S. Samuel
Producer Just Blaze has come to the defense of Kanye West days after music mogul Quincy Jones blasted an interviewer for drawing comparisons between him and the Grammy-winning artist.
Blaze believes his former Roc-A-Fella labelmate is qualified, in a sense, in being compared to the music legend.
“Quincy may be right in a sense that Kanye may not necessarily know what to do with 20 trombones and violins, but Quincy wouldn’t know what to do if you sat him down in front of an MP, Pro Tools, Logic, either, and some turntables,” Just said in defense of Yeezy. “It’s a different time, different sound, different audience. But, there is a valid comparison there. That response, it just didn’t make any sense to me. I think that statement may have been made slightly in ignorance. I don’t mean ignorance in the sense of stupidity. I just mean ignorance to the fact that he actually does produce records. Maybe he thinks he is just a rapper.” (All Hip Hop)
Jones initially became irate when asked by an interviewer to compare his accomplishments to Ye.
“No way,” Jones responded when an interviewer said West was similar to him being one of the most sought-after producers in the past 10 years. “Did he write for a symphony orchestra? Does he write for a jazz orchestra? Come on, man. He’s just a rapper. There’s no comparison. I’m not putting him down or making a judgement or anything, but we come from two different sides of the planet. I spent 28 years learning my first skill. I don’t rap. It’s not the same thing. A producer has to have some sort of skills that enable him to be a producer. It’s totally different to know what to do with 16 woodwinds you know from piccolos down to bass clarinet. It’s a whole different mindset. No comparison. None.” (Us Magazine)
However, Jones later clarified his remarks and said he was not trying to spark a beef with Ye.
“I have nothing but respect for my little brother Kanye and what he has achieved in his young career and I look forward to watching his evolution as an artist. There is a reason why we put him on the new We Are The World 25 for Haiti – he’s a great rapper. But having been in the music business for more than 60 years and having been fortunate to accomplish what I have over that time, it’s not unreasonable to put a comparison of Kanye at this time in his career and myself into the proper perspective. This is not dissing Kanye, this is simply trying to express that I’m not a rapper! I don’t need to take anyone else’s props away from them. Let’s all just try and keep the record straight.” (Third Age)
In addition to guiding the careers of late pop superstar Michael Jackson and soul singer Aretha Franklin, Jones’ run in the music industry spans over 60 years.
In a musical career that has spanned six decades, Quincy Jones has earned his reputation as a renaissance man of American music. Jones has distinguished himself as a bandleader, a solo artist, a sideman, a songwriter, a producer, an arranger, a film composer, and a record label executive, and outside of music, he’s also written books, produced major motion pictures, and helped create television series. And a quick look at a few of the artists Jones has worked with suggests the remarkable diversity of his career — Miles Davis, Frank Sinatra, Count Basie, Lesley Gore, Michael Jackson, Peggy Lee, Ray Charles, Paul Simon and Aretha Franklin. (All Music)
Check out Just Blaze speaking on Kanye West below:
