While Jaz-O is often considered the mentor of former friend Jay-Z, the lyricist said he plans release a collection of songs that will confirm he is the precursor to the Roc-A-Fella CEO.
The rapper told AllHipHop.com that he intends to release a currently untitled collection of songs that proceeded Jay-Z’s pop/hip-hop achievements.
“My next move, before I put out a solo album, I’ma out these tracks I did circa ’93. Actually, I didn’t put them out, but they are a bunch of songs I have circa ’93-’94, around that era,” Jaz-O said to AllHipHop.
“The sh*t is crazy and I was like, “Yo, can I do that sh*t still?” It was some real s### and I was like, “Nah, this some s### people gotta hear.”
Although Jaz-O said the songs will show differences, he also insisted that they may also confirm what others believe – he is the blueprint for Jay’s career.
“Like a lot of people [think] like damn, ‘[Jay’s] gestures [resemble Jaz’s] and they just alike,’ but if you listen to these songs recorded around ’93-’94, before anybody really heard of Jay-z too good, you’ll hear it,” he affirmed. “You’ll hear the style, you’ll hear everything. Man, I can wait to put that s### out.”
Still in his opinion, to the careful listener, the tunes will further divide the pair’s adjoined legacies.
“It will kind of put the story together and now listening to [the songs] myself and listening to Jay, I think it’s much more of a contrast than what other people might think,” he said.
Jaz-O said that the songs and reels are all being housed at D&D studios in New York City. He said that he intends to get the songs together for the public shortly.
He said he hoped to drop the album later this year. “It’ll be a nice Christmas present for any young hip-hop realist.”
Jaz-O said that he is currently shopping his solo deal to several interested independent and major labels.
