NEWS
JAY-Z has always been known as someone with supreme confidence, but even he was once humbled in the presence of Michael Jackson — at least, that’s how producer Rodney Jerkins remembers it.
Jerkins, who produced a good amount of Jackson’s 2001 album Invincible, recalled how Hov first connected with MJ in a new interview on The Almanac of Rap.
The relationship ultimately resulted in JAY bringing Michael onstage at Summer Jam 2001. But Jerkins told The Almanac of Rap host Donwill how it all started.
“You remember when Michael was brought up onstage by JAY-Z?” Jerkins began. “Who do you think introduced JAY-Z to Michael?
“So I get the call from my man Big Chuck, who’s from Brooklyn, and Big Jon [Platt], the publisher — he’s now the CEO of Sony/ATV. And they were like, ‘Yo, JAY really want[s] to meet Michael. Can you make that happen?’ I was like, ‘I got you.’
“So I brought him up to the studio, took him to meet Michael. That was the most humble I ever seen JAY-Z in my life… I know JAY to be so cool, and you could tell it was a different thing when he got with Mike.”
Check out the exchange beginning at the 28:19 mark below.
JAY-Z just recently got a new set of career accomplishments when he received a bevy of RIAA certifications.
Last Friday (August 23), the Recording Industry Association of America officially bestowed platinum and multi-platinum certification on six of Hov’s most beloved singles. Of those, the only one to earn its very first indication of 1 million records sold was 2000’s “I Just Wanna Love You (Give It 2 Me).”
Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)” hit the 2x platinum mark, while “99 Problems” is officially 3x platinum. The Brooklyn rapper’s Justin Timberlake-assisted “Holy Grail” is now 6x platinum, as is the anthemic “Run This Town,” featuring Rihanna and Kanye West.
The former partners in rhyme also earned a 3x platinum certification for the Watch The Throne track “No Church In The Wild,” which features Frank Ocean on the hook.
MUNA have officially shared full details of their long awaited fourth studio album, Dancing On The Wall, which is scheduled to arrive on May 8.
The news comes with the release of the record’s title track and its accompanying official video, giving fans their first real look at what the trio’s new chapter sounds and feels like.
To mark the occasion, the group are planning a run of intimate underplay performances in Los Angeles, New York and London during release week. It will be a special opportunity to catch MUNA up close before they step back onto larger stages later this year.
Opening up about the project, the band described the title song as a standout moment within their body of work.
They shared: “Dancing On The Wall is possibly our favorite song we’ve made as a band. We think it’s all the best parts of MUNA – it’s coming from a really emotional and lonely place, but the song itself makes us feel powerful and euphoric. It’s written in the moment that the clock strikes midnight at the ball, and you have to give up the fantasy. In this case, it’s the fantasy of loving someone or something that can’t love you back.”
The 13 song album was produced by Naomi McPherson, allowing the band to take full creative ownership of the sound and direction. It is a project that pulls listeners straight to the dancefloor while still keeping its vulnerability front and center.
MUNA, made up of Katie Gavin and Josette Maskin alongside McPherson, have continued to build momentum over the years and were personally chosen by Harry Styles as the opening act for his first solo tour. Since then, they have also performed with Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour, in addition to sharing bills with Lorde, boygenius and Phoebe Bridgers.
Dancing On The Wall follows their 2022 self titled album, which marked their first release as independent artists after signing to Phoebe Bridgers’ Saddest Factory Records in 2021.
Fans can stream the title track across all major platforms now. For tickets to MUNA’s upcoming shows, visit laylo.com/whereismuna/m/munatour.
Dancing On The Wall tracklisting:
It Gets So Hot
Dancing On The Wall
Eastside Girls
Wannabeher
On Call
So What
Party’s Over
Big Stick
Mary Jane
Girl’s Girl
…Unless
Why Do I Get A Good Feeling
Buzzkiller
