Pitchfork: Jay-Z Prepping New Label, Considering Album

Jay-Z Prepping New Label, Considering Album

Get those human beatbox demo tapes ready, kids, as news has just come over the Pitchfork wire (yeah, it has ticker tape and everything-- you really ought to see it) that superstar rap mogul Jay-Z has been prepping a new record label. While still in the early stages, the label would be an offshoot of Def Jam-- where Mr. Carter currently reigns as president-- with "Def Jam Left" circulating on a number of websites as a proposed title.

Details are still tentative at this point, but Jigga recently spoke with Billboard about his plans, describing the new venture as "an artist-driven label with very low deals so people are not pressured by first-week SoundScan [sales], so we can build artists." Which sounds to us like a hip-hop version of the Beatles' Apple Corps; let's just hope he can score better bands than Badfinger. One name mooted: the Roots, who Jay-Z said he hoped to sign by the end of their international tour.

And in other news, it sounds from the rest of the interview like Jay-Z's well-publicized retirement might last about as long as everyone predicted. "You all are hearing things from me-- you just haven't heard an album. Who knows? I'm still going in the studio, getting on remixes and things like that. But it's the people. When people want something bad enough, it happens. And they want it bad. I'm trying to hold out, but I don't know how long I can."

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