Jockin' Jay-Z (Dopeboy Fresh)

Last updated

"Jockin' Jay-Z (Dope Boy Fresh)"
Single by Jay-Z
from the album The Blueprint 3 (intended)
ReleasedSeptember 16, 2008
Recorded2008
Genre Hip hop, rap rock
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Kanye West
Jay-Z singles chronology
"Swagga Like Us"
(2008)
"Jockin' Jay-Z (Dope Boy Fresh)"
(2008)
"Lost+ / Viva la Vida (Live At the 51st Annual Grammy Awards)"
(2009)

"Jockin' Jay-Z" is a song by American rapper Jay-Z, produced by Kanye West. Originally intended for inclusion on his eleventh studio album The Blueprint 3 , the song didn't make the final track listing and remained a digital-only single until it was included as a b-side on various releases of the "Empire State of Mind" single. It samples "Dumb Girl" by Run-D.M.C. and first leaked on the internet in July 2008 – but with low quality sound. The mastered version was released in August 2008.

Contents

Background

Jay-Z debuted the song at a Kanye West show at Madison Square Garden in August 2008. [1] West told the audience that he wanted to play a beat he'd been working on, and once it started, Jay-Z came out and rapped over it. Once the abridged version of song concluded, Jay-Z and West simultaneously struck b-boy stances. The track contains a vocal sample of "Dumb Girl" by Run-DMC. West came up with the idea of revamping Run's line, "I seen you jockin' J.C." [2]

Oasis lyric war

The song's earliest form as previewed at Kanye West's Madison Square Garden show in August 2008 included the line "That bloke from Oasis said I couldn't play guitar, somebody should have told him I'm a fucking rock star" followed by the opening line to the Oasis song "Wonderwall". [3] [4] [5] This was a response to a comment made by Oasis guitarist and songwriter Noel Gallagher in April 2008 when he suggested that a hip-hop headline act was wrong for the Glastonbury Festival. [6] [7] This set off a media-fueled storm of controversy. At Glastonbury Jay-Z performed an ironic version of Oasis's "Wonderwall". Jay-Z's reactions were reportedly described by an Oasis band member as like that of an eight-year-old girl. [8] When Oasis later split due to a personality clash between Noel and Liam Gallagher, [9] Jay-Z scored a point back by suggesting he would like to work with Liam. [9]

Charts

Chart (2008)Peak
position
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Billboard ) [10] 51
US Hot Rap Songs ( Billboard ) [11] 18
US Rhythmic ( Billboard ) [12] 35

Release history

CountryDateFormatLabel
United StatesSeptember 16, 2008 [13] Rhythmic contemporary radio Roc-A-Fella, The Island Def Jam Music Group

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References

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  12. "Jay-Z Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
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