Jay-Z, who "retired" from hip hop after 2003's The Black Album, is back in the studio working on the follow-up to Kingdom Come, which came out earlier this year. So what inspired Jay to jump back in the studio so fast? Ridley Scott's new movie, American Gangster.
Upon seeing the movie, Jay said he immediately connected to Denzel Washington's character, Frank Lucas, who was an early-‘70s "Harlem heroin kingpin," according to the NYTimes. So, he's making a concept album inspired by the film.
In addition to that creative inspiration, being Mr. "I'm a business, man" and all certainly helped Jay to realize that there'd be a chance for some Hollywood tie-ins. Bonus points for album sales.
Producers considered asking Jay to work on the movie's actual soundtrack, but in the end they decided to stick with a more authentic vibe by using music from the era in which the movie is set.
Instead, Jay-Z offered up an album to be released in conjunction with the movie. So far he's recorded nine songs, most of which are inspired by specific scenes and give them "a back story to the story," according to Jay.
As for the movie, it stars Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington and is set for a November 2 release. It's a $100 million "gritty" period peace that was nearly scrapped after its first director was fired. In addition to Jay's album, Def Jam will release the movie's soundtrack, including tracks from Bobby Womack, The Staple Singers and Sam & Dave.
