it...but...whatever.
34384, RE: Boston Globe article on Def Jam Left f. The Roots
Posted by Buddy_Gilapagos, Tue Nov-08-05 06:57 PM
>something about this article seems silly and
>uninformed...can't put my finger on it...but...whatever.

Its because there is no independent research. Someone could at least got sound byte from the press friendly Questo.
**********

Reality check: according to the 2000 census, there were more than 31,000 black physicians and surgeons, 33,000 black lawyers. There are about 1,400 black athletes playing professional basketball, football and baseball combined.
34385, What's this? A well written article regarding hip hop?
Posted by Wordman, Tue Nov-08-05 06:55 PM

"Your current frequencies of understanding outweigh that which has been given for you to understand." Saul Williams
34386, Renee Graham is on the low....
Posted by Steve, Tue Nov-08-05 07:09 PM
one of the best music writers out there....she jus hidden away at the Boston Globe...she wrote about Jill the day her first album came out...aint no one do what she does...
34387, cosign
Posted by mcdeezjawns, Tue Nov-08-05 11:54 PM
peace
34388, good article, and i think the roots may finally get their due credit
Posted by phenompyrus, Tue Nov-08-05 09:54 PM
i cannot wait for GT.
34389, RE: good article, and i think the roots may finally get their due credit
Posted by DownSinceOrganix, Wed Nov-09-05 01:11 AM
good article, but no real news here
34390, RE: good article, and i think the roots may finally get their due credit
Posted by philliPINO, Wed Nov-09-05 01:37 AM
Real good article but it seems to be placing some pressure on Game Theory having to be this historic album (ie Nevermind). Pressure however can be a good thing and if anyone understands this ?uest does. As much as we all love everything the group has offered to us so far, I know Im not the only one that feels this change was needed and it could lead to some incredible things (hopefully in sales and definately musically)