Last Week, Jay-Z celebrated the launch of his new culture and lifestyle website Life and Times. Now, to usher in the launch, Hov has linked up with Gwyneth Paltrow, star of films like Iron Man and Se7en and wife of his “Beach Chairs” collaborator Chris Martin, to interview each other for their respective websites.
Paltrow’s interview of Hov begins with him explaining his recent Internet endeavor. Although he’s shyed away from social media networks like Twitter and Facebook in the past, Jay said that he’s always wanted to to start a website that covers interesting and sometimes off-beat issues.
“I started working on it in its various incarnations over a year ago,” he explained. “I’ve thought about it forever. You know how it works, seeing other sites and being either inspired or saying, ‘That’s shit. I would do it like’…there is a basic metric for what we cover but, more importantly, I believe it’s how we cover it. The DNA is to basically let the subject speak for itself. We don’t want to tell you what to think. As far as how personal? I would say it has to pique my interest.”
During Jay’s interview for his site, Paltrow revealed that she has been an avid Hip Hop fan for the majority of her adult life. She explained that not only is she a fan of acts like revered Public Enemy and LL Cool J, but that she is obsessed with N.W.A. She even said that at one point, she knew every lyric that Eazy-E, MC Ren, Ice Cube and Dr. Dre rhymed on their seminal debut Straight Outta Compton.
“I first was exposed to hip-hop when I was about 16 [in 1988] by some boys who went to collegiate,” she explained to Hov. “The Beastie Boys were sort of the way in for us preppie kids. We were into Public Enemy, Run-DMC and LL Cool J. But then I went to LA the summer between my junior and senior year of high school and I discovered N.W.A., which became my obsession. I was fascinated by lyrics as rhythm and how [Dr.] Dre had a such different cadence and perspective from say, Eazy-E, who I thought was one of the most ironic and brilliant voices Hip Hop has ever had. It was an accident that I learned every word of Straight Outta Compton and to love something that a.) I had no real understanding of in terms of the culture that it was emanating from and b.) to love something that my parents literally could not grasp. But I was hooked. I can’t remember what I ate for dinner last night but I could sing to you every single word of N.W.A’s ‘Fuck Tha Police’ or [Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock’s] ‘It Takes Two.’ Go figure.”
This makes Gwyneth Paltrow so SEXY!
Agreed one-hunnid
I can’t wait ’til Jay-Z turns black again. I give credit where it’s due, and Jay is one of the swiftest MCs ever, but I can’t front…he’s turnin’ into a house nigga. Take that bowtie off, get off Chris Martin and his wife’s dick, put on a hoodie and at least pretend you remember the niggas that made you successful.
I feel what you sayin but that NIGGA JIGGA is a lost cause.
Sensaye, that ish is wack, turn black again, based on his attire, look @ some old pics of Harlem or any other city for that matter, on a sunday afternoon, Plenty of Black folk dressed to the nines. And sometimes you NEED a house igga to let you know whats goin on in the house. quit actin so young homie
@ ye lin
I don’t mind when J acts as an ambassador for the game outside of the booth and opens up the genre to those who might otherwise ignore it… thats a good look actually… the problem is that the ambassador mentality makes it into the booth and diminishes the creativity of js music by encouraging him to dumb it down for the masses… as a result you get bullshit raps about autotune on a cd using autotune, completely exaggerated claims about being the map for other artists, 10 flavors of wack feel good tracks about being ‘young forever’, and overall some of the most ill conceived pop rap tracks in recent memory [see BP3]… basically J has no identity inside the booth anymore [except for what kanye provides for him], and much of it stems from his moves outside of it… I mean he never was an original MC with a self-made identity but he did have a swag like no other MC… now he gets outdone on any track with a halfway decent lyricist… so much for being the GOAT… should’ve packed it in after Black album… ONE
Jay-Z hanging out with white people and wearing a bowtie doesn’t make him less black. Being a superstar that’s on a platform higher than any other Hip-Hop star but taking the Tiger Woods/ Michael Jordan approach to racial issues is what makes him less black. I can argue that it’s people like YOU that keep racism alive. People who don’t hold other accountable for doing their part in bridging the gap of racial inequality. These fools get their money and don’t give a fuck anymore about those who aren’t getting a fair shake at success. It’s like Ice Cube said before, all you gotta do to shut a nigga up is make him rich. I didn’t think Jay-Z would fall into this category, but he has. I say all this as a Jay-Z fan. Believe me, I’ve spent years defending this guy because I think he’s a smart individual and a deadly MC. But with that said, he’s not holding his weight. He’s in a position where he could be making significant changes because he’s not only a Hip-Hop superstar with fame and money, but he has the ear of the white folks, and what does he say? NOTHING. You can defend that shit if you want, but that passive attitude of “Hey, there’s nothing wrong with popping champaigne at the white house with the good ol’ boys” is the attitude that has totally destroyed the message that Hip-Hop originally conveyed, which was, WE HAVE A VOICE AND WE WANT TO BE HEARD. With respect to you homie, even though you felt the need to insult me, you can ride with these sell out ass niggas if you want, but I won’t back that shit, I don’t care how nice a nigga is lyrically. One.
@OP fair enough. I definitely agree that his musical works as of late have been sub-par at best. however I by no means would say that he has fallen into that category of “getting money and not giving a fuck anymore about his fellow countrymen”.
he has been on countless talk shows and interviews both domestically (oprah, larry king, letterman, etc) and internationally (BBC, westwood, Jonathan Ross, etc) where he always talks about his upbringing, lifestyle, and culture about his native Brooklyn and other urban cities in America. just spreading awareness and shedding light on the fact that yes, dealing drugs on the surface is a morally incorrect thing to do, it is a NECESSARY act for people in these situations.
Yes he is in a position that allows him to make significant changes but think about how much change he, himself can ACTUALLY make? (this goes for people like Bill Gates, our PRESIDENT, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, etc) in order for large scale change, there have to be tens of hundreds of thousands of people on board and hundreds of hurdles (paperwork, OPPOSITION from stupid people, etc)
people in power say they will bring change all the time but the fact of the matter it’s harder than we think to bring about said change.
Einstein once said… “The problems that exist in the world today cannot be solved by the level of thinking that created them.”
I would say Jay Z is doing his part in bettering our world through charities, foundations and spreading awareness to change perceptions of race or hip hop culture
more than any other artist I’d say.. sure other artists VOICE their concerns or whatever but one person I see actually DOING things is Jay Z here
but that’s just me
Just yesterday a white actress was talking shit about rap, and now Jay Z shows that both cultures have alot more in common than everyone thinks and even shows that she has some hip hop knowledge. Its not like Jay went to hear and begged for an interview, they have been friends, listen to hollywood on kingdom come where jay say “when your friend is chris and gwyneth”. If you think Jay is fake, you can be the guy wearing hoodies in the projects the rest of your life.
sensaye, you are a stupid NIGGa!! So just because a black man is working and suceeding in life makes him less of a black man. You must be either in your late teens or your parents are as stupid as you for not bringing you up properly. You are the reason why your still stuck in your deadend life.
Declining music quality aside, what exactly is it Jay-Z is supposed to be doing that he’s not doing to make you happy? Isolate himself strictly within black media? Run around screaming “Black power” and shit? What is he supposed to do with having the “ear of white people?” What significant changes is he in a position to make? You sound like one of those people who complains about “the system” all day but can’t state an opinion on any issue that makes any kind of logical sense.
Sensaye252, ur one smart dumb nigga. Jay-Z always cared about Jay-Z only. Jigga never cared about social issues for Blacks really. He always been the arrogant self centered who always looked out for #1. Look at all the people he fucked over in order for him to get to the top. Sounds like you have this messiah complex of Jay-Z. Have faith in a higher power, not man. Because man will let you down everytime.
Good, now let’s have a real conversation about this. As far as all the “you a stupid nigga” and “your parents mustve not taught you shit”…there’s enough reasonably intelligent people in here where we don’t need to talk on that level, that’s dumb. So, for those of ya’ll willing to really build on this topic, hear me out yo..
Think about guys like Muhammad Ali, or Jim Brown. Guys that could have ‘behaved’ and made way more money, been way more loved, and had an easier life. But they chose to help their people, because that’s what the responsibility of a struggling people. Black people in America right now are in my opinion in worst shape than ever. Certainly the worst shape I’ve ever seen in my life thus far. When I say bad shape I don’t mean financially, even though thats not good either. I mean as far as young black kids being mislead, lied to, decieved, and being given this attitude of “I don’t gotta do shit for nobody but myself”, and they are in dire need of someone to have the courage to really make a movement towards saving young blacks in this country, striaght up.
Realistically, Jay is one of the richest black Men in American history. That’s a big statement, espeically since it’s a rapper. Believe me, I’m really proud of Jay-Z. He’s not pretty, he’s awkward, the odds were heavily against him and he made it to the top, mostly by just being a ill ass MC. I get it, and I respect it. But look at the opportunity he’s squandering, how can you be okay with that? Look at guys like Nas, Mos Def, or 2Pac. Whether you’re a fan of there’s or not you gotta admit that you always feel like they are trying to empower black people. Nas makes risky albums that jeapordize his career, but to him it’s worth it because that’s the responsibility of black man with a voice. Same with Pac.
Other rapper idolize Jay-Z. If Jay-Z spoke up and said I’m inviting every other rapper and entertainer to ride with me on this issue or that issue, or just a movement towards positivity, they would run to his side. Why doesn’t he do things like this? You know why, because he doesn’t wanna sacrifice his money. It’s a risk. Look man, giving to charity is cool and all, but really it ain’t shit. There’s a lot of rich scum bags that give to charity just ’cause it’s a tax write-off. What else are you gonna tell me, let me guess, he gave out 1,000 turkies on thanksgiving throughout brooklyn. That’s nice and all, but for a black billionaire from Marcy projects who proclaims himself “Jayhova” and is constantly putting himself in the same breath as legendary figures, I’d expect a hell of a lot more.
Politicians and entertainers will only be as good as what people demand of them. If everyone is constantly holding these cats to low standards of responsibility nothing is ever going to get done. I choose to hold these guys to a higher standard because I think there’s something wrong with the fact that black entertainers are richer than ever yet the hood is worse than ever. And I think that shit is weak, even if it is one of my favorite rappers ever. Can you imagine if Jay-Z, Kanye West, Lil’ Wayne, Ice Cube, and a handfull of other rich, famous, and influential rappers/entertainers actually put together some kind of positive movement for real? I mean, why is that considered an impossibility? I don’t understand what happened to ya’ll man. You really need to think about what I’m saying. Peace.
I don’t think that the core issue regarding the state of ‘Black America’ is that there needs to be a movement in positivity. One, I would say that is a universal movement and has been going on a long long time, since those hippies during the Vietnam war; and two, just being “positive†and having a “positive outlook†isn’t enough, especially when you’re growing up in say inner city surroundings where you witness your brother or best friend getting shot or living in a household with no father figure and a large number of brother/sisters.
Someone like Jay-Z, however rich and famous he may be, can only do so much for the Black community. I would say that what needs to be done for inner city communities FIRST and FOREMOST is to bring QUALITY teachers.. to teach math, science, English.. the “boring†stuff, yes I know. There is too much of an emphasis I feel, especially in the Black community, that the only way to be ‘successful’ is to get into the entertainment industry, whether it be music, movies, or sports. The truth of the matter is, the percentage of people who can actually make it to these is very very small, and time is much better spent pursuing other much more attainable careers.
“How?â€
The reason the “hood is worse than ever†cannot be blamed on Jay Z, or Lupe, or any artist. Sure they have the spotlight to say things but what needs to be SAID is that folks need to start learning and pursuing life skills/goals other than entertainment and sports. What needs to be DONE is these cats; Jay and company who already have millions, combine efforts with other millionaires and local government to get quality teachers out there.
That is all that THEY (people of power) can do. The rest is on the people of the community. If you’re offered a golden opportunity and don’t take it, the faults on you, not the people who’ve put that opportunity in front of your face.
Effort leads to success. That is what Jay Z, D Wade, Eminem, whoever, symbolizes. It doesn’t mean to rap or play basketball. It simply says if you work hard you will succeed.
Currently, inner cities in America do not OFFER the TOOLS needed to succeed. That is what Obama should be focusing his attention on, not going back to Iraq, or Iran, or Libya or whatever the fuck country to steal oil from them. If spent those billions of dollars on rebuilding America’s inner cities, we will have a generation of educated scientists, doctors, and engineers who have the tools required to do research and come up with renewable energy, and all that jazz so we don’t have to go overseas and bomb random countries to fight over oil.
I dunno how much of a tangent I went on but all I’m trying to say is that our focus needs to be on the youth. I know it’s been SAID countless times but no one has yet to actually DO something on a LARGE SCALE about it (Mark Zuckerberg recently donated $100 million to the New Jersey public school system and is working with Mayor Corey Booker to see this money put to use.. so at least one cat is doing his job). People like Jay Z needs to do that for say New York. Eminem for Michigan, etc etc. Politicians in general are garbage, we can’t count on politicians for shit. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t that 1% who actually want to do the right thing, there is just that 99% of them who could care less.
Yessir.
Lin, you gotta understand something though homey. The school system, the jail system, the court system, the law system, the political system, it’s all part of one corrupt system that made Hip-Hop a necessary entity. Hip-Hop was something created out of nothing almost like a miracle that gave a voice to the people who were victims of this corrupt system. That’s why when Hip-Hop was new, rappers were seeking to empower and uplift their listeners. It was a vehicle that was being used to forge forward in a terrain that is is designed to devour and destroy black/poor people. If you would have told us in 1986 that in 25 years there would be several rappers who have hundreds of million of dollars, we would have been dancing in the streets because we would have assumed that it meant that black people came up. It’s 25 years later, there are several rappers with hundreds of millions of dollars, and things are worse than ever. How is that possible? It’s because all that money being made is not going to the hood or to organizations meant to help the hood. Fuck the school system. We know that the school system is one of the biggest tools used to keep people in the inner-city down.
Look at how Italian people came up in the country. They came up by accepting that the are not going to have the welcome mat rolled out for them in this country, and they would have to organize their own systems of gaining wealth, and they did it because the Italians who ‘made it’, even by means of crime, were investing their money in their own community. Now, these grandchildren and great grandchildren of mobsters are now doctors, lawyers, teachers, business owners, etc.
These rappers are always comparing themselves to mafia members, yet they have no idea what that mafia movement was about, they simply idolize the guns, drugs, and money that was associated with the mafia movement.
I am just dumbstruck by the fact that you think it’s okay for all these black celebrities to live like kings, brag about their money, and then do little to nothing to help the community, and yet it everyone is cool with it.
If you speak on it, the reaction every time is “you’re a hater”. Words like ‘hater’ and ‘snitch’ are epidemics in the hood because they prevent people from telling the truth. Hip-Hop used to be about telling the truth. Now its just about making money, and anyone who speaks up against it is just a ‘hater’. It’s like you guys have all become pussies and you don’t even know it. When are people gonna hold these rappers accountable for ANYTHING?
Well I would think the so-called niggas that made Jay-Z successful, are adults as well, and don’t vision hoodies as a means of keeeping it real. This whole, “keeing it real” mentality is what’s keeping a lot of people in the hood!
Isnt that too cute. Hiphopdx is pushing jayzs website pretty damn hard….Hope hes throwing yall advertising money for all of these articles?
She knew every word to Fuck the Police and still went on to become a success? Now that’s gangsta
now thats really gangster…hahahahahahaha…maybe they’ll cast her if for a NWA movie..
i’ll be honest, when i first glanced at this headline, I thought it said “jay z and gwens stefani talk hip hop”. i said “i’d hate to be in that room”, but now i see it’s paltrow!? lame.
hahah Thats some good shit there. I knew I always liekd her for a reason…..well I’ve always liked deathly pale skinned broads 🙂 hahaha! I can picture her singing….” a young nigga got it bad cause im brown”
exactly
I like that gwen has a sense of history when it comes to hip hop. Im mad that people are hating on jay’s bowtie. The man is like 42 years old, i cant hate on a man for acting his age.
Is it jus me or in the pic, does it look like Jay has a photo opp and G.P. looks like a fan….Kinda Cool IMO.
Well atleast Nas still keeps it real.
yeah, keeps it real quiet. where was nas mention in this article?
NAS, is mentioned for what reason?
Get off this man’s dick. He did what he had to to get out the hood, end of story. Anything else that people have to say is just talk, and at this point, all people can do is hate.
Gwyneth is a good counter balance to Ashley Judd’s crazy ass comments. Jay is the Sammy Davis of rap…He is “safe” for Gwyneth and Oprah to like, thanks to Beyonce softening his image after marrying Jay. I appreciate she admitted the Beastie Boys was the in for preppy kids.
You niggaz are so weak, simple-minded, ignorant and unambiguous. For the life of me, stop hating on nigga. The man is 42 and u won’t him to stop dressing and put on a hoodie and act like he 20. Y’all kill me. When a nigga committing crimes and ruining he hood yal love it. But when he successful and show the world, white ppl, Asian ,etc who think we nuthin but some dumb niggaz, that we arron fact intelligent and can handle our business , y’all despise them. Young and dumb NIGGAZ alike, get your priorities straight.. Damn, fucking dumb niggaz, make me wanna throw up
yeah these youngsters need to grow up
If these youngsters choose not to grow up, they should atleast understand that the older/wiser folk will not stoop to their level in order to satisfy their ignorant needs.
Y’all the reason Ashley Judd and others make cOmments like that
and when he got on leave your ass for a white girl
LMFAO!!!
Damn, I didn’t know Gwyneth got down like that, props to her. The best flick she’s done was Se7en, when dude cut her head off. Seein’ as DX as been featuring white girls in articles this, can you try and find a way to feature my favourite white actresses; Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Connelly?
Fuck jay Z the pop rapper and rap groupie Gwyneth. Suddenly all these dumb bitches listen to hiphop.
dude you have issues.
your a dumb mother fucker
It’s true though. Now thats its safe to like Hip-Hop, all these people are comin’ out and talking about how much they love it. But back in the NWA days when they were trying to arrest people just for listening to rap music you couldn’t find nobody outside the hood stickin’ up for it. And everyone in here is givin’ her ‘props’ ’cause she knows the word to some NWA songs. Castrated ass punk ass niggas in here.
whoa.
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props to Paltrow.
gwyneth paltrow desperately trying to give this music thing a go. good actress, but come on. started the buzz with glee, then grammy’s and cma’s. now, teaming up with jay z for an interview on hip-hop music? i mean she is not a good singer- industry forcing sub-par talent down our throats once again.
@ Sensaye, I can understand where you are coming from, and what might be fueling a bit of your fustration as far as the responsibilities you feel Jay-z should be taking. However, the issue with the on going struggle with african american individuals in america is on a much larger scale than you envision, and would require a lot more than hip hop to be resolved. In my peroanl opinion, I see two-parent households and better education as key. And that would only be the starting point for a journey so great. The elite persons that corrupt america’s political system cannot be abolished simply by a top rapper with a huge fan base. An education combined with knowledge of what’s the real problem is absolutely necessary and essential.
That’s what I’m saying man. I’m not saying Jay-Z should cut a check for a billion dollars and give the hood a make-over. I’m saying that with his and other rapper’s influence on young black people, if they started to do things like encourage family values and talk about the value of real education then things would change. But they’re not doing it, why?
Im sorry but Jigga looks like Mr Bo Jangles on that picture. I never really see him with a smile from ear to ear, plaid bow tie, no ray ban glasses. ummmm. Im not sayin he is an uncle tom but he sure does look like one… Im just sayin. All hugged up on that white girl.. Dont loose touch jigga. ‘Some’ of these white folks dont give a shit about us, only when the music/culture makes them look cool. but I digress. hate all you want but this just one man’s opinion.
You’re ridiculous
Naw homie, you’re ridiculous if you think there is absolutely no validity to what I just said. Jigga seems to want to assimilate to into anglosax culture. The writings on the wall but some just dont want to look at that wall. All the jewish references he makes in his lines on BP3… comeon son…
gweneth paltrow sucks jayzs behemoth dick
i’m suppose to be #1 on everybody’s list , we’ll see what happens when i no longer exist
look at this Sam BOW ass nigga wit his bowtie
what wrong wit this dude..cant y’all see hes nothing but a rick house nigga
some of u guys on here are out of your little pea-brains…Jay-Z is a 42 year old multi-millionaire (almost billionaire), yall want him to put on a hoodie and act differently? WHY THE FUCK DOES EVERYONE THINK BLACK PEOPLE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE HOOD?????Are none of you proud to see an intelligent, successful, celebrated, influential and still relevant-decades-later-in-a-fickle-culture type of person do their thing??? Anyone who doesn’t see that this article is a good look for Hip Hop culture AND human beings in general (ESPECIALLY in this country) should climb on their roof, and swan dive into traffic immediately…
seriously yall, get an education, get out of the hood, it’s waaaaaayyyy better…repping the hood anymore than you have to is INCREDIBLY STUPID….GROW THE FUCK UP, GET A JOB, A CAREER, OR SOMETHING!!!THEN YOU MIGHT UNDERSTAND!!!! When ur pushin 50 yrs. old still livin in the hood surrounded by your dirty-ass, uneducated, no-job-havin family lets see how happy u are with the decisions u made….so fucking STUPID smh…some folks on here need to realize they DONT represent black people just because they happen to be black…some of yall are a cancer to the rest and should commit japanese ritual suicide to preserve what little honor you have…get a job, save up like 10 checks, go online, order a REAL sword from a REAL Japanese swordmaker…while u wait for it to arrive, apologize to the people who’s lives you’ve tainted with your ignorance…then, when the package arrives at your house…find a clean and quiet corner of the house (or apartment)…tear open the package, grip the sword with both hands on the handle, face the tip of the blade towards your intestines, plunge it thru your wasted flesh until you are no more…it will be the single most honorable thing you ever do…
everyone else…peace…
No rainbow, but I could kiss you on the mouth right now!!!! Black people don’t understand that we have been programmed and condition to feel and behave out of sheer inferiority. Wake up and move on!
this is MADD intense, but i deff appreciate the message and the language!
“Go kill yourself!” That’s what every punk ass kid in here says when they disagree with someone. All that teen angst got you feelin’ blood thirsty huh. Go rub one out and get over it. Then we can have a real debate if you got the stones for one.
i love love love thisssss
fo real tho, i gotta admit, jay looks like a clown in this picture, not even cuz he has on a bowtie (i think he dresses exceptionally well wit his suits), this pic just looks like they copy and pasted his head onto the suit
Bitch you’re dumb. We dont care what u think.
umm you clearly cared enough to respond to what i said.