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Watch the Throne‘s latest single Ni**as in Paris features the now ubiquitous sample from the film Blades of Glory where Will Ferrell’s character says:

“No one knows what it means, but it’s provocative… it gets the people going!”

Ferrell reported that he was flattered when Kanye West approached him about using the quote and is now immortalized on the classic track.

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Before The Throne show at Madison Square Garden on Monday night, executives from Island Def Jam records were on hand backstage to award Jay Z and Kanye West with platinum plaques for unheard-of-in-this-age sales of their now legendary Watch the Throne. Russell Simmons and Fabolous were there to celebrate and Hov and Yeezy predictably went on to rock the house.

Jay Z and Rihanna go way back to the massive hit Umbrella and have a history since of paths crossing (do you remember a little song called Run This Town?). Now one of Rihanna’s producers let it slide that Jay will be the only guest artist featured on Rihanna’s upcoming release Talk that Talk. We have a feeling Jigga had a little something to do with Ri-Ri’s recent Coldplay collab as well.

Jay Z sits down again with interviewer Steve Stoute to discuss how generational listening habits have changed and how a plug from Hov has the potential to increase clothing sales.

Jay Z breaks down the meaning of boundaries in hip hop through the years and the international success of Watch the Throne in this interview with music mogul Steve Stoute as part of his book The Tanning of America:

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In case you missed the scathing New York Times review of Kanye West’s Dw fashion line, to summarize, for someone who pays as much lip service to fashion as Kanye does, he really missed the boat. There are a few funny bits about his ongoing complaints about coverage and a soundbite on the relative value of Mary-Kate and Ashley vs. Lindsay Lohan, but the overall consensus was better luck next time.

With The Throne tour launching tomorrow, we’re about to start seeing a whole lot of shaky-cam footage sprouting up all over the web. A healthy alternative to the seizure-producing video is a behind-the-scenes premium VOYR account to see professionally shot concerts, interviews, recipes and workout routines from Kanye himself.

Taking full advantage of his elder statesman of hip hop status, Jay Z made a cameo appearance in a cartoon infomercial promoting businessmen to children. Jay took the opportunity to plug the Sean Carter Foundation and his track Empire State of Mind. So bad it’s good and then bad all over again (but even worse the second time).

Hopefully his taste in baby names won’t bleed into Jay and Beyonce’s decision-making process, not to mention his taste in music.  In an early sign of dementia setting in, Chris Martin just said that The Strokes This Is It was the best album of the past 15 years.  In a moment of clarity he did get one thing right when he said that people like Kanye West were changing the way we listen to music.  Martin and Yeezy never mixed it up but he and Jay had a decent moment at the 2009 Grammys:

Coldplay ft Jay-Z – Lost (51st annual Grammys 2009) from ColdplayPeru on Vimeo.

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“Goodmusic. The album. Spring 2012″

In under 140 characters Kanye announced what might be the biggest album of the Spring. If you think about G.O.O.D. music’s roster, the album could potentially feature Big Sean, Kid Kudi, CyHi Da Prynce, Mos Def, Common, Mr. Hudson, Pusha T, John Legend and Kanye West himself. Kanye racked up big numbers last year when tracks from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy began trickling out week after week on G.O.O.D. Fridays prior to the release of the album. A few of those tracks featuring Talib Kweli, Consequence, J. Cole, Lloyd Banks, Ryan Leslie and Keri Hilson didn’t make the album but we may see them again on this G.O.O.D. release.

Kanye West seemed oddly stoic in this video shot during his visit to the Occupy Wall Street demonstration last week.  Maybe it was because he just released an album that sings the praises of fiat capitalism and achieving the American Dream of wealth and prosperity and spending it on champagne and supermodels.  Russell Simmons on the other hand was quite eloquent in describing Kanye’s spiritual support of the protests and desire to remain above the political fray.  Watch Jesus walk below:

Back in 2009, J. Cole was the first artist Jay Z signed to Roc Nation.  It must have felt like an investment back then, one that he might not see for a while, or never, depending on the quality of production and the kind of head the new horse had on his shoulders.  Jay did what any good business owner does with new talent, he left him to work.  He checked in when the process started to drag on a little.  The two exchanged words in the press, Jay about Cole putting a little hustle on the album and Cole about it being up to Jay whether or not he would reward the album with a verse.  Fast-forward two years and Jay has a hit on his hands.  J. Cole’s Cole World: The Sideline Story hit number one on the sales charts this week, putting all doubts to rest.  In a press release today Jay publicly congratulated Cole for all his hard work.  Cole is living the dream.  You can see an excerpt from Jay’s press release below:

“J. Cole’s success is testament to amazing artist development and Cole’s hard work,” Jay-Z said in a press release. “I want to congratulate him on a #1 album and more importantly a great body of work.”

After Jay Z and Lil Wayne exchanged barbs in songs recently, MTV caught up with Hov to find out if he was planning to retaliate against Weezy for dragging his lady into the fray. Jigga, clearly in a position to relish his elder statesman status, told MTV that slinging dirt in hip hop is “sport” and didn’t see any reason to escalate.

With the 10-year anniversary of Jay Z’s seminal work The Blueprint and the ominous release date etched in our collective memory, some of the press revolving around the date took to examining how Jay Z managed to sell almost half-a-million units that week. Jay had been in the news a lot prior to the album’s release for the alleged stabbing of record exec Lance Rivera and the high-profile disses that were being shot his way by Nas, Jadakiss and Prodigy. Jay, the consummate hype man, had instigated the same level of mystery and excitement surrounding the release as on later albums and fans eagerly anticipated his triumph or failure with equal interest. The fact that the release coincided with 9/11 provided an aura of prophecy to the event, but in all reality, following the national tragedy fans likely sought comfort and strength in the words of an icon. And Jay Z delivered.

Cover of Jay-Z

In a prelude to The Throne tour, Jay Z will perform a solo warm up at the iHeart Radio Festival in Las Vegas.  Billed as the largest live music event ever in the history of radio, the iHeart Radio Festival is already hosting Lady GaGa, Coldplay and Usher among a host of other big names from all genres in the recording industry.  Perhaps Jay just wanted to mingle with the glitterati at the event but chances are he saw an opportunity to be part of a historic moment and his hustler heart just couldn’t say no.  Jay is closing out the first night of the two-day-long event on September 23rd.