Story time about me and this album /1
I was working at MTV News when this album was releasing. We had a chance to interview Jay. The catch, interview was day before thanksgiving. So our editor asked me and Shaheem. Who can do it? I thought Sha being the senior one would snatch it. But he had to travel to VA for fam.
For got. /2. Up there 👆🏼
Then I get asked. Thing was, I had a train that day to go to Delaware to see my fam for thanksgiving. Bought the ticket a couple months in advance. I immediately say, Yeah, I’m good. I’m not going home til Thanksgiving day. My chance for my first Jay-Z interview. /3.
I prep like crazy. Had been to the VH1 taping of storytellers where Jay performed American Gangster in front of a small audience in Brooklyn over at the navy yard. Took notes and notes listening to the album. /4
I had recently been the LA before the trip and at a photo shoot for Latina where I stopped by to see @angiejromero — I meet a freelance shooter who was shooting BTS. Told me this segment on fox sports he works on called Sports Science. Now it’s a huge thing on ESPN /5
Ff to the interview day and MTV swelled the entire thing to now be about News, TRL and another department. I have 20 mins to get my questions and stuff for other shows. Plus I’m getting sweated to show up and be waiting for Jay. /6
I wait and chill. My plan for to stay on the 29th floor and not go down to 25 until he was in the room. I wanted to enter and get the, oh here’s Jayson. Not just wait and be sidelined. He arrives. I get a ping to my BB. And go down. I get spotted, walked over and we chat. /7
I tell him I want this interview to be like Sports Science. He perked up. Spoke about how much he loved that segment. Then some small talk and I say ima be back while they mic him up. Sha kept telling me just don’t give him closes ended questions. Challenge him. /8
I start and we are locked in. The 20 mins turns into an hour and a half. Great interview. TRL turns it into a segment for Brand Spankin Lyrics week (weird but ok). And all in all, MTV aired on air and online in stories I wrote, about 6 mins of the interview. Ha. /9
Just a strange time in content I suppose. But Jay been Gucci ever since. Was at a friends birthday at Spotted Pig a year after, he came in and sat next to me and got us all desserts and drinks. Seen him a year later on my birthday and he offered up a shot. Peace to the AG LP. /10
Addendum 1/ I had a hard time finding a ticket to go home on thanksgiving. Ended up getting to my parents house like 6pm. Missed the meal. Had to go to my uncle’s house. They ate later than my fam. Ha.
Addendum 2/ I still have the entire 90 minute interview on file at the crib. Maybe for the 15 year anniversary I’ll make a doc and put it out on here or YouTube for the love. 🤔
