S. Samuel
Producer 9th Wonder recently reflected on what it meant to appear on Jay-Z's platinum-selling The Black Album in 2003 and how big of an impact it has had on his life.
According to Wonder, the song’s placement and Jay’s shout-out to him on “Threat” were extremely substantial.
“A tear ran down my face. (laughs) Aint gon lie. Because, he said my name on the track and I had been working so hard for a moment like that not knowing the moment was gonna come from him. It was a sense of relief to finally know I made some kind of a mark. Not that I didn’t make a mark with Little Brother, that I did, but you know, on that particular level I made a mark. He said my name on the track and he put my track between Timbaland’s and Eminem’s on the album. My career can end tomorrow but nobody can take that away from me. I was on one of the top three Jay-Z albums ever.” (Page 31)
Back in 2007, Wonder credited the collaboration for helping him gain a new following.
“I think even when I was in the group… when I did the Jay-Z record [“Threat”] and the three Destiny’s Child records, then Mary J. Blige, that opened the door to a whole other fan group. I get 14-year-olds hitting me up on MySpace because of [Destiny Child’s] “Girl,” not because of an LB record. I got a whole new fan base.” (XXL Mag)
Despite having worked alongside Jay in the past, Wonder recently revealed his disinterest in Hov’s Watch the Throne joint LP.
“#WTT as a whole is not for me. I can rock with New Day & The Joy,” he tweeted August 8th.
“As a musician/beatmaker/active participant in hip-hop, I want to be SCARED when I hear something, like when I heard Aquemini.” (9th Wonder’s Twitter)
He is most known for his North Carolina roots and being a part of former group Little Brother.
Growing up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the boy who would become producer 9th Wonder, Pat Douthit, performed in the school band and also played keyboards at home. Initially, while a student at North Carolina Central University, Douthit planned on saving his money for the producer’s favorite tool, the MPC, but after a friend showed him that he could make the beats he wanted on a computer, he decided to use that instead. In 1998 he met classmates and future bandmates Phonte and Big Pooh, and with them soon formed Little Brother. (All Music)
Check out “Threat” below:
