JAY ROCK  (September 2008) | Interview By:

      

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Interview was done by phone in September 2008

Questions Asked By: Jonathan Hay & Chad Kiser

Interview Assitance: Sabrina Hale

Jay Rock Gave Dubcnn A Shout Out Check That Here
 

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Dubcnn Exclusive – Jay Rock
A Dubcnn Exclusive
By Jonathan Hay and Chad Kiser
www.myspace.com/jonathanhay

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Dubcnn: What’s up, Jay Rock?

What’s up with it, Homie?


Dubcnn: What are you working on right now?

You know me, man, I’m just knockin’ it out, man. I’m working on a lot of stuff man, I got this nice lil mixtape comin out. It’s gonna be real big I don’t want to talk too much about it, I just want to blow everybody’s head when it comes out. The album is finished and I got Game, Lil Wayne and Neyo. This shits crazy and I’m getting ready for bigger and better things.


Dubcnn: Yeah I was on your MySpace checking out your song with Lil Wayne…

“All My Life,” yeah.


Dubcnn: That’s a dope track. How did you hook up with Weezy?

I ran into Weezy a couple times, and one time we exchanged numbers. I think we was at Universal and he was like, man whenever man gimme a call and we can get in it. Cool & Dre had sent me the track and I was like man I need somebody else top of the line on this song if its gonna be big. So I thought of Weezy and I called him up, I know he travels a lot and is busy, so I called him up and took it upon myself, like man I really need him on the track so I bought me and my boys a plane ticket to where he was at I think he was in Virginia at the time, so we went out there and got some studio time and that was a rap.


Dubcnn: What did you think of his performance at the VMA's?

Man, that dude go hard, his performance was crazy. He did his thing, but man being in the studio with that dude… his work ethic inspired me to go harder. There ain’t no sleep with him. He just goes out and does his thing. I paid attention to that, a lot of dudes need to learn from that cat because he goes extra hard.


Dubcnn: That’s why he sells so many records too, it’s all about what you put in is what will come out…

Exactly, man.


Dubcnn: Is there a video on the way for that song?

Yeah, man, we got the video done for that song. The song was leaked a minute ago by someone at the label. There was a miscommunication, but we got everything mixed and done and we just getting ready to make that push. We shot the video last month and we are ready to go.


Dubcnn: So that is the first official single then?

Yeah, “All my Life” - with me, Lil Wayne and Will.i.Am.


Dubcnn: And who produced the song?

Cool & Dre


Dubcnn: I was gonna say that sounded like a Cool & Dre beat…

Yeah, they did it. Shout out to them boys too, they go hard too man, they did their stuff on that one.


Dubcnn: With Cool & Dre did you reach out to them to get them on the project, or how did all of that work out?

Man them dudes they heard my work. I reached out to folks and seen one of them in the club or some type of event. I went up to them and let them know, ‘I’m Jay Rock and I’m the next nigga.’ We need to get in the studio and make something happen. That’s what it is and it’s all about communication and reaching out to each other and keeping in contact, ya’know networking.


Dubcnn: What other major producers did you get for your album?

J.R. [Rotem] has a couple joints on the album…


Dubcnn: Tell us about the life of someone in your situation. How did you create the buzz and get the projects going? Tell me about the life of a rising star like yourself?

Man, life is real good. I can’t complain. I’m really blessed and there are millions of people who would love to be in my situation right now. So I feel real good about it, like this is the road to success and I’m right there like a couple steps away from it you know. It might be a little bit tiring but you have to step past that and keep on pushing.


Dubcnn: So what about the personal sacrifices? I know you had to make a ton of them to get this spot…

Yeah it’s a lot of sacrifices man, I don’t get to spend as much time with the fam, but I gotta push - because at the end of the day in the long run we are all gonna be straight.


Dubcnn: Tell us about your song with The Game?

I got him on a track called “California Soul.” He co-produced the track and jumped on the hook. I don’t know if you’ve heard it or not, but I think we had it on the site a couple of times you know, but that’s a real big record from California about representing California.


Dubcnn: You’ve been dealing with The Game for a long time right?

Game, that’s my dude right there. Shot out to Black Wall Street, all them cats. We all came up together and I know he is killin em right now. He got a hot album, so I’m loving his album and he doing his stuff…Big shot out to The Game and the whole Black Wall Street.


Dubcnn: As far as the internet goes, your YouTube and MySpace is crazy, man, with your numbers; was that strategic, or did that kinda grow on its own? Do you have a lot of people working on your internet precedence, etc?

It’s crazy man… It was just one of them things where we would do something, and then be like, man get the cameras out cause people want to see what’s going on with us. The people want to see what’s going on with Jay Rock and what he doing. So I give the people what they want and show them that’s it real, no fake no front whatever. I do real and that’s what it’s about.


