Part 4 of GG’s 4 part series addresses his music love, DJ dollars and World Series prediction.
Jay-Z is in an empire state of mind right now. The regaining king of New York seems rather comfortable in the lavish, royalty themed confines of Central Park South’s most famous short stay, The Plaza. Here to promote and explain his exclusive role as co-host (he shares the spotlight with rap superstar Eminem) in the new DJ Hero Renegade Edition video game, Jigga sinks into the throne like chair placed before him and tucks his hands into his jeans. Decked out in an nearly all black outfit, topped with a Yankee fitted cap, today’s living legend eagerly awaits his last set of roundtable questions from a group of reporters wanting to know everything from his touring secrets to his favorite all-time video game to how his beloved team will win the World Series. With the setting relaxed and intimate, you can bet he doesn’t disappoint with his quick wit and comedic timing, stand up should have been his first calling.
This interview is the final part of four parts that we are posting. Just for kicks, the questions with the * symbol were asked by yours truly, the ones without the * were asked by other reporters in the room. DJ Hero dropped October 27th, pick it up and get your Grand Master Flash on.
Part 4
Do you think this will resurrect the art of DJing?
Jay-Z: I don’t know if that’s the correct word. DJs are making more money than they ever made ever, I believe. God bless, DJ AM was playing Vegas. Mark Ronson I’m sure don’t go out his house for a zillion dollars. Samantha Ronson probably pays more in taxes than me. These DJs are world wide, they everywhere. They are making a business out of DJing. There are DJs that get on stage to DJ.
Do you envision yourself bringing other aspects of media to gaming? Through your own branding I guess, like in fashion. They have already expanded Guitar Hero into DJ Hero, then it becomes like the possibilities are endless.
Jay-Z: Of course, yeah. Well, again, that’s why we started Roc Nation after freedom and the ability to do whatever is required that makes sense though. It’s pretty much an entertainment company. We have writers so it’s a publishing house, we have artists so it’s a record company and there’s the marketing company, there’s a management company and we still make Rihanna albums so it’s a consultant firm as well, we consult for Sony as well. There are all these different arms there. Just the freedom to do all these different types of innovative things.
Which one of your friends would you like to take out the most on one of your songs [in DJ Hero]?
Jay-Z: Well, Ty Ty who’s my guy, we have this long-standing battle like, I would go away for a while, doing other things. I would come back and he’d been practicing the whole time, and when I would come back to Marcy, this is a long time ago…he would be like, “Ok, I’m ready now!” I’d take him to my house to play and I’d beat him by like fifty. I was still playing. This is in Lakers vs. Celtics. The early [NBA] Live games. For years he would like practice and I would just beat him just incredibly. That’s when Michael Jordan would do like this helicopter and all this stuff and I would just destroy him. He would practice so hard. One time he would get so close…what he was, he was not good in the fourth quarter. Fourth quarter he would get too excited and would just fall apart and I would just laugh so hard. I tortured him, so I would just continue that legacy. I was trying to get him, but we couldn’t hook up the game last time he was on the road with me. Something happened with the disc. I think he probably scratched the disc, cus I would have tortured him a little more. I was that guy
