Little Brother has recalled pulling up to the famed Baseline Studios in NYC to work with JAY-Z in the early 2000s.
Big Pooh and Phonte stopped by My Expert Opinion earlier this week when the North Carolina-bred rap duo reflected on the “great” experience of being part of a Hov studio session in his home city.
AD LOADING...
“I still remember when we was on the tour and came to New York and got to go to Baseline and we sitting there and Jay had that shit on 100,” Big Pooh said.
“He sitting in the back of the room looking at us and I’m looking at him. It was a great moment. Great moment.”
AD LOADING...
The show’s co-hosts also questioned Little Brother about their feelings seeing in-house producer 9th Wonder get the call to work with Hov, but it was all love.
“I was happy for him. Like it’s JAY-Z, my n-gga,” Pooh added. “I think a lot of people wanna believe that our issues with him stem from something music or business. Once you come to understand who people are. Then you say okay, I either decide I want to continue working or being friends with this person, or I don’t.”
AD LOADING...
He continued: “As we were moving forward we understood we not the same. There’s nothing you could do about that. You are who you are.” Phonte chimed in: “When we heard he got a placement it was like, ‘Holy shit!'”
Watch the clip starting at the 6:45 mark below.
9th Wonder ended up producing “Threat” off JAY-Z’s 2003 The Black Album and went on to connect with Beyonce in the same studio session, which led to him producing for Destiny’s Child’s final album, Destiny Fulfilled.
“I walk in and see [JAY-Z] I’m like, ‘Oh, okay,'” 9th told the Say Less Podcast about working with the Brooklyn rap deity. “I ended up playing 29 beats for him. He said, ‘I like what you got, can you come back Monday and make something for me on the spot?’ I made something for him on the spot and he said my name on the track. End of story.”
9th Wonder would end up leaving the Big Brother family officially in 2007.
The North Carolina beat maestro was named to Billboard‘s Greatest Rap Producers List as 9th made the cut at No. 24.
AD LOADING...
“Wow. Never expected to make top 25 on @billboard’s list,” he wrote in the caption. “There’s been a lot of dope producers in the last 50 years of our culture. Salute to you all! Thanks to the staff! Grateful.”
