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In My Ear: Jay-Z

(OPRAH.com) -- At 13 he was selling crack. By 30 he was a hip-hop legend -- having gone, in his words, "from grams to Grammys."
Jay-Z tells Oprah Winfrey a conversation with his father freed him "one hundred percent."

Now Jay-Z charts his escape from the hard-knock life, describes the reunion that healed the wounds of his childhood -- and even reveals his personal creed.

The rapper, now 39, was born Shawn Carter in Brooklyn, New York. His albums include "Reasonable Doubt," "The Black Album" and the just-released "The Blueprint 3." Jay-Z also owns a portion of the NBA's New Jersey Nets and founded, with Damon Dash, the clothing line Rocawear.

Jay-Z spoke with Oprah Winfrey about his father, his anger and his old life. The following is an edited version of the interview.

Oprah Winfrey: When you were 5, your family moved to the Marcy projects -- and then your father left when you were 11. When you look back at that, what did your 11-year-old self feel?

Jay-Z: Anger. At the whole situation. Because when you're growing up, your dad is your superhero. Once you've let yourself fall that in love with someone, once you put him on such a high pedestal and he lets you down, you never want to experience that pain again.

So I remember just being really quiet and really cold. Never wanting to let myself get close to someone like that again. I carried that feeling throughout my life, until my father and I met up before he died.

Oprah: Wow. I've never heard a man phrase it that way. You know, I've done many shows about divorce, and the real crime is when the kids aren't told. They just wake up one day and their dad is gone. Did that happen to you?

Jay-Z: We were told our parents would separate, but the reasons weren't explained. My mom prepared us more than he did. I don't think he was ready for that level of discussion and emotion. He was a guy who was pretty detached from his feelings.

Oprah: Did you wonder why he left?

Jay-Z: I summed it up that they weren't getting along. There was a lot of arguing.

Oprah: And did you know you were angry?

Jay-Z: Yeah. I also felt protective of my mom. I remember telling her, "Don't worry, when I get big, I'm going to take care of this." I felt like I had to step up. I was 11 years old, right? But I felt I had to make the situation better.

Oprah: How did that change you?

Jay-Z: It made me not express my feelings as much. I was already a shy kid, and it made me a little reclusive. But it also made me independent. And stronger. It was a weird juxtaposition.

Oprah: I've read that when you were 12, you shot your brother in the shoulder. Did your father's leaving have anything to do with that? Did it turn you into the kind of angry kid who would end up shooting his brother?

Jay-Z: Yes -- and my brother was dealing with a lot of demons.

Oprah: How old was he?

Jay-Z: About 16. He was doing a lot of drugs. He was taking stuff from our family. I was the youngest, but I felt like I needed to protect everybody.

Oprah: So how did you get back in touch with your father?

Jay-Z: My mom set up a meeting. And now I realize why -- it makes all the sense in the world. I remember very distinctly that I had a conversation with her in my kitchen. I was saying, "You know, Ma, I've really been trying to look inward, and maybe I'm just not meant to fall in love like other people do." She just looked at me like, "Hush up, boy."

Oprah: Wow.

Jay-Z: And I guess from that point, she figured out what was wrong with me, and she planned a meeting between me and my father. I was like, "Ma, I'm a grown man. I don't need a dad now."

Oprah: You didn't feel a hole in your soul?

Jay-Z: I never looked at that. I guess I didn't want to deal with it. Because, you know, once I looked, I'd have to do something about it. And I guess I still had too much resentment and anger.

Oprah: In one of your songs, you wrote that you weren't sure if your father even remembered your birthday is in December.

Jay-Z: I believed that. When I was a kid, I once waited for him on a bench. He never showed up. Even as an adult, that affected me. So when my mom set up this meeting, I told her he wouldn't come -- and the first time, he didn't. At that point, I was really done, but Mom pushed for another meeting, because she's just a beautiful soul.

Oprah: The second time, your father showed up.

Jay-Z: He showed up. And I gave him the real conversation. I told him how I felt the day he left. He was saying stuff like "Man, you knew where I was." I'm like, "I was a kid! Do you realize how wrong you were? It was your responsibility to see me." He finally accepted that.

Oprah: Where had he been?

Jay-Z: At his mom's house 10 minutes away from me. That was the sad part.

Oprah: Was there any explanation he could have offered that would have satisfied you?

Jay-Z: Yes -- and that's why we were able to mend our relationship.

Oprah: What was his reason?

Jay-Z: When I was 9, my dad's brother got stabbed, and my dad went looking for the guy who did it. People would call in the middle of the night and tell him, "So-and-so is out here." So my dad would get up, get his gun, and go outside to look for the guy. After a while, my mom was like, "Hey, this is your family now. You can't do that." But this was my dad's baby brother. And my dad was in so much pain that he started using drugs and became a different person. So I understand that the trauma of the event, coupled with the drugs, caused him to lose his soul.

Oprah: When you saw him again, had he come back to himself?

Jay-Z: He was broken. He had a bad liver, and he knew that if he continued drinking, it would kill him. But he didn't stop.

Oprah: How soon after you saw him did he die?

Jay-Z: A couple of months. I got him an apartment, I was buying furniture. And he passed away.

Oprah: Did you instantly make peace with him during that conversation?

Jay-Z: Pretty much. I felt lighter.

Oprah: The conversation freed you in ways that you hadn't been free before?

Jay-Z: One hundred percent.

Oprah: Did it open the door for you to have a life with love in it?

Jay-Z: Absolutely.

Oprah: So what's your personal creed?

Jay-Z: Be true to yourself -- and keep things simple. People complicate things.

Oprah: My creed is that intention creates reality.

Jay-Z: Now I'm having an aha moment! That's true.

OPRAH.com: The top 20 things Oprah knows for sure

Oprah: What's the basis of your spiritual belief?

Jay-Z: I believe in karma: What you do to others comes back to you.

Oprah: But don't you think we're responsible only for what we know? Otherwise, you'd be facing karma for every person you sold drugs to.

Jay-Z: As a kid, I didn't know any better. But now, if I were to act as if what I did wasn't bad, that would be irresponsible. And I'd have to bear the weight of that.

Oprah: Maya Angelou always says, "When you know better, you do better." Do you still think back on that time in your life?

Jay-Z: All the time. When you make music, you're constantly on the psychiatrist's couch, so to speak. That's an outlet for me. Because I'm not normally a talkative person. I don't have conversations like this for no reason.

In my Ear: Violence

An interesting interview with Treach from Naughty By Nature about the recent rise of viloence in Newark, NJ.



Treach brings up many interesting aspects. The main point that caught my ear was the vacancy of rules/codes of the street. Treach is doing great things by promoting peace. I believe the loss of rules comes from the lack of responsibility from the current role models/veterans of the game.

If we take a look at who the veterans are... they are the same people who were the heart of "Gangsta" Rap and "Reality" Rap. But where have they gone with their lives? With few exceptions, many of the artists had their fame and moved on. This is fine; except words are powerful and the words these "Gangsta's" were rapping were in negative light. Whether they were speaking truths or narrating creative scenarios; there is a certain level of responsibility that must be followed. These artists were kept in check by their elders; but seem to be spiteful for it. Subsequently, I feel these artists are not stepping into place to keep current; young artists in line.

This has a spiraling effect downward through society. Though the music seems to be more in a party and swagga theme... the young artists seem to want to prove they are hard. It seems as if there is a mystique to the hardcore gangsta rap of the early 90's. These artists want to live up to the hype of Onyx, NWA, and Naughty By Natue. The thing is, the new artists have no clue what these veterans lives were like. This is were the rules and codes of the street got lost. Its a new generation of violent crimes.

To me, street crimes have lost their integrity; and this violence is an outpouring of broken tradition. Then again, the generation before mine probably reiterated similar statements twenty years ago. A cycle that is sure to repeat... hopefully weakening the presence of street violence with every generation the passes; but till then do your part.. respect yourself by respecting others.

Featured Music: Shameless Plug

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Featured Artist: Shameless Plug

Stage Name: shameless plug

Real Name: phameless slug
Age: 3,282
Hometown: hopatcong, nj
Website: http://myspace.com/shamelessplug

Shameless Plug is a Renaissance Man. His style ranges so far in each direction; its as if he has a split personality similar to Jekle & Hyde. This man bangs a true underground flow then releases us with with a serenade of vocal genius that can only be described as angelic. It was destiny how this artist seemed to trip and fall; landing in the center of hip hop. Maturing his character as he grows with the music, Shameless can be found everywhere. He grinds his solo work, pushes through with killer collabs, and rocking with his band; The Yes Yes Yalls. Take a trip into Shamless' music and you can find yourself joyously lost for days. Pay attention to his intricate structures and rhyme schemes... and don't forget... YEAH thats him singing too!

Q&A

How did you come up with your stage name?  

it just fit.

Has it always been this name? If not; what were some earlier names? 

my first name ever was manatarms. like the he-man character. i just thought it was cool. then it was apathy. then i found out there was somebody named apathy. then it was al sharp, which is the name of a song by the beta band. then i changed it to what it is now. recently i found out there's another al sharp. i doubt he named himself after that song tho.

What got you into being an emcee? 

the music i listened to and the company i kept growin up.

When did you spit your first rhyme? What was the topic? Do you remember and pieces of it? 

ages ago. wish i could remember how old i was. it was on some callin out fake thugs shit. cos there's a whole lotta them where i came up. i remember the first cipher i ever took part in. i was just standin there listenin and they thought i wanted to rap so they cued me in. i had never freestyled before and i only had that one verse written at the time so i spit it. one of the kids thought i was aimin it at him and proceeded to come back at me. it didn't go very well.

What is your inspiration?  

i write what i know.

At what point of your career do you feel you truly developed who you are as an artist; and what do you feel contributed to this? 

 it's just a constant rising up. i hope i always continue to develop and never peak. i'm never satisfied with anything really. and not just when it comes to music either. that prolly contributes more than anything else.

How many albums do you have and what are their names?  

there's two albums and an EP under the name the yes yes yalls, which is me as the vocalist (singing and rapping) and twoname jenkins, ryan gilligan and greg barbone as the producers. the names of those are 'boundaries', 'why, why, why?' and 'whinehouse'. then there's a handful of albums and EPs i'm on as part of a group called dumhi, which is all produced by a cat outta philly named haji rana pinya and features whoever the hell he happens to be workin with at the time. the ones i'm on are called 'vote dumhi', 'they call me bruce', '3 seats from heaven', 'flowers' and 'indian summer'. i only rap on those tho. no singin. haj won't let me sing. haha.

At this current moment; what is your favorite part of hip hop?  

the ability to take chances.

At this current moment; what do you hate about hip hop?  

the people that don't take those chances.

Best Emcee now: 

aesop rock. i swear he's actually some futuristic rap robot created by aliens from another galaxy.

Best Emcee 10 years ago: 

andre 3000. he's prolly my favorite of all time as well.

What do you hope people would say about you as an artist?  

he could do it all.

Worst Emcee now:

turn on your radio.

Worst Emcee 10 years ago:

see above answer.

Hardest part of hip hop for you?  

fitting in and being accepted by my contemporaries. i'm a bit of an oddball.

Best all around hip hop song ever...  

definitely somethin from the early-to-mid-nineties "golden age". i can't pick just one tho.

Finish these sentences:

Hip Hop should thank:  bob dylan.

When i write i:  pace back and forth and chainsmoke.

When you listen to my music:  you'll be reminded of a ton of different people.

In my music; i shock myself the most when:  i don't try too hard and it works anyway.

The track i am currently working on is: something very indie rockish with lots of layers and vocal effects. i'm going through a weird phase right now.

My favorite type of track is:  a dark, happy place.

---

What should we look forward to from you?  

whatever i feel like making. it'll be a little bit of everything.

upcoming shows?  

come to jersey. i do shows usually once or twice a week somewhere.  stuff comin up in new york and philly as well.

upcoming songs/albums?  

new yes yes yalls and dumhi albums coming soon. as well as a couple of mixtapes and an album with my man john blake. we're calling ourselves the nayno.

future collabs? 

somebody tell rick rubin and el-p to holler at me.

Anything else?  

plenty. stay tooned.

In my ear: Jay-Z

FUCK Fashion Week!!!!! Fuck Tennis!!!!! and good job JETER!....BUT!!! Jay-Z just beat my expectation of anything in life. His 9-11 Concert at MSG NYC was possibly the best experience of anybody's life. Wether you watched it live or on the commercial free broadcast on FUSE... this was possibly the best concert ever put on. Special guests from John Mayer to Mary J. And please do not forget the star of the show... The Celebration of Life. Eight years ago I remember waking up to a phone call from my mother. She was expressing a sense of concern I never heard from her before. She cried: "Call your father; New York is under attack, he is in the World Trade Center."

As it turns out, my father was in one of the towers. He explained later that; as he left the train platform; sirens were screaming and police officers were revealing themselves from holes in the wall. Moving forward; my father exited the building in a rush, only to find a mess outside the building. As he fled from the chaos, a loud sound ambushed his senses.It was the sound of the second plane flying over head and destroying the second tower. My father ran... and along his way and elderly woman managed to slip and fall. My father took the time to stop help this lady to her feet and to an ATM doorway which would become their savior from the dust of death. He later explained that a walk to the Brooklyn Bridge would be his only way out. Once in Brooklyn drivers from New Jersey were donating rides home to those in need.

On campus we soon found out that cell phones were no longer reliable and we were not in contact with those we loved. A friend from high school found me on my college campus and offered a ride home to my family. Upon my drop off; my father ran from inside to give me a hug and kiss. My father continued to recite his story... as he narrated army jets flew over head. From the sound of the jetsl my father ducked in fear. This was the same sound as he witnessed from the downfall of the towers.

As a student at William Paterson University I was able to watch the towers be struck; and collapse. From my dorm room I witnessed America change. Since this time my father has passed away... but I know his efforts will not be lost... some where some one acknowledges the work my father has done.

Reminder:

My father has passed by now; but i remind you; we have many heros... be thankful for mankind...trust in me; I am your friend....

Peace to my friends... Peace to my own

Featured Video: Jive The Universal

Jive The Universal - One Song at a Time

Check his site @: www.jivetheuniversal.com

As well as his studio, The Stiz,  featured in the video... www.thestiz.com

The Wire: Blacklist Art Show

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September 1oth 2009...

105 Rivington St. NY, NY

(Between Essex & Ludlow)

7-10 pm 

Featured Music: Jive The Universal

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Featured Artist: Jive The Universal

Stage Name: Jive the Universal

Real Name: Michael

Hometown: Hackettstown, NJ

Website: www.jivetheuniversal.com, www.thestiz.com

Look up Truth in the dictionary and I am sure you will find a picture of Jive The Universal. A true emcee, a true musician, a true audio genius, and most important; a true man. A man who only speaks the truth, finds faith in Jesus Christ, and a man who truly knows his identity. Jive, continually reinvents himself through music. He also finds time to perfect the work done by others in his personal studio; The Stiz. He is an emcee who can sing; and yet a singer who can emcee... he is not one or the other he is the essence of both. Throughout Jives work he will morph from rap cadence to melody and back around without interruption. Seamlessly manipulating his listeners to the point where they are addicted. I proudly introduce you to Jive The Universal...

Q&A

How did you come up with your stage name?

Well, it was a bit of a morphing process. When i was 17, my whole crew was delivering pizzas for all the different pizzerias in town. We all had CB's hooked up in our cars so we could talk and tell each other where the cops were hiding out. It was like a big party line, good times. Apparently the etiquette of citizen band radio is to have someone else give you your 'handle'. Needless to say, i was always rappin and singin when there was dead airspace. These dudes "Crazy Eddy" and "Mr. Big Stuff" thought it was mad funny and came up with "The Jive Man" for me. I went with it, eventually dropping the "Man". Later on, i added the "Universal" because i got so thoroughly involved in so many aspects of music. I sang, rhymed, played guitar & bass, ran a recording studio, wrote songs, produced beats, and whatever else i got into that i can't remember right now. Universal is just a reference to the various attributes now in my repertoire.

Has it always been this name? If not; what were some earlier names?

My first name was Dynamike, and my first studio was called Dynamike Studios. The name got played out quick, and i eventually found a few other people using the same name. I was also pretty wack then. . .haha.

What got you into being an emcee?

A Tribe Called Quest did. I was already playing bass guitar when i really got into hip-hop. The more i listened, the more i wanted to be a part of it.

When did you spit your first rhyme? What was the topic? Do you remember and pieces of it (write a few of the bars)?

Haha, have fun finding an honest emcee that will actually answer this question.

What is your inspiration?

Jesus Christ, my beautiful wife, and my 3 little mans, in that order.

At what point of your career do you feel you truly developed who you are as an artist; and what do you feel contributed to this?

Oh man, hmmm. . . well, i've always been an original dude. My music never sounded like anyone else, even if it was half garbage in the beginning. As i grew in my faith and grew as a man, my music matured with me. I could apply the originality properly, and the outcome would work. On that note, i'm claiming the first rapper ever to rhyme over the 7/4 time signature. 90% of cats won't even know what that means, but for those that do - it'll rock your world. The track is called "I Can't Stop" from my album "Helping You Feel Better"

How many albums do you have and what are their names?

one solo album called "Helping You Feel Better"

one EP with my old rock band Advantage to Crush, it was called "The Observers EP"

i was a part of about half of Nine Circles new album called "Situations"

the rest is just demos and collabos.

you can get just about everything i've done in the discography section of my website: http://www.jivetheuniversal.thestiz.com/discography/

At this current moment; what is your favorite part of hip hop?

Honestly, it's the amount of heads involved. Rappers have been paying the bills in my studio lately http://www.thestiz.com/media/audio/

At this current moment; what do you hate about hip hop?

I hate that mainstream hip-hop is mostly elementary. I miss the lyrics of 90's hip hop. I feel like producers are pushing the limits, but the emcees are just stayin the same. I know there are a bunch of exceptions, but i'm speaking about hip hop as a whole.

Best Emcee now: (and why)

Pharoahe Monch - hands down. Lyrics- dude has more wordplay and well thought out punchlines than anyone out. Flow- his phrasing and rhyme schemes are so complex, you could listen for years before understanding/following it all. He's got as much rhythm with his words as Hendrix had with his guitar.

Best Emcee 10 years ago: (and why)

Big Pun, though Mos and Common were dope then too.

Actually, can i say Pharoahe Monch again?

What do you hope people would say about you as an artist?

He's dope, and there is no one that sounds anything like him.

Worst Emcee now: (and why)

There are so many emcees, actually i should call them rappers, either way there are a ton that i can't tolerate at the moment.

I'm not much of a trash talker though, so they'll remain nameless.

Worst Emcee 10 years ago: (and why)

Whoever it was, they aren't using up any of my brain space.

Hardest part of hip hop for you?

Finding the time. Some people say hip hop is life, but my priorities are straight. . . some people may hate, but there are some things in my life that come before music.

Best all around hip hop song ever...

for me, it's Common "The Light"

Finish these sentences:

Hip Hop should thank: Jesus Christ

When i write i: try not to get stuck in my own box, or make anything routine.

When you listen to my music: have an open mind. Different doesn't mean bad, it just means you gotta give it a few more listens. It'll be worth it.

In my music; i shock myself the most when: i hear something in my head and i can get it on paper - or lay it down in the Stiz just how i heard it.

The track i am currently working on is: (description) A collabo from my boy D.Roc www.drocmusicproductions.com

My favorite type of track is: one that makes you think

---

What should we look forward to from you?

Maybe a song or two here and there ;)

upcoming shows?

Maybe an official cd release show, but we'll see - most of my time is spent in the Stiz

upcoming songs/albums?

I'm actually thinking about putting out a rock EP. Not like Weezy, but legit. Rock music is half of me. I have a bunch of songs that i never did anything with, i just need to assemble the project properly.

future collabs?

Got some stuff in the works with my R&B homie and super producer - D.Roc. We see what else comes my way.

Anything else?

If you wanna buy my album - it's on iTunes, Amazon (mp3 and hard copy), Rhapsody, Napster, and a bunch more places.

If you don't want to support me, but still want my music - it's all good - go here: http://www.jivetheuniversal.thestiz.com/download.html and click the obvious link "CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD. .etc .etc . ." (there's no pop-ups, it'll just start downloading)