Does the student ever surpass the teacher? What fate does the future hold for a culture whose younger generation does not appreciate, understand, or even embrace its originators?Jaz-O, was known as the originator, when he came up as a skilled emcee with a rapid fire flow, from the Marcy Projects of Brooklyn, NewYork. But, Jaz-O's tale is a tangled web of deceit, disloyalty, and deception, that has resulted in a bitter feud between him and his former protégé.
This is a story of a mentee that is now much more famous than his mentor. But, in order to understand this complex story, we must first understand the man in the middle of the controversy. After releasing "My Filas" with Fresh Gordon in the mid-eighties, Jaz released two albums and an EP (respectively Word to the Jaz, To Your Soul, and Don't Stop The Jaz). Even though Jaz had many songs in which he revealed his tight flow, he would forever be known as the man behind "Hawaiian Sophie", a song that also featured a young rapper that Jaz-O had taken under his wing named Jay-Z.
Even though "Hawaiian Sophie" achieved some mainstream success, his albums failed to move an impressive amount of units. After his EP, "Don't Stop The Jaz", also achieved sub par sales results, EMI records dropped Jaz from their label. The rap game moved on, and Jaz-O was MIA.
"Basically I just left the game. I got tired of the game, because it was more like a game than a creative thing where you create music and people appreciated it and enjoyed it. That's when Hip-Hop really started becoming rap music, because it started taking on a role of having that machine behind you. Now even though I was signed to a major label at the time, I didn't really receive major attention. Because of the simple fact that I was the first rap artist on that label, and they didn't really know how to market and promote rap at that time. I wasn't bitter, but at the same time, I was like I have to do something else. I was a family man at the time, and I had to do what I had to do." Jaz-O explained, pausing to collect his thoughts before continuing.
"I never really left Hip-Hop. I left the business, and when I came back to the business, it was because I felt that burning desire to present myself and for everybody to know it. It's that bug that all of us in the music industry that have talent have. We have that thing where we have to represent that. So I just felt that it was time for me before it was too late, to come back and do some things. At the time, I use to see Jay and Damon and them. They used to come down to Atlanta for Jack The Rapper, and they were telling me I should come back to New York, which I did. After that, I started getting other things popping". Jaz-O explained.
When Jaz returned to NYC, he focused his attention on production opportunities that he had at the time. He utilized D&D Studios, where he had originally worked on his first album back in 1988, to work with other artists and devote some time to his own project. His whole experience away from the politics associated with the music gave him a different perspective on the business of Hip-Hop. Being that he was the man responsible for the production behind "Ain't No Nig*a", and the fact that he appeared on "Bring it On", off of the "Reasonable Doubt" album, everyone in the music industry assumed that Jaz-O was down with Roc-A-Fella Records. But, he wasn't. So, now we jump back to present day. Jaz-O has a new album out, with his Immobolarie crew, called "Kingz County". The album is laced with some tight tracks, and production by Jaz-O, DJ Premier, DR Period, and others. The 19 track offering is laced with vocals from the Immobilarie's Dibiase, Neillon, Tah Jiggz, Floss Orion,and P. Knocka. It also features guest appearances from old schoolveteran GrandMaster Caz, M.O.P, Mr. Cheeks, and even Jay-Z. As Jaz hits the world over the head with a new LP, Jay-Z and his Roc-A-Fella camp also have a new offering to share. Out of the blue, the "Murder Marcyville Remix", hits the airwaves, and it has a line or two that are aimed directly at Jaz-O. One is left to wonder how two friends, once so close, have become so distant.
"Now I gotta jump in this whole WWF thing, and I tried not to. I went to my man to do this the easy way. I'm like yo, I'm gettin' back in the business, and I'm gettin' ready to do it big. So, it's like the best way for me to do it big is to go to this nig*a, who's suppose to be my man. So I went to him a few times, and he reneged on me, so I had no choice. Then I even chilled with that. He had already given me a sixteen, on a song I did called, "Let's Go". So two months prior to us doing the video, I called him up, and I'm likedog I need you on this video. I said, I know how you get appearing in peoples videos, and he was like yo Jaz, I can't even talk now I'm in the zone. So, I'm like cool, no problem. So, I called him again, and I got the same response. So I'm like, this nig*as avoiding my whole situation. This on top of other times of me talking to him in private about me trying to do this again. (I'd say) let me mix this song, and let me play it for you mixed, and you can white label it on Roc-A-Fella. I didn't ask him for a dime. He was like I don't know, I gotta think about it. That's when I knew. This nig*ais really not trying to f*#k with me. Then, when I did the Source interview, he got all funny. I'm like, you did this dog, I didn't do this. I already knew you were funny style, but I had to create the environment for you to expose yourself. If I didn't have a video that was scheduled to go down, I couldn't have put him in that position. If I wasn't in the studio working on my own sh*t independently, I would never have cornered him to get that sixteen. It took me about a month and a half to get that sixteen. Just to get him on the track, it was crazy. And then what really broke it for me, was when he took that verse and he put it on another remix for another song. On a Ja Rule song. He put it on a remix of another song, and I'm like, that's the straw that broke the camel's back. It's like dog, you disrespected me. I mean, like if I see you in public, and I punch you in your face, it's like nig*as can't even say I'm wrong. Knowwhatimsaying? Because that's beyond all legalities. It's like dog, I took you out of town. I put money in your pocketwhen you were dead broke. I put food in your mouth when you were hungry. Knowwhatimsaying? I put clothes on your back when you didn'thave any. When we were doing shows at Broadway International, and you didn't even have a fresh pair of Ballys nig*a, I went in my closet and put my Ballys on your feet. And this is what I get in return? I'm not asking for a bag of money. It's always expedient to do something in less time. If I'm doing it myself the hard way, I can go and do it by way of him, and do it the easy way, and it would be cost efficient and time efficient. But, he chose not to do it. And that shows that he wasn't really fuc*in with me from the beginning, he was just using me." Jaz-O stated.
On the "Murder Marcyville Remix", newcomer and Marcy native Geda K, comes directly at Jaz-O by saying, "Bitc*hes and Bit*h Nig*s tryna ride against homey, so f*ck them and the originator of Sophie." This is probably due to the fact that Jaz questioned Geda K's skills in an interview he did for another publication. Basically saying that there are more talented rappers in Marcy projects than him. Jaz claims that he barely knows Geda K, but he is very familiar with another former Marcy native, Memphis Bleek.
"I've known Bleek for a long time. Every time I use to come out of Jay's building, Bleek use to chase me down. He'd be like, yo I can rhyme. I ain't never really pay no attention to him, and rightfully so, because he still can't rhyme. For these nigg*s to even try and disrespect me. I didn't even say nothing about him. I did say something about Geda K, I said he was garbage. And I said there's so many more nice nig*as in the projects, that the only reason that Jay would sign nigg*s like that, is that they just chose to sign nig*as that they can control. Not necessarily the most talented individuals. I think that's one of the reasons why Jay don't really get along with Camron, because Camron is not really a patsy like the rest of those nigg*s. And I'm not saying that Beans is a patsy, but I'm saying like as far as New York nig*as is concerned. I can't even speak for them Philly nigg*s, cause I know them, we're acquaintances, but I don't know them like that..."