Whoever is interviewing Jay-Z here is extremely annoying and ignorant. This is a very easy concept to understand, there are marketing budgets stipulated in the contract that the artist signs. Any extra "push" as you call it, comes about as a result of market forces determined after the album is released. There are definitely artists that get this extra "push" (aka Mariah) as - quite obviously - there deals call for it. Jay-Z is running a business and is responsible to shareholders, and therefore must watch the bottom-line above everything else. What do you think running a business means? I'm sure he wishes he could write a blank check to market each one of his artists (as why wouldn't he?), but the reality is that he cannot do this while maintaining any sort of fiscal credibility as a company president.

From a business perspective, do you think it would be a good idea to blow Def Jams' entire marketing budget on a Roots or Method Man record and f*ck over the rest of the artists on their roster? C'mon people, just because you're in charge of one team doesn't mean you can change the rules of the game being played. The recording industry is in a state of decline and is still in a period of adjustment as a result of the proliferation of downloading. It would be foolish to assume that President Carter has/had access to unlimitted marketing funds.

That woman interviewing him is brutal and should be taken off the radio. Questions like, "some people on the street have gripes with you because of your marketing strategies, what do you have to say about that?" are mind-boggingly dumb. Why do people take it personally when an artist doesn't sell well? Who cares? I'm worried about how I'm going to eat not about Questo (god love him & the roots) but I think they would agree that they'll make it through this "trying" time of less than expected first week record sales. Let's try to keep this in perspective......