S. Samuel
Roc Nation leader Jay-Z has opened up about what it takes to make it on his record label and why patience is a key necessity for the company's artist roster.
While most labels drop singles, Jay said he prefers to build an artist before rushing out music.
“J. Cole is pretty close, he’s coming out in September,” Jay told Angie Martinez on August 1st. “He’s got a great album. Jay Electronica is working on a great album as well. He’s pretty close. Bridget Kelly just released — her debut song, ‘Thinking About Forever’ — For me, if you’re gonna come sign to Roc Nation, just realize it’s going to take a second. I’m into artists. I’m not really into putting a single out. It takes a minute to build artists. It’s just true. You can’t come off the street and make a classic. Rarely does that happen. Lauryn Hill was in the business for 700 years before she put out the Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. She had to go through some things. You have to go through some things.” (Hot 97)
Recently, Roc Nation’s J. Cole talked about the organic making of his long-awaited upcoming debut, Cole World: The Sideline Story.
“All the songs on the album just happened naturally. There was never a ‘Oh, we need this kind of song’,” Cole explained in an interview. “Everything happened naturally and very organically…It wasn’t until I started playing it for people and I kept getting those responses like, ‘Man, this is really musical,’ — To me, that’s regular; that’s what you should do on an album. I try to do that as much as possible, even on my mixtapes. So on the album, of course, I took it to the next level.” (MTV)
Last month, Jay Electronica opened up about his forthcoming Roc Nation debut.
“Sometimes im Jay Electronica. sometimes im Jay Electron*gga. i wanna let yall hear this one record from Act II: Patents Of Nobility (the turn) called “Road To Perdition” feat. Mr. Carter so bad.,” he tweeted July 11th.
“Album soon come. Ask Bun B, he heard the album in its entirety. a thouand kisses to all of those who have supported me since Act I: Eternal Sunshine (the pledge). I am grateful for your patience. I will not let any of you down. I promise. I will not let any of you down. I promise.”
“Jay Z, Bun B, Jeymes Samuel, Tony Tagoe, Erykah Badu. These are the only ppl that have heard the album in its entirety.” (Jay Electronica’s Twitter)
Earlier this year, Jay signed United Kingdom-based rapper K. Koke to his label.
The deal is a joint venture contract between Koke’s Suspect Entertainment label and Roc Nation/RCA and should definitely put the London native in front of many new potential fans in the upcoming months. Koke is from Stonesbridge, London and formed his company, Suspect Entertainment, with a pair of CEOs–Squingy and Krish–in 2005. Other artists involved include Froggy, Lefty, Grams, R9, Skeng, Capo, Bug, Gyro, Leokins, Lil Shan and others with equally puzzling names. (The Boom Box)
Check out a recent Jay-Z interview down below:
