Jay-Z will be conspicuous by his absence at Def Jam in the new year 2008. Rapper/entrepreneur Jay-Z has opted not to renew his contract as president of Def Jam Records, confirming the rumors doing the rounds for months. Rumors also have it that this famous mogul of Def Jam would join Rick Rubin at Columbia Records or develop a new label outside of the Universal Music Group system.
Here is the explanation Jay-Z himself offers:
It’s really about trying to invest in the future, trying to invest in maybe coming up with a new model. Because going in hard making records with artists and throwing those records into a system that’s flawed is not exciting for me. It’s not the music; people ingest music the same way. It’s just that the model of selling CDs has changed. So doing things the typical way is not in the best interests of anyone and not exciting for me. My whole thing is, how do we invest in the future? If everyone is committed to doing that, then I’m sure there’s a deal to be made.
Jay-Z clearly believes it’s time to move on in search of new challenges. He adds that being a part of Def Jam for three years was a pleasure, during which time he worked with the Who’s Who of the music industry. He will, however, continue to record for Roc-A-Fella, which released his popular companion to the film American Gangster earlier this year.
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Source : Concrete Loop
