S. Samuel
The LOX's Jadakiss recently updated fans on the extensive delay behind his Top 5 Dead Or Alive album and revealed how many more songs he needs before putting a lid on the project.
Despite being in the works for years, Kiss said he hopes to have the LP on store shelves before the summer ends.
“Definitely the name of my next album will be Top 5 Dead or Alive,” Kiss confirmed in an interview. “I’m probably, 70, 75 percent finished. I got about 5 or 6 more tracks to cut then we should be good. [Release date?] Hopefully mid to end of summer. You know. I don’t want to bump no heads with no big wigs that’s going to steal all the radio and retail spots. Marketing is very important just as much as the music. So once you get yourself a nice body of work which you feel comfortable with, you have to sit down with your staff and put a very good marketing plan together too because the labels really go off your movement. As much as you put in the work, they’ll get on that bandwagon and push it from there, but if you just sitting around, waiting for a record label to go over there — that ain’t how the industry is moving right now.” (Power 99)
Back in late 2010, Kiss talked about the extended holdup behind his long-awaited LP.
“I only got two songs finished so far, so I’m definitely about to start going hard with that,” Jada said in an interview. “I’ve been searching for a new sound from some hungry, up-and-coming producers. But I’m also looking forward to working with Pharrell again, Dr. Dre, Swizz Beatz, DJ Premier, Alchemist, Just Blaze–you know, the great hip-hop producers. I try to get as much hip-hop as I can onto my albums. I’m trying to give my next one that real 1990s hip-hop feel. [As far as a release date,] I’m shooting for next Memorial Day, sometime around then. I’m looking to drop a single around All-Star Weekend or something in February.” (VIBE)
In June 2010, Jada said he was hoping to drop the solo effort around the fall.
In an interview with Jenny Boom Boom of Hartford’s Hot 93.7 radio station, Jadakiss stated the album will drop as early as October, following the releases of Def Jam label mates The-Dream, Rick Ross, Kanye West and Young Jeezy. With threesongs already finished, Jada explained, “They’re huge songs. That’s why I’m taking so long and that’s why I’m being so careful with the production. The beats don’t even need words on them, that’s how good the production is.” While his previous three albums were between 17 to 21 tracks long, Jadakiss says Top Five Dead Or Alive will be a shortened 12 to14 records. (Hip Hop DX)
The rap veteran previously stressed the importance of making sure his album’s production is on point.
“I got about three good ones,” he said of the songs. “Not even recorded. I got probably two verses off each song. Maybe four good ones. [DJ Drama] sent me something. I’m doing real careful selection on production on this project…Even my street joints, even if it’s a symphony. If every verse got 75 curses in it, I want the production to be big…I was gonna switch the name up. I put it on Twitter, I put it on every website you can imagine, and that came back unanimous. So Top Five, Dead or Alive it is, baby…It’s Def Jam, Roc-A-Fella, Ruff Ryders, D-Block, Aphilliates, Green Lantern, a couple of other white guys [releasing it.] You know how this game is. Everybody is in the pot. But it’s enough money for everybody.” (MTV)
Check out Jadakiss’ interview:
