Def Jam Records star R&B artist and producer/songwriter The-Dream has added some context to the creation of Jay-Z’s just-released twelfth album, Magna Carta Holy Grail. In a new interview with Diddy’s Revolt TV, he opened up about the mysterious LP.
According to The-Dream, who just released his own IV Play album, Jay’s latest album started during the sessions from 2011’s Watch The Throne joint-album with Kanye West. Talking about M.C.H.G.‘s album opener, the Atlanta, Georgia native explained, “‘Holy Grail,’ actually, that record was the first record actually done for this album. I did it sometime between—actually it was [while] finishing Watch The Throne. ‘No Church [In The Wild]’ hadn’t been done yet. ‘Otis’ hadn’t been done. But they knew which records were [making the album].” The-Dream worked on 2011’s “No Church In The Wild” as well as “Holy Grail.” Both album-openers were co-produced, with an ensemble of 88-Keys and Mike Dean on the former, and Timbaland and No I.D. on the latter.
Following 2011, The-Dream and Jay-Z stayed in touch about the loose concept. “I remember hittin’ [Jay-Z], lettin’ him know that I wanted to start on his album, that I had an idea.” Jay reportedly wanted to know more. “I sent him ‘Holy Grail,'” noted the Radio Killa founder. “I just felt like it was going into that [Leonardo] Davinci place, and so I wanted to write that record.” To The-Dream, ironically, the 2013 record sealed the fate of the joint they would later record in New York City’s Mercer Hotel for Watch The Throne. “I don’t even know if ‘No Church In The Wild’ is even done without ‘Holy Grail’ initiating [its creation].”
Although Magna Carta Holy Grail is largely associated with Timbaland, Swizz Beatz and Rick Rubin’s musical ear, The-Dream says his role could be easily downplayed, “The only place I wasn’t, was probably in that fuckin’ [Samsung] commercial.”
Two years removed from Watch The Throne, when The-Dream and Jay-Z crossed paths again, the recording was impromptu. “We wasn’t even there to be workin’ with Jay; we was there fuckin’ with [Beyonce]. He was there, just chillin’ [mimics Jay-Z listening to songs]. He heard that one fuckin’ record like, ‘Oh shit? Nigga, let’s go.’ And the shit took off.” It’s unclear which record The-Dream is referring to. The superstar songstress appeared on “Turnt,” from IV Play.
The-Dream says that Jay’s enthusiasm prompted a rapid recording schedule that mirrors that of Tupac Shakur’s All Eyez On Me sessions from nearly 20 years ago. “That was literally about—the body [of Magna Carta Holy Grail]—two weeks of work.” With several songs already made, The-Dream says that Jay-Z plugged away at his latest. “The significant part of this album, the body: two weeks.”
RELATED: Jay-Z featuring Justin Timberlake – “Holy Grail” [VIDEO]
Jay has to be the best that has ever done it. Checkout thegrandreport, they have some cool entertainment news and videos on there too
No they don’t… It’s a website for people who like to have sex with small animals.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYPoDFil1r0
not gonna buy it
Sounds like it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo8tr4DjVaM
“We wasn’t even there to be workin’ with Jay; we was there fuckin’ with [Beyonce].”
In front of Jay???
he means just workin on her stuff, vibing in the studio
to say they were fuckin with beyonce instead of saying they were working with her or on her music is a disrespectful way of putting it, even it means the same thing
Cuz she’s a female? If he said he was fuckin with Jay or any other male rapper there wouldn’t be a single comment… Cuz thats how ppl talk
anyone who has listened 2 jayz knows he was lazy with this album..still murked alot of songs which shows his natural ability– but if he took his time woulda been his num 1 album ever..i got it at 6-7 now
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QI-KjVLS6Uk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pv7GZN_sPM
Funny, Timbaland came out & said the Picasso track laid the foundation for the album… everyone is out in the news now trying to get 15 seconds of game off Jay-Z’s album…
follow at noles506
http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/rOoj3N5o8hY/mqdefault.jpg
Gay z is a gay rapper!! ”we was there fuckin’ with [Beyonce]. He was there, just chillin”
he sat there watching his wife being fucked by another guy. blue ivy is a test tube baby!
his album flopped too. he cant go plat in a week like King Weezy
Many lies here.
Kill yourself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMKXheW_pZ4
There’s the problem. Jay takes pride in rushing every project. He never takes time to sit on an album and listen, see if his music holds up. But then certain people expect listeners to give Jay’s album more than two weeks of thought to let it all “sink in”. wtf? If Jay doesn’t care, why should fans give his music more consideration than the artist himself?
This is such a legit point
rushing and putting out something quickly are two different things.In order to catch the moment and the energy of the time,especially in an easily forgettable rap landscape ,you don’t put out an album tomorrow your forgotten.Some rappers need to wait,some artists SHOULD wait.Why should Jay?
The point is not why he should wait. The point is that his music hasn’t been quality for a while now. Good for him that he sells and good for people that truthfully like his music. I just think everything about him is outdated.
i think jayz has all the money in the world- the last thing he needs to do is rush an album for money..why not focus on your rap legacy–sure hes a nice spitter. but when it comes down to it he did dumb his lyrics down and in turn you get simpler songs from jayz..and that alone is the reason hes in my not in my top 7
The Blueprint was recored in a weekend or something crazy like that. I hear no complaints about that? Sit on album too long the energy and focus you had just dies out. Blueprint flowed like a album and this one does too because it was all done in a short time period.
Don’t have to put in work when Samsung gifting you a platinum plaque.
COOL THANKS FOR CONFIRMING WHY THAT SHIT WACK!
SO DID KANYE’S ALBUM AND IT WAS 100000000 TIMES BETTER!
Album is ILLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!
Hip Hop started in the streets and it will forever be in the streets, the fact of the matter is. Nobody in the streets is listening to Jay Z, only kids from the burbs. I ain’t feelin this album, i don’t care how lyrical he is, it’s fuckin wack in the streets. Only people in the urban community (not suburban ) should have say to what is dope hip hop and what isn’t, this is NOTHING special. Kids from the suburbs tend to think just because a rapper is “lyrical” that makes them great! 2Pac , Too Short, Eazy E, and many many others weren’t the most complex rappers but they are more legends, why? Because they kept it street. These underground, and lyrical cats can rhyme as many words out of the dictionary that they want and it is still wack in the streets why? Wack subject matter, wack hooks, wack beats, nobody wants to listen to any of that. People wake up, street hip hop (biggie, 2pac, big l , meek ) any rapper that reps the streets, YES even Gucci will have more respect than these lyrical cats, because hip hop IS the streets, and if the streets aren’t feelin it, than it doesn’t matter how versatile you are, wack is wack no matter what, this album is nothing special, and kids from the burbs need to stop givin this shit 5 star reviews!!
The lyrics on this album arent even complex so IDK where you are going with that….. and yes complexity has a lot to do with who the best emcees are. The point is to balance the lyrical complexity with substance and authenticity….and no that substance doesn’t have to be the streets. For the record, MCHG is not impressive.
people in the hood like chief keef n other fags like that..if anything suburb kids should have a say whats hot bec they can think for themselves and dont try to look like Gs infront of their buddies n say they dont like lyrical shit.. lets stick to the retarded shit.. faggot
Why the fuck should the people in the urban community have the say if something is dope or not. And Jay isnt in the steets anymore so why the fuck would he rap about something that he isnt currently living, if he did talk about the steets you would complaint hes fake
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf6iHwKJrrk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFzns8Go9KI
So thats the reason its such a crap. Go buy a picasso Jay or a Buggati
he has 5 of each.
http://i424.photobucket.com/albums/pp328/eric81175/leatherface.gif
yea, and it sounds like it was made in 2 weeks.
2pac had the same recording process and I hear nobody bitching about that? The Blueprint was done in a weekend that’s hailed as one of Jay’s best right?
The album sounds like a complete project because everyone was in the same zone at the same time. I guess that’s how Jay gets his best work out. Spend too long overthinking a project and it could come out a mess. Not everyone is the same with the creative process.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVuiM3dmw3Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fp9BSmxgUxs
KEYBOARD WARRIORS AHAH
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJxKnpYo70M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SCtyEOJy0A