As 2007 drew to a close, Rolling Stone released its top 100 songs of the year, and the winner is a black superhero, a modern-day legend who goes to the movies and comes back with an even better film in his head, set to music that plays like the Copacabana scene in Goodfellas translated into hip-hop.
The most triumphant sound anyone came up with all year, Jay-Z’s “Roc Boys” makes you fly in more ways than one. After thanking his drug connection and tipping his hat to God, the soon-to-be former Def Jam CEO toasts the high life over a gritty Brooklyn funky-horns riff. It’s a celebration, bitches!
The music video for Jay-Z’s “Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)” meets the lofty expectations set by what many believe is one of 2007’s biggest songs.
Jay’s “Roc Boys” narrowly edged out Rihanna’s “Umbrella,” (a song so big it also became a hit for Marie Digby, who covered it acoustically) Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab,” Bruce Springsteen’s “Long Walk Home” and many other hits.
After a three-year stint as president of Def Jam Records, hip-hop mogul Jay-Z is officially stepping down as CEO, according to Universal Music Group.
Jay-Z’s exit comes after the recording company allegedly refused to adhere to the rapper / executive’s contract extension requests, but the star himself insists that it was simply time for him to move on to explore new opportunities.
“Now it’s time to move on, to take on new challenges,” Jay-Z said in a statement. “I am pleased to have had the opportunity to build upon the Def Jam legacy.”
And what a legacy it is. The rap star signed acts such as R&B singer-songwriter Ne-Yo and Barbados native Rihanna during his tenure as head honcho.
Jay-Z: Rapper turned suit turned rapper again?
Jay-Z, real name Shawn Carter, joined Def Jam in 2004 after announcing his rap “retirement,” which included not just a retirement party, but a sold-out concert at New York’s Madison Square Garden in support of his illustrious career and supposed “last” studio album, The Black Album, and the film Fade to Black.
Jay-Z, who’s released 10 studio albums and won six Grammy Awards, is expected to continue with Def Jam as an artist. His latest release, the conceptual album American Gangster (2007), has sold approximately 784,000 copies worldwide.