Dubcnn It’s almost like its own real reality show…

That’s exactly what it’s like, because people don’t know that I go through a lot of stuff. People don’t know, but they see a part of it on YouTube, just the stuff I go through like every day the police harassing us, just everyday life and you gotta whip that camera and show the people it’s real out here…


Dubcnn: What kind of topics are you touching on with the new album?

I touch on a lot of stuff, just give you a walkthrough of the trials and tribulations of my life, growing up in the projects man and showing the people the struggle. This album is for anyone who comes from the ghetto or the gutter man, they gonna feel this album it’s about going from the bottom and working your way to the top. This whole album is just like a walkthrough about not just my life but just watts itself. Follow Me Home is the title of the album and that basically sums it up just follow me around my hood.


Dubcnn: What’s the release date for it?

We shooting for the first week of February. I ain’t trying to toot my own horn, but this shit right here is gonna be the biggest album of the year.


Dubcnn: Are all the songs are finished?

All the songs are finished, but I’m still in the studio, coming hard just doing mixtapes and appearances and whatnot. I’m just working with a lot of artists out here.


Dubcnn: Is there anybody you wish you could have worked with; like somebody you are still waiting on to get with or anything?

Man I’d love to get Busta on an album; I ain’t even gonna lie to you man he one of them dudes that made me want to rap. His whole style is crazy man like his whole flow and he be switching his flows and shit I love that. But maybe one day down the road I’ll run into him and get it in.


Dubcnn: Now you said Busta was one of the people that influences?

Yeah, he was one of the ones that influenced me but I grew up on a lot of people man like Snoop, Dre, Cube, Scarface, Nas, Jigga, Biggie, Pac -- man, everybody plus my big homies that grew up in my hood and I grew up on it all.


Dubcnn: Give your top five of all time…

2Pac, Scarface, Biggie, Nas, and Busta.


Dubcnn: What about Dr. Dre; have you ever did any work with him?

I ain’t never seen Dre a day in my life. I’ll keep it 100% real I ain’t never seen that man a day in my life. I ain’t never got up close or anything I’d love to meet him and shit but I’ve never done it. Maybe with this album he'll notice and it might happen but until then follow me home Jay Rock Top Dawg entertainment.


Dubcnn: Do you have a plan for the tour in the works?

Hopefully I can get on this tour with game he is doing an overseas tour and I’m trying to get on that. Hopefully I can be part of that. there’s a couple of tours me and my Boy Fab and T Malone talking about getting on just like a lil west tour just up the coast from top to bottom. Then branch out and go to the east and the south n stuff.


Dubcnn: You have toured with The Game before haven’t you?

Yeah I toured with him like a year or two ago. which was a good experience for me I ain’t never done anything like that or performed in front of that many people so I thank him for picking me up and giving me that opportunity. There’s a lot of other people who want to get on and I appreciate that there.


Dubcnn: What’s the experience like, you know, going on tour with Game; obviously, a big star out here in this game and going out to these sold out arenas and venues…What’s that like for a young up-and-coming artist like yourself to go through that for the first time?

Like I said I feel good about it every time I hit that stage I come with it. I never thought a lil nigga from the projects would be performing in front of thousands of people man and it feels good it gives me more motivation to go out and work harder because you know all them people were feeling my shit, and love what I do. So why not keep doing it?


Dubcnn: You’re signed with Warner Brothers, right?

I’m a new Warner Brothers artist; shot out to Kevin Black, Tom Whalley – all of them…


Dubcnn: Yeah, do you get a lot of people from the label around you or do they just kinda let you do your own thing? Or how does that work from a business aspect with the decision making?

You know, I just do me man that’s what it’s all about man being myself. What’s the point of business if you can’t be you? There isn’t a point, I’m always gonna be Jay Rock and that’s what it is. They respect me and what I do.


Dubcnn: Is being signed to a big label everything you dreamt it would be?

I thought it was when you signed they give you a big chain and they throw you cars and all this. But you gotta work hard for what you want. I work hard for everything I got and I didn’t know it would be this much work. That’s the only way you’re gonna get somewhere is to work hard.


Dubcnn: that’s real. It’s cool that you say that because a lot of people get put on and they don’t realize that once you sign you’re basically just starting all over again.

You gotta hustle like your still unsigned and there are always gonna be people going harder and some of them are unsigned and you gotta just hustle to keep your spot.


Dubcnn: Well, that’s it for now – we’ll talk to you in a few.

Yeah that’s dope man, that’s what it’s about bro. Real recognize real!


Dubcnn: We really appreciate you doing this interview for Dubcnn…

Nah man, I appreciate you. I’m up on your site like every day, man, ya’ll were one of the first to put me out there and I appreciate that. I’m always gonna be with ya’ll, so it don’t even matter.