21 Savage

21 Savage

Photo: Timothy Norris/Getty Images

Interview

21 Savage On 'Issa Album,' Jay-Z, & Business

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The "Bank Account" rapper talks about his debut full-length, lists his favorite ATL rappers and drops his hip-hop philosophy
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Oct 12, 2017 - 11:32 am

At this point in the rich history of rap music, it's abundantly clear that there are many styles of the art form, with many more yet to be explored. The through-line is that successful rappers seem most confident at being one thing: themselves.

Oct 12, 2017 – 11:32 am

21 Savage On Jay-Z's Ability To Stay Relevant

Enter 21 Savage. The Atlanta-based chartbuster with two No. 1 singles already, and a style — and swagger — all his own has been the man in-demand this year. Basically, if you haven't heard "Bank Account," or any one of Savage's collab hits with Drake, Post Malone or Future, you haven't been listening.

His debut full-length, Issa Album, just dropped in July, and it's all Savage — no features, no guests. But the rapper downplays this bold statement of standing on his own. "The way I look at it, it's just new music," Savage said of his latest release during a recent visit to the Recording Academy headquarters.

Issa Album also had the distinct pleasure — or perhaps challenge — of dropping the same day as Jay-Z's 4:44. Going toe-to-toe with Hova like that could not have been easy, but certain high-profile fans such as Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball gave 21 the edge. Ball said, "21 Savage's [album] is bumping more" than Jay's, causing quite the storm of reactions from the hip-hop and sports worlds. Savage's reaction to Ball's bold claim? Simple.

"That's how he feels, that's what it is. He likes it, that's his opinion."

But make no mistake, the young rapper has plenty of respect for Jay-Z.

"He grows, his music grows with him," Savage says of Jay-Z's ability to stay relevant. "He ain't just rapping about the same thing he was rapping about when he first came out, so that's what keeps it interesting, because as he grows as a man and does more stuff business-wise, he applies that to the music, so that's why I think he's been able to grow like that and stay around."

The album's first hit is also 21 Savage's biggest to date, "Bank Account." According to him, the process in the studio was a straightforward one.

"[Producer] Metro [Boomin] helped me make the beat and then he pulled it up and I started recording."

Savage and Metro have come up together, and both have become highly sought-after collaborators. Forbes recently even went as far as to suggest Metro might be "the next big star in hip-hop."

The raw bravado and fierce individuality behind 21 Savage's music has also helped him out on the business side. The deal he leveraged is remarkable, as he was able to stay independent with his label Slaughter Gang while landing distribution with Epic Records and keeping 100 percent ownership of his masters.

"I just go in with my best interest at heart," Savage says of the unprecedented terms he secured. "We went back and forth until we could get it to where I was comfortable. That's just the way it goes."

A native of Atlanta, Savage is quick to name his top five ATL rappers in the game right now: Future, Young Thug, Gucci Mane, Migos, and Young Nudy. But Savage's style stands out, reinforcing his philosophy.

"I feel like the game just don't respect us like they're supposed to. Y'all want everyone in the rap game to rap like each other," Savage told Genius. "Respect all the music the same, just because a n***** is not lyrical, that doesn't mean that it's not a good song, or it's not good music. If everybody was lyrical, everybody's songs would sound the same."

This philosophy on hip-hop opens the door for 21 Savage to go anywhere he wants from here. His next move takes him on a 22-city U.S. tour that starts Nov. 16 in Austin, Texas, and includes an appearance at the first ever Rolling Loud Festival in San Bernardino, Calif. alongside Future, Lil Uzi Vert, and Rae Sremmurd.

While Savage’s lasting impact on rap remains in the balance, his infectious shot of success this year is undeniable.

112 group portrait

Photo: Courtesy of eOne Music

Interview

R&B Royalty 112 Talk Diddy, Biggie, Whitney & Brand-New Album

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The GRAMMY-winning quartet takes us inside 'Q Mike Slim Daron' and shares stories about the Bad Boy family, Whitney Houston and more
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Nov 16, 2017 - 10:34 am

As a fixture in R&B music for over two decades, 112 — comprising Quinnes "Q" Parker, Daron Jones, Marvin "Slim" Scandrick, and Michael "Mike" Keith — have made a career of tuning into the frequencies of rhythmic love songs while generating smash hits that resonate on a universal level.

Nov 16, 2017 – 10:34 am

112 Talk New Album 'Q Mike Slim Daron'

When the GRAMMY-winning vocal group headed back into the studio to record their sixth album — their first in more than a decade — they brought an impressive legacy with them. From winning over Sean "Diddy" Combs in a parking lot audition and joining the original Bad Boy Records family to earning the endorsement of the late Notorious B.I.G. and devoted fans worldwide, 112 have proven themselves to be pivotal players in the evolution of R&B. Their latest album, Q Mike Slim Daron, proves the group is still uncovering new wisdom to share on the topic of love, while sending a straightforward musical message of who they are today.

Just hours before their Hollywood, Calif., listening party for their new LP, 112 swung by Recording Academy headquarters in Santa Monica, Calif., to dish on the album's details and tell the real story behind the Bad Boy family, working with Biggie and touring with Whitney Houston.

112 have continued to tour, but why was it important to get back in the studio after over a decade to record a new album?
Jones: Well, just being on the road and being around each other singing [and] being inspired by each other was one of the reasons. But another reason was just running into the fans, and taking pictures, and just kicking it. They would always say, "When's the next album coming?" And just hearing that so many times, you understand that there is a demand for the music, and we were honored [by] that. So we just went ahead and started making some.

"John Lennon said it best: 'You give me a tuba, I'll make some music out of that." And that's pretty much the mantra and the mindset 112 has. You give us two spoons, we'll make some music out of that thing." — Michael Keith

The title of the album, Q Mike Slim Daron, says a lot. How did you arrive at that title?
Scandrick: Well, it was very self-explanatory. On this particular album, we wanted everybody to understand exactly who Q, Mike, Slim, [and] Daron [are]. And you know, on the [other] albums you had one particular person, or maybe two people, who were dominating records. This album right here is probably [our] most well-versed album where you're definitely hearing all four members, and we think that's one of our stronger attributes. You've got four lead singers who can definitely hold their own, and that's pretty much what we [are] doing.

During a recent Breakfast Club interview you claimed you intentionally made this album "as R&B as possible." Tell us about the production process and how the sound of the album came together.
Keith: The production process was really easy for us, because the majority of the producers were fans of 112 growing up. So they already had their interpretation of what they felt like the new album should be. And with them being in the forefront of today's music … it was just a real easy transition. They had the new style, the new sound and 112 had the old-school traditional sound that we're accustomed to doing, and we just meshed it.

Like Q always says, "We're musicians." John Lennon said it best: "You give me a tuba, I'll make some music out of that." That's pretty much the mantra and the mindset 112 has. You give us two spoons, we'll make some music out of that thing. That's the gift that we [have]. To this day, I'm still dumbfounded on how easy it was to get with the producers. And it really was a testament to how these guys looked at 112's situation, listened to our sound, and really were fans and disciples of 112's music. It was just an easy transition.

The new single, "Dangerous Games," explores the complex challenges of relationships, jealousy and adultery in a refreshing, even philosophical way. Where do you guys feel the song stands next to the many hits you've had in the past?
Parker: It's a great addition to the catalog. You think about 21 years of just making great and quality music, and it definitely fits where 112 has been and where we're going. The song is just our take on love. The thing about 112 is we always want to sing about life, love and relationships — the good side, the bad side, the realness of it.

Your music has always tapped into love, human connection and romance. Is technology — texting and social media — making it harder or easier to be romantic now?
Jones: That's a good question. I'll just say it's different. I won't say that it would be easier or harder. But I'll just say it's different and sometimes, over the texts, things can be misunderstood. But at the same time, I think a text message is a great tool, so I respect the advantage of what it is. But I also respect the human connection and being able to just talk to somebody in person. So I think as long as you find that balance you'll be alright. Because technology is good, we love it. But you gotta find that balance between texting and actually talking, because things can get confusing very quickly.

"This album right here is probably [our] most well-versed album, where you're definitely hearing all four members, and we think that's one of our stronger attributes." — Marvin "Slim" Scandrick

After all these years and all the success, what do you think has been the biggest misconception of the Bad Boy family and of Diddy?
Parker: I think one of the biggest misconceptions would probably be the fact that we really are a family. A lot of times people think just because your label makes it, it's just all business. But the Bad Boy artists are really, really family. We can think of instances where we stayed at Faith [Evans'] house. She's come over to cook dinner for us. We've gone out with B.I.G. [Biggie] — he used to give us money to make sure we had food to eat. When Puff [Daddy] would come in and try to rag on us, he'd step in for us.

