The Just Blaze Collection
Fenn-Rocafella!
After learning that Baseline Studios, the birthplace of some of my favorite music from the past decade, was closing up shop, I pulled a 2006 interview I conducted for VIBE with Justin Smith AKA Just Blaze, the studio’s longtime steward and creative heartbeat, from my archives. We sat together in Room A of the studio and talked for roughly three hours about the nuts and bolts of his production process, the making of The Blueprint, the long delay and problems of Saigon’s still-unreleased album, and the frustration and disappointment over the dissolution of Roc-A-Fella. An abridged version is running right now on Sound of the City, which you can read here; I may post the entire 15,000 word beast later this week. (It’s kinda boring!)
As a companion I’ve compiled a series of playlists denoting different phases in Just’s career. They’re not sequenced or rebranded, just collected. This isn’t quite definitive, I’d say I’m 90-95% there. If something is missing, and you’ve got it, recommend or send along: sean[DOT]fennessey[AT]gmail[DOT]com. And enjoy.
The Roc-A-Fella (Part 1, Part 2)
The New York Hardcore (Part 1, Part 2)
Additionally, if you’re not interested in 200+ Just Blaze productions, I’ve pulled together a double-disc compilation of my favorites—there are just a few esoteric choices here. I’m not a believer in fooling around with taste when it comes to stuff like Jay’s “P.S.A.” and Dipset’s “I Really Mean It.” So no games, they’re here. Tracklist below.
State Property [Beanie Sigel & Freeway]: “Roc The Mic”
Jay-Z: “Oh My God”
Jay-Z: “Dear Summer”
Jay Electronica: “Exhibit C”
Cam’Ron feat. Juelz Santana: “Oh Boy”
Joe Budden: “Pump It Up”
Fat Joe: “Safe 2 Say (The Incredible)”
Usher feat. Jadakiss: “Throwback”
Kanye West feat. Lupe Fiasco: “Touch the Sky”
Freeway feat. Peedi Crakk: “Flipside”
Young Gunz: “Friday Night”
Beanie Sigel: “Get Down”
T.I.: “I’m Talkin’ To You”
Memphis Bleek feat. Freeway: “Just Blaze, Bleek and Free”
Jay-Z feat. Beanie Sigel: “Streets is Talking”
Fabolous feat. Swizz Beatz: “Return of the Hustle”
Jay-Z: “U Don’t Know”
The Game: “Church For Thugs”
Beanie Sigel feat. Grand Puba and Sadat X: “Bread & Butter”
Jay-Z: “Ignorant Shit”
Jay-Z: “Public Service Announcement (Interlude)”
Trina feat. Fabolous: “How We Do”
Lenny Kravitz feat. Jay-Z: “Storm (Remix)”
Shyne: “Diamonds and Mack 10s”
Jay-Z: “Soon You’ll Understand”
Jay-Z: “Allure (Remix)”
Jadakiss feat. Cross, Drag-On, Eve, Infa-Red, and The L.O.X.: “It’s Time I See You”
Memphis Bleek feat. Geda K: “M.A.R.C.Y.”
The Diplomats (Cam’Ron and Jim Jones): “I Really Mean It”
Jay-Z: “Meet The Parents”
Erick Sermon feat. Redman: “React”
