The time approaches, Jay-Z and his days as an artist slowly part ways. The already legendary emcee appeared at a press conference yesterday (Sept. 25) and revealed plans for his final album, which will be promoted with the release of a custom sneaker, a tour and the rapper’s memoirs.
“The Black Book, The Black Sneaker and The Black Album will drop around November,” Jay-Z said at the press conference, where he appeared with Russell Simmons to speak on the duo’s upcoming concert at Madison Square Garden. Actually, the CD hit stands November 28 with a tour jumping off on the 25th at the garden.
“I consider this my victory lap,” Jay said of the final album. “When I came in the game I was forced to be the business man as well as a rapper. I didn’t have a choice to be on more of the business side. That’s what I wanted to do in the beginning. I just wanted to drop one album. I didn’t know what I was thinking. Then I get to live out that dream be more of a business man and do good things for the community.”
Of the tour, Jay said that it would still be a family affair even though the Black Album sports no other rappers than the Brooklyn native.
“Its surprise guest stars,” he said referring to the tour. “A couple of your favorite artists. Anybody who ever seen me do Summer Jam knows it turns into a great event.”
Continuing, Jay-Z stated that he would like to enter Hollywood on his own terms, not only as an actor in front of the camera. “Anything I do I have to have some type of ownership so I have to build a house. It would have to be directing, producing, writing as well as acting. Not just acting. That process is under way also.”
Still, he hinted that the music won’t truly cease even though this will mark the end of his solo albums. “There will be other releases it just wont be a full length Jay-Z album so well see how it go. Its like a completion of my whole career.”
When asked why he was quitting while still at the top of his game, Jay joked with the group of reporters and critics.
Laughing he said, “Y’all just really wanna catch me on the way down so y’all can murder me [with bad reviews].”
Simmons said that the concert at the Garden would benefit his Hip-Hop Summit Action Network and Jay-Z’s Shawn Carter Scholarship Fund, both of which are non-profits organizations.
“There is a kid killed every single day in Baltimore,” Simmons said. “Every single day, over the drug trade or something thats going on there. They not in the news now. Jam Master Jay passes and he’s news worthy. They serve him asan example of what happens when you still live in that struggle. He never left Hollis. Thats whats going on in Hollis. They murder kids all the time in Hollis.
Simmons said that the proceeds of the November 25 concert as well as his Def Con 3 energy drink would go to building the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network’s infrastructure.