So on the outside looking in, people could think that we're just label-based, but it really is the Bad Boy family. And it was so evident when we just did that Bad Boy Family Reunion Tour [in 2016]. It was a great thing for the music industry, but also for us as family — just being able to hang out with each other again and sharing the stage together.

Biggie always showed you guys a ton of respect. How does it feel to be part of his larger-than-life hip-hop legacy? What do you miss most about him?
Jones: Man, it's incredible. It's an honor. You know, B.I.G. would always just honor us in his music, to the point where other musicians would say, "Man. You know Biggie [is] always talking about you." He had so many different ways of just shouting us out throughout his music. And he was really like a big brother to us. He was one of the first to rap on one of our songs and usher us into that hip-hop wave that was going on at the time. He was like family to us, and it's definitely a huge honor just to be a part of that legacy. Personally, I got a chance to produce for B.I.G. on his album Life After Death, the song ["F*** You Tonight"] with him and R. Kelly, and that was an honor as well.

Nov 16, 2017 – 10:36 am

112's Water Balloon Fight With Whitney Houston

112 toured with Whitney Houston in 1999. Are there any memories from the tour you'd like to share?
Keith: I got the story for you. … It was supposed to be a show in [Philadelphia], right? The show got canceled. 112 was the reason why. She planned, with her dancers, to ambush 112 in a park with water balloons and Super Soakers and all this other stuff. We had a day off before the show in Philly. And she was like, "Hey, guys. Can y'all meet us at the park? We're gonna eat, we're gonna have fun. We're gonna have fellowship. We're gonna sing." They were plotting our demise.

So it got back to us that "Whitney and the dancers are going to get you guys. They're gonna hit y'all with water balloons, Super Soakers, the whole nine, right?" So we was like, "OK, cool." We go to Toys "R" Us, we grab every last Super Soaker, the little 50-cent water guns and everything — just for ammunition. We came ready for war. So we found them, they came with the water balloons and stuff like, "Ah, we're gonna get y'all," and just started wetting everybody. Whitney, she got hit by a balloon and she got sick, so she couldn't sing the next day. That was the reason why she couldn't perform, and we blame nobody but ourselves. We was attacked, man. We had to protect ourselves! (laughs)

'The Bodyguard' Soundtrack: 25 Years After Whitney Houston's Masterpiece

What can fans expect in terms a tour supporting of the new album?
Scandrick: Oh, man, [it will be] very explosive. Right now, if you listen to Q Mike Slim Daron, we have a couple of people on there and one of the big collaborations that we have is between us and Jagged Edge. That was a fan favorite. People wanted to see this. Matter of fact, we wanted to do it. We've been wanting to do it and this time this is our platform. So we put this together and said, "Imagine if Boyz II Men and Jodeci would have done something? Or Four Tops and Temptations?" Well, you know, why not 112? So we wanted to do something very different:  the 112, Jagged Edge tour. We're [going to] put a little twist to it. Not [going to] give y'all any clues, but it's [going to] be something you've probably never seen. It's about to very amazing, so buckle your seat belts, dress up, put on your hard bottles, and get ready.

The War On Drugs

Adam Granduciel

Photo: Shawn Brackbill

News

The War On Drugs: Adam Granduciel On New Album, Guitar & Tom Petty

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The low-key frontman talks shop on recording his band's latest release, 'A Deeper Understanding,' guitar candy and traveling the world
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Oct 13, 2017 - 5:48 pm

Music is inextricably tied to location. From the Bakersfield sound and Seattle grunge to New York hardcore punk and West Coast rap, a city and its culture can shape a scene. For psychedelic-rock band The War On Drugs, the soulful and experimental musical mecca of Philadelphia has been home since their formation in 2005.

Oct 13, 2017 – 5:47 pm

The War On Drugs: How Neil Young Inspired New LP

So when it came time for frontman Adam Granduciel to start creating what would become the band's fourth studio album, A Deeper Understanding, the choice to record in Los Angeles was truly a musical one. Rock albums by Granduciel's heroes, including Neil Young and Warren Zevon, captured a different sentiment that drew him in and ultimately helped shape the band's most inventive album to date, which Rolling Stone described as "an abstract-expressionist mural of synth-pop and heartland rock colored by bruised optimism and some of [Granduciel's] most generous, incandescent guitar ever."

We sat down with Granduciel recently at Recording Academy headquarters to talk about L.A.'s influence on A Deeper Understanding, how he likes to see the world on tour, what he'd ask Jimmy Iovine, and his parting thoughts on the loss of Tom Petty.

A Deeper Understanding's sonic layers are lush and mesmerizing but the songs they're built on are crafty, beautiful and dark. What was the biggest difference in the songwriting process between this album and 2013's Lost In The Dream?
I just wanted to be more prepared on my end so that if I was writing more and demoing stuff more, I could present [ideas] to the band and the spontaneity in the recording could be of a different sort.

I rented out my own studio in Los Angeles and tried to go every day, whether it [was] writing on the piano or guitar or work on demos. I started eight months before [while] on the road. I just ended up having more songs than I ever had in the past.

There's so much guitar candy on this record. What were the specific guitar influences for this album?
We did this benefit where Neil Young played as well. He was playing his classic Gretsch White Falcon guitar with the Bigsby [tremolo]. We were watching the dress rehearsal from the side stage. I was actually sitting on his amp rig and watching him rehearse. He was just going off with [the] bar. I was like, "Oh, it's so expressive." I have the same guitar but mine didn't have the bar. After that show, I put the Bigsby on that Gretsch of mine. Then, two nights later, we recorded three songs that are on the record. A lot of the inspiration [came] from that expressive quality of that Bigsby but I was [also] just thinking about all my favorite players, whether it was Neil or Mike Campbell — guys that use that bar and just try to find another way to connect with the guitar.

Speaking of Neil Young, in a Pitchfork interview you name-checked him and Warren Zevon for making "L.A. records." What effect do you think recording in L.A. had on A Deeper Understanding?
Well, I think a few things. First, I would always think of an L.A. record as "sunny" or something, but then I started thinking, "Well, my favorite records that were made here are dark and sad and lonely." I never really lived here before, so I didn't really think I understood. I think from an East Coast point of view, you'd be like, "Oh, a California record's a sunny record." It's like you spend three hours in the studio because the rest of the time you must be at the beach.

[But] the cool thing was that, unlike any other city, there [are] all these places in L.A. There are so many resources for a recording musician, like studios of all levels, you know? [There are] so many world-class studios, but I would never have been able to have rented the place that I rented out anywhere else. It was just this mid-level studio that is pretty much a stand-alone building on the East side with a really great mic collection, Pro Tools and two rooms. It wasn't fancy, but it was perfect for what I needed. I was able to bring my own stuff in. The ability to work every day was a big part of L.A.'s effect on my process and the band coming out from Philly once a month.

You have a fan in Jimmy Iovine. Have you met the man before? What would you ask him if you could?
Actually, I have, but in the moment I wasn't prepared to ask him anything. I guess I'm just a huge fan of all the records he made in the 70's. … Now, he's [a] larger-than-life figure but back then he was just like a kid who loved music and was probably just like all of us — trying to find out how to make a record. There's no formula for it. I guess I [would ask him about working with] Bruce [Springsteen] making Darkness [On The Edge Of Town].

You're on the road now, going across the U.S. and then heading to Europe. When you get to a town, what do you like to do to get a sense of the culture?
I like going out to find a local coffee shop. It's embarrassing to admit that I have an app called Beanhunter, which tells me the closest single-origin coffee I can get. Last tour, I really got into the whole sub-culture. I had the hand grinder and the single origin — then the Aeropress [coffee maker] and the scale.

I also love trying to find an awesome guitar shop because I just like to go in and play guitar for an hour or two. [And] record stores. Now, we actually have a backstage record player we tour with in its own case, so it makes buying records on the road a little easier because you actually can be like, "Oh, I want something to pump me up for tonight's show," or "tomorrow when we load in, I want to chill out to this."

One last question: We lost the great Tom Petty recently. How important was he to you as a songwriter and as an artist?
[He's] one of my favorites. ... He had a catalog of hits before I was of age. Then, when I was in my teens, Wildflowers came out [in 1994] — maybe to some it was like a new kind of Tom Petty, but it hit me so intensely when that record came out. It was like a reintroduction to a lot of different kinds of music for me. His band was so important to him. The Heartbreakers were what you imagine being in a band would be like — best buddies and great players and guys who took it all really seriously.

As he grew older, his material was just as relevant and just as exciting and the band's just as killer. … It seems surreal that there's no more Tom Petty, in person. It's true that the music lives on because [with] a guy like that, [there are] centuries of information there.

