After learning that Baseline Studios, the birthplace of some of my favorite music from the past decade, was closing up shop, I pulled a 2006 interview I conducted for VIBE with Justin Smith AKA Just Blaze, the studio’s longtime steward and creative heartbeat, from my archives. We sat together in Room A of the studio and talked for roughly three hours about the nuts and bolts of his production process, the making of The Blueprint, the long delay and problems of Saigon’s still-unreleased album, and the frustration and disappointment over the dissolution of Roc-A-Fella. An abridged version is running right now on Sound of the City, which you can read here; I may post the entire 15,000 word beast later this week. (It’s kinda boring!)
As a companion I’ve compiled a series of playlists denoting different phases in Just’s career. They’re not sequenced or rebranded, just collected. This isn’t quite definitive, I’d say I’m 90-95% there.
EDIT: Out of respect for Just’s wishes, I’ve pulled these down. Hope you got them while they were hot. Also, paying for them is a good idea, too.
The Early Days
The Hova
The Roc-A-Fella (Part 1, Part 2)
The New York Hardcore (Part 1, Part 2)
The R&B
The South, West, and Midwest
The Underground
The Remixes
Additionally, if you’re not interested in 200+ Just Blaze productions, I’ve pulled together a double-disc compilation of my favorites—there are just a few esoteric choices here. I’m not a believer in fooling around with taste when it comes to stuff like Jay’s “P.S.A.” and Dipset’s “I Really Mean It.” So no games, they’re here. Tracklist below.
The Personal Favorites
State Property [Beanie Sigel & Freeway]: “Roc The Mic”
Jay-Z: “Oh My God”
Jay-Z: “Dear Summer”
Jay Electronica: “Exhibit C”
Cam’Ron feat. Juelz Santana: “Oh Boy”
Joe Budden: “Pump It Up”
Fat Joe: “Safe 2 Say (The Incredible)”
Usher feat. Jadakiss: “Throwback”
Kanye West feat. Lupe Fiasco: “Touch the Sky”
Freeway feat. Peedi Crakk: “Flipside”
Young Gunz: “Friday Night”
Beanie Sigel: “Get Down”
T.I.: “I’m Talkin’ To You”
Memphis Bleek feat. Freeway: “Just Blaze, Bleek and Free”
Jay-Z feat. Beanie Sigel: “Streets is Talking”
Fabolous feat. Swizz Beatz: “Return of the Hustle”
Jay-Z: “U Don’t Know”
The Game: “Church For Thugs”
Beanie Sigel feat. Grand Puba and Sadat X: “Bread & Butter”
Jay-Z: “Ignorant Shit”
Jay-Z: “Public Service Announcement (Interlude)”
Trina feat. Fabolous: “How We Do”
Lenny Kravitz feat. Jay-Z: “Storm (Remix)”
Shyne: “Diamonds and Mack 10s”
Jay-Z: “Soon You’ll Understand”
Jay-Z: “Allure (Remix)”
Jadakiss feat. Cross, Drag-On, Eve, Infa-Red, and The L.O.X.: “It’s Time I See You”
Memphis Bleek feat. Geda K: “M.A.R.C.Y.”
The Diplomats (Cam’Ron and Jim Jones): “I Really Mean It”
Jay-Z: “Meet The Parents”
Erick Sermon feat. Redman: “React”
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augieee reblogged this from hola--hovita and added:
What We Do = GOAT Just Blaze beat
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queencameltoe reblogged this from hola--hovita and added:
hola—hovita:v0dk4:brokedownpalace: After learning that Baseline Studios, the birthplace of some of my favorite music...
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sillycurlyhairedman reblogged this from upnorthtrips and added:
If you’re unfamiliar with the work of one of the best producers around, this is a damn fine introduction.
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str8upmenace reblogged this from seanfennessey and added:
able to download this while it was still...mind reposting it? Or emailing it to me at...
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upnorthtrips reblogged this from seanfennessey and added:
Fenn-Rocafella! brokedownpalace
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whizhouse reblogged this from seanfennessey and added:
If you want to build...some classic Roc-a-fella dynasty material, this
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twotymz reblogged this from seanfennessey and added:
an awesome selection.
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