Jaz-O wants the world to know that like the legendary L.L. Cool J declared during his “Mama Said Knock You Out” moment announcing his triumphant return to the game, he too does not want his resurfacing to be slapped with the label L.L. decried.
“I wouldn’t really call it a comeback,” explained Jaz to HipHopDX recently. “So many people have used that. I’ve been kinda lingering around, watching for the most part, just putting out stuff for the love of the game in general. But now I’m putting both feet in it, and just going hard. So if anything I’d call it the big hurrah. ‘Cause, it ain’t gonna be no fall back again and then come back again. Like, this is it.”
Jaz-O’s “big hurrah” will begin with an eight-song EP entitled The Warmup. Due digitally in early December, the project will consist of some songs that have already surfaced online – like the recently premiered “From Da Projects” 
– in addition to some new selections featuring appearances from Styles P and Billy Danze of M.O.P.
“It’s sort of a play on words,” explained Jaz of the EP’s title, “because I don’t really do like a setup for something else. Like, I put my best foot forward every time. So it’s kinda a little play on words calling it The Warmup.”
While he may not like referring to The Warmup as a setup release, he does have plans to trail that offering with a much higher-profile project.
“After the EP I’m going hard with the album,” he revealed. “I don’t like to say ‘mainstream,’ but I’m going after a lot of the cats that are in the mainstream that I’ve talked with. I’ve talked with a couple of cats, like Rick Ross. He told me anything I need, call him. So I’m about to call him on that.”
Before he calls in reinforcements to help ensure his hurrah is big, Jaz-O is shining a light on his past work with the recent re-release (complete with digital availability) of his 2002 full-length, Kingz Kounty, to help hip both old and new fans alike to his sole studio album of the ‘00s.
“My friend talked to me about it, my man PR Dean, and he was like it’s sort of an underground classic that maybe everybody didn’t get a feel of or a proper taste of,” said Jaz of his reasoning for re-releasing the nearly decade-old disc. “So, I just figured why not [re-release it]? And also to maybe introduce myself to some of the younger Hip Hop listeners who may not be as familiar with that era of me.”
Kingz Kounty boasts heavy-hitting production from DJ Premier and D/R Period, as well as Jaz-O himself, in addition to including the last collaboration between Jaz and his namesake, Jay-Z, on “Let’s Go!”
Jay-Z was noticeably absent from the video version of “Let’s Go!,” reportedly because he and Jaz had just ended their two-decade long friendship and working relationship due to Jaz’s refusal to sign an allegedly paltry offer to record for Roc-A-Fella Records. Several in-song shots have been fired by both Jay and Jaz at each other in the nearly decade since. But even with their public squabbles of recent years, the man who mentored arguably the greatest rapper of all time feels it is necessary to revisit his recordings with the then “Jay Zee” he introduced to the world on “Hawaiian Sophie” from Jaz’s 1989 solo debut, Word to the Jaz.
“I got a mixtape called Jaz-O and Jay-Z that I’ma put out,” revealed Jaz, “and it’s about 12 or 13 joints that feature he and I on the same song, most of which are my songs. But a lot of people never heard those. A lot of people never heard ‘em because they were too young … So I’ma throw that out there as a mixtape to familiarize the public with that – those who aren’t familiar.”
“[I’m] just trying to do a lot of things to bring people up to speed,” he continued, “because all those people who don’t know my music, they [only] heard of me via the Jaz-O/Jay-Z beef. And I wanna clear the air with all of that nonsense, that it’s not really about that, it’s about my music.”
Was asked to clear the air about the intent of his “Otis Freestyle” , Jaz replied, “Nah, it wasn’t [a diss]. The purpose of that was to just – And to be honest wit’chu, I’m not really crazy about the beat. It’s just that it’s something that’s been pushed out there so far, and it’s like if you gonna do a freestyle, do it on that. [But] of course, people are gonna say if I say something about somebody – just some general statement – they gonna always say like, ‘Oh, he said that against dude.’ Nah, it’s just general Rap shit.”
Jaz-O will be abandoning generalities for some straightforward communicating in his upcoming memoir.
“A lot of people are gonna be expecting me slinging a lot of shit around,” he said of his autobiography. “But, nah, it’s just gonna be the plain facts. It’s gonna be my life, but it’s gonna highlight my music career, which was the bigger part of my life. A lot of people told me I got a story to tell. It’s hard for me to recognize that because I lived through it. And, I’m over myself, so it’s not like an ego thing. But I just think that, along with other things, it’s a good contribution to Hip Hop [to tell my story].”
One story that Jaz-O told to HipHopDX free of charge was regarding “World Famous,” which was one of the three tracks he supplied to M.O.P. for their breakthrough sophomore album, 1996’s Firing Squad.
One of the current WeBuildHits.com producers (alongside Statik Selektah, Pete Rock and 9th Wonder), back in the mid-to-late ‘90s Jaz-O was a heavily in-demand beatmaker whose credits ranged from Ras Kass’ “H2O Proof” to Jay-Z’s “Rap Game/Crack Game.” And although his work for Firing Squad failed to propel M.O.P. to any great commercial success, the album was yet and still a must-buy for any self-respecting Hip Hop head at the time.
Five-and-a-half years after “World Famous” sent necks snappin’, in 2002, Scarface released his debut single for Def Jam Records, “My Block.” The track suspiciously sounded more like Jaz’s hard-hitting flip of the melodic keys that set off Donny Hathaway’s “Be Real Black For Me” than the original sample source, leading Hip Hop detectives to speculate for nearly a decade that the listed producer of “My Block,” Nashiem Myrick, must have lifted those powerful piano notes from “World Famous” and not from “Be Real Black For Me.”
“Well, you know, that’s another one of those things in the air, one of those Jay-Z scenarios,” revealed Jaz cryptically when the subject was brought up. “One of those things that he was sorta – I think he sorta had a hand in. But, you know, ‘World Famous’ is world famous. The streets know. That’s more important to me.”
Glad to see Jaz-O still on his feet doin his thang!
Things must be pretty rough for Jaz on the creative tip droppin. that one album for the las ten years
Jay-Z wouldn’t be shit if it weren’t for this nigga…
then how come he didnt blow up from this? nobody knows jayz from this they know him from roc a fella records in the 90s he made his own buzz in the streets battling and came up on his own, him and dame dash, fuck em nowadays tho he on that wack shit but dont say he wouldnt b shit w/o jazo he would made it on his own
You mean Jays hard work & dedication didn’t get him where he is…damn wat have I been doin with my life.
lol @ this nigga
u tell em boo
holla!
u wrong 4 dat
Aiyo, you want me to pepper-spray dude?
ayo Jay….come holla at me b
ayo leave that poor boy alone
Ima let yall finish but jay the best rapper of all time
Jay is auto tune still dead? I’m trying to drop my album
And you thought it wouldn’t Fit!
Hii Rihanna
Bye Rihanna
come on Rihanna spit on it be4 i shov it up ur ass 🙂
Jay man pick up your damn phone.
IF JAY WAS A REAL NICKA LIKE HE CLAIMS HE WOULD MAKE AMENDS WITH BEANIE SIGEL AND JAZ O…THROWEM A MILLION A PIECE AND LET BYGONES BE BYGONES…JAY Z KNOW HE WAS FOUL AND DISLOYAL ALL FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY..LIKE THEY WERENT HUMAN BEINGS
Damn you wanna fuck those nukkas that bad you gonna give advice on a situation you wasnt there for. when you say things from now on just remove the no from your homo.
nobody can argue jay as the greatest thats bullshit that nigga aint the greatest
Jay Z is the greatest . There it is I just did it and there are a million others who feel the same way I do cock sucker. Nac go lick sack you and your life are bullshit now go play in traffic. Jayz’s worst song is better than your favorite rappers best. Dont come with that gay ass nas bullshit because nas is wack, overrated, and a soft freaky homosexual.If you wanna argue at least say names like rakim, kool g rap or krs one.
lol someone got somethin for Jay Z
Jay-Z stole Jaz-O’s style,Fu-Schnicken’s style,Kane’s style,Nas’ style,Big L’s style,Biggie’s style,and Young Chris’ style. Jay been whack. It’s the money that put his status where he is today.
He aint back on his feet…More like back on that dope…..nigga lookin like he 68 yrs old…..talkin bout sum big hurrah…FOH…nigga fell off in the early 90’s…
Big Jaz O, forlife!!!!
“….the man who mentored arguably the greatest rapper of all time”*SHRUG* . wtf
Who’s pac? aka mr. GOAT
who’s nas? aka the man who killed his ass
who’s BIG? aka mr. sampled lyrics to death
who’s Em? aka mr. “RENEGADE!”(eminem voice)
jay-z = disloyal fake bitch
100
From your list looks like you keep alot of .Nutz. in your Mouth.
Jus sayin….
@ lol stfu hoe get jays dick out ya ass
“Sean Carter to “Jay-Z”, damn you on Jaz dick”
Jay-Z stole his name from Jaz-O. He just added a Y and put the Z where the O is.
he didnt steal shit stop lying and crying about shit you dont know about
duh
You the only one crying nigga. Who is this? Memphis Bleek?