Fall Out Boy

Fall Out Boy

Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Interview

Fall Out Boy Fall In On 'MANIA,' Kids Music & 'Star Wars'

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The GRAMMY-nominated quartet talk touring, new album, why Kanye West is the new Axl Rose, and making a difference through their #FOBChampion campaign
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Oct 10, 2017 - 5:29 pm

Fall Out Boy have covered a lot of ground since their 2005 GRAMMY nomination for Best New Artist. These darlings of modern pop/rock have blown up stages, charts and radio airwaves with hits like "Uma Thurman," "Sugar, We're Goin' Down" and "Centuries," survived a three-year hiatus and triumphantly returned stronger than ever.

Oct 10, 2017 – 5:26 pm

Fall Out Boy: Evolution Of Rock And Roll

Now in their 17th year as a band, Fall Out Boy are preparing for their world tour in support of their seventh studio album, MANIA, due out Jan. 19, 2018. Three of the four members are fathers, and being on the road is as much about maintaining connection with family as it is about connecting with audiences. With three singles from the new album already released — and a brand new philanthropic project, #FOBChampion, underway — Patrick Stump, Pete Wentz, Joe Trohman, and Andy Hurley, have plenty on their collective plate.

Fall Out Boy paid a visit to the Recording Academy headquarters in Santa Monica to perform an acoustic set and for a sit-down to discuss everything from their new album and tour to the music their kids can't resist, baseball and their favorite Star Wars character.

The MANIA tour begins in less than a month. What are the things that help you keep your sanity on the road?
Wentz: It's probably different for everybody. I know for sure like [the] phone and anything that can FaceTime home is good.

Stump: I don't know that I am particularly sane on the road, so I think this tour I'm making somewhat of an effort to maintain that. So I have a little day planner and I'm going to try to stick to that. That's like a big thing.

The new album arrives in January, but fans have already heard three of the songs. A recent Twitter poll showed "The Last Of The Real Ones" as the overall fan favorite. Which one is your favorite so far, and why?
Trohman: I'm gonna agree with the fans on this one. Fan favorite.

Stump: I feel like, in a lot of ways, our songs don't really become what they are until you play them live, and that was an amazing one. The first time we played it live it was like, "Oh, yeah, this one is special," because there's just something really natural about the way we play it. It's just fun and exciting for us.

What influence did producer Jesse Shatkin (Katy Perry, Sia) have on the sound of this album?
Wentz: Jesse's awesome. I think that it's a fine line finding somebody who understands pop music and pop radio but at the same time is super creative. Whatever direction you're headed in, he's like, "Let's steer that way." Especially being in a band, because there's obviously four distinct personalities and different instruments and he's really good at navigating that. You can definitely hear it in "Champion" for sure.

The VMA-nominated video for "Young And Menace" juxtaposes these odd monsters with a very real struggle of a broken family. Can you tell us where this concept came from?
Wentz: The first inception of it is like that moment in Elf where he's like, "Wait, I'm like not an elf," you know? What is the darker version of what that is? But I think that it's feeling like an outsider where you're supposed to feel at home, and you can apply it to our culture or the world or yourself.

That video was really important and then we just had these monster suits so now we're just kind of like, "Let's skateboard with these things" (laughs). These ideas have been less thoughtful.

The philanthropic work you're doing with #FOBChampion: How do you hope the campaign will spread a little light during dark times?
Wentz: We've always tried in different ways, but I think that we live in a culture where it's really easy to complain. And it's really easy to say thoughts and prayers about everything that happens, which I think is important, and I think it's important to motivate people, but it's also important to execute, you know? That's what we're trying to do with our fund, and especially [by] going locally and to individual markets on the tour where there's kids trying to do good and seeing their empathy. I think that's important to encourage.

You guys led "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" during the 7th-inning stretch at a Cubs game in September. Who's the best baseball player in the band? And the worst?
Wentz: I might be the biggest nut. I wouldn't say that I'm a total nut, but I grew up playing and stuff.

Stump: And I would be the worst at baseball. I think I would be an easy answer.

Hurley: Joe's surprisingly got a really accurate arm.

Trohman: Yes, I have good hand-eye coordination. I'm also good at any time I have an itch on my body — I know exactly how to scratch it immediately without missing and hitting a different part of my body (laughs).

Now that's a secret talent — impressive.
Trohman: Now it's publicly known.

What's the last great "new" song you heard by any artist?
Stump: I feel like this is one of the hardest questions to answer because when you're working on a record, I feel like you can't listen to anything else. There's so many mixes and things that you're going over, exchanging notes, "Oh, we're going to change this and change this … the new Fall Out Boy record (laughs)." I've listened to it a lot.

