Jay Z’s Friend Reveals Taking Throwback ‘New York’ Cover Pic: “Jay Just Happened To Be There W/ Jaz-O”

Written By S. Samuel

Days after New York magazine revealed a selection of its new Big Apple-themed musician covers, the man responsible for snapping Jay Z's throwback shot has come forward.

Jay-Z
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According to reports, Jay’s childhood pal Edwin “PHADE” Sacasa took the photo back in January 1987 during his birthday party.

“It was my birthday party, so a lot of people showed up [DJ] Red Alert, Jaz-O, the Afros, a lot of cats from Hollis, Queens showed up,” Sacasa recalled. “Jay just happened to be there with Jaz-O. He was a personal friend of the Shirt Kings.” … “In taking that picture, I knew I was capturing the moment because hanging out with this guy since young I already knew that he had phenomenal skills,” Sacasa said. “He was better than anybody that was out… he was already a star in my eyes since he was a kid.” (MTV)

Aside from Jigga, icons Madonna, the Notorious B.I.G. and the late Frank Sinatra also landed their own respective cover shots.

We love a good magazine cover, so we’re all in when there are a bunch of them for one issue. New York’s annual “Yesteryear” issue features a look back at the last 100 years of New York music, and eight great covers. There’s Lou Reed, Frank Sinatra, Madonna and more. We’re partial to the Jay Z one, if only because he looks like he’s seven years old. (Media Bistro)

Initial reports claimed New York used a throwback photo of Jay in his late 20’s for the cover.

It hasn’t been that long since Jay Z was throwin up the Roc as a young Hov. For New York magazine’s annual yesteryear issue, the kid version of the rapper-mogul appears in a throwback photo of a 29-year-old Jay, rocking a red cap and a leather jacket, in 1997. The issue, which celebrates the past century of New York music, has seven other covers on deck, including ones with Notorious B.I.G., Madonna and Barbra Streisand. It also contains the Encyclopedia of New York Pop Music. (VIBE)

Jay’s The Throne sidekick Kanye West recently landed on the cover of Vogue.

Kim Kardashian‘s Vogue dream has finally come true. After months and months of speculation, the reality starlet covers the April issue of the high-end fashion magazine in the arms of her husband-to-be, Kanye West. Kardashian, 33, stuns in a white Lavin gown resembling a wedding dress just ahead of the couple’s upcoming nuptials slated for this May in Paris, France. West dons a Saint Laurent blazer. (NY Daily News)

3 Comments

Written by S. Samuel

Steven Samuel is the co-founder of SOHH.com.

3 Comments

  1. Drake fucked Lil Wayne to sign with YMCMB. Lil Wayne fucks Baby with his kissin on the lips ass. Baby listens to Muddy Waters when he cries himself to sleep for selling his soul. Only 3 degrees of separation here.

    • you and the two that liked the shit you said are examples of people who are here on earth wasting oxygen… piece of shit..

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