He musta stole his Skills & ability to stay hot too.
Regardless of how you feel, being around back in the day, we all knew Jay-Z got his name and style from Jaz-O. …and out of respect for Jaz-O, even though Jay says Jaz-O should jealous, he never denied that Jaz-O was his mentor, he just thinks Jaz-O is bitter….but yea those of us who remember Jaz-O first all knew Jay-Z was his protege “back then, from the fast rap style Jay-z started with to the spelling of the name….But what do you expect, he used to look to to the guy before he found Dame Dash…True story…..
It will be nice to hear jaz O back on top form doing that real hip hop thing with the dirty production. Jay been doing his mainstream elvis thing now, so we need that slick old, real mcing back, that originates from jaz O.. strictly from the streets.
jaz o is like a old bitch who wont let it go he should have got with the roc his ego put him in this position. 99% of you need to hop of his dick you to young to know what the hell you talkin about
blahblahblah
he loves his pop rap!
This guy can still rap well. He was on a track with The Game last yr before that was dope.
Regardless of the whole Jay-Z thing and all the back & forth between them, Jaz-O is still nice lyrically.
jigga is him! damn!
LOL you know he is def broke
NO THAT’S JUST YOU SAYING IT LIKE YOU KNOW. GOT ANY PROOF? BANK STATEMENTS? LIENS? STATE PAPERWORK? INTERNET LINKS? UNTIL THEN STFU IT’S YOU WE DON’T BELIEVE.
snore zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
why are you snoring, listen to some lyrics!
Death 2 the gossiping commentator!
60 Second Assassins>>>
Jaz-O ain’t lost a step! FuX what you saying!
Jay-Z didnt get help from anyone, with his style, entry into the mainstream rap game, or building his company. Jaz-O and Dame Dash didn’t do shit to help Jay-Z, Jay-Z is a 100% selfmade hiphop entrpreneur. LOLOLOLOLOLOL
LMMFAO!
Nobody helped Jay, he just waited almost 10 years for a deal and all of a sudden people were throwing millions at his feet! There was no Jaz-O, or Clark Kent, or DeHaven, Ski Beatz, Biggs, or Mr CEE, or Dame, or Lyor Cohen, or Doug Morris that Jay needed! He was self made from jump!
Thomas Edison is recognized for his inventions but he did not invent everything by himself, he had a team that worked with him. Jay-z has made wonderful accomplishments but he did not do it completely by himself.
check us out on youtube BLACKLAWREBELMUSIC
Jaz’s Kingz Kounty CD is a sick-ass classic. There’s little need going into that whole Jay-Z situation at this point, REAL hip hop heads know what time it is on that issue. I didn’t know Jaz made that “World Famous” beat, I always wondered why Scarface’s version sounded so damn close to M.O.P’s, that’s crazy. I know Jaz will continue to bring that heat and also wish that he’ll work with that other cat Dibiase (from the Kingz Kounty album), dukes is mad nice as hell and they both compliment each other’s styles for real..
HE looks like a drunk waitng for a hand out from hova lol !
He needs money from jay z
He looks like a drunk waitng for a hand out from jay z
jay z is wack as fuck..
jaz o>>>wack ass faggot jay z ….i heard jay likes wrestling with dicks
notice how nobody adressed your ignorant comment.
JAz-o >>>>>> The other dude who got waaaay too many white people and stupid niggas hanging off his coattails.
You’ve got to be either stupid as fuck or literally the biggest hater in the history of haterism to say that Jaz-O is better than one of the ALL-TIME GREATS of this rap shit…
I remember when jaz o merked the whole rockafela>>>> i don’t think jay was ever nica then jaz
look at this old washed up nigg hahahaaahahhahaahahhahhahahhahaa
at a young age jay-z beat jaz in a speed rap battle, and he also beat big daddy kane, both who mentored him, and jay also beat busta rhymes in a battle when they were in high school, the dude is nice , quit trying to diss, yeah he could’ve looked out for jaz more, but boo hoo cry a river…ya’ll love throwing shots
Nobody will ever truly know what happened between these 2. So side taking is based off rumors
Get over it old skool…Jaz bummy ass
ya all so sensitive i respect both jay z and jaz o
JAZ-O WILL MURDER JAY-Z FAKE, STEALING ASS. HE’S STOLE FROM NAS, BIG DADDY KANE, CHRIS FROM THE YOUNG GUNNERS & SEVERAL OTHERS.