Trohman: That and we're probably all listening to like a different child's movie soundtrack on repeat.

Stump: Yes, that too.

Trohman: I think that's part of the problem because like three-quarters of us have little kids. So it's a demand always. It's a fight.

Stump: The soundtrack to "Super Why!" is great.

Trohman: I love the Moana soundtrack but that didn't come out recently, but it's great, and I listen to it at least 17 times an hour.

Stump: The weirdest thing is that my kids also [listen to] "September" by Earth, Wind & Fire. That we get all the time.

You've talked about how "genre is dead" and how rock and roll has become constricting. What is the most rock and roll thing left in our culture?
Wentz: I don't know if I'm the right person to answer the question, but I think that true rock and roll is this changing, evolving thing. So when I listen to Kanye West and see this guy's got a floating stage, I'm like, "That is pretty rock and roll."

Stump: I feel the stuff Kanye does on stage is very Axl Rose. … Everywhere we go people are always asking us about rock and roll as if it's this ancient thing that's not around anymore. We're like, "Nah, it's pretty alive. It just looks and sounds different and acts different, but it's very much the same stuff."

Wentz: I'm starting to think that they might consider us the rock and roll oracle. They come to us, and they're like, "what is rock and roll?" (laughs)

Lastly, toss-up question here: Who is your favorite Star Wars character of all time?
Stump: Oh wow … that's a really tough one. I'm just going to say Yoda. I really loved Yoda before I saw him fight. I mean, it was still cool. I don't hate the prequels as much as you're supposed to, but Yoda in [The] Empire [Strikes Back] is one of the best things ever.

Jay Z performs at Austin City Limits 2017

Jay Z

Photo: Gary Miller/FilmMagic

News

Jay Z Takes On A World Tour At Austin City Limits 2017

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Dropping hit tracks from a career stretching all that way back to 1996, the legendary lyricist reminded a packed Austin, Texas, crowd why he is one of the most honored rappers in GRAMMY history
Ogden Payne
GRAMMYs
Oct 8, 2017 - 10:57 am

For Jay Z, timing is everything. Throughout his two-decade-long career, his affinity for punctuality has trickled down to his fans, largely due to the extensive timepiece collection he often references, and the titling of his latest album.

May 20, 2015 – 11:12 am

Jay Z, Linkin Park Win Best Rap/Sung Collaboration

Privy to this detail, festivalgoers at Austin City Limits 2017 sprinted across Zilker Park to ensure they did not miss the opening notes of his set, scheduled for 8:15 p.m. But as the official call time passed, it was apparent that for Jay Z fans, patience is a virtue.

At 8:27, the black veil covering the American Express stage dropped, revealing an oversized black balloon animal, shaped like a dog, sculpted by artist Jeff Koons. Shoulders swaying, Jay Z leisurely strolled to center stage, clad in a white T-shirt, black jeans, high-top Nikes, and his signature Roc Nation hat. As he scanned the crowd, a faint smirk appeared.

Jay Z at ACL 2017, Sculpture by Jeff Koons

As the quacking claps of his GRAMMY-winning song "Run This Town" underscored the deafening praise from the crowd, an unspoken pact was made: For the next hour and a half, Shawn "Jay Z" Carter called the shots.

While Shawn Carter may be a man of punctuality, Jay Z lives by his own rules. The two personas battle one another in an internal paradox that plays itself out in the rapper’s latest effort, 4:44, and oozed into his ACL performance.

The Brooklyn, N.Y., native used his set list to take Austinites on a round-trip flight across the world, beginning by lyrically listing his illicit activities in Marcy Projects to boasting about his aristocratic experiences in Paris. Songs of remorse and vulnerability were sprinkled in between his most popular cuts, including the GRAMMY-winning collaboration with Alicia Keys, "Empire State Of Mind."

At Jay’s behest, attendees across the park raised their arms and put their index fingers and thumbs together to form the immortal Roc-A-Fella diamond. Though the dynasty he built with former business partner Dame Dash is no more, Jay Z’s effortless mix of music and business permeated across cultures and prompted fans, some half his age, to commit his lyrics to memory. 

"His music grows with him," 21 Savage told GRAMMY.com of Jay Z's ability to stay relevant. "He ain't just rapping about the same thing he was rapping about when he first came out, so that’s what keeps it interesting, because as he grows as a man and does more stuff business-wise, he applies that to the music, so that's why I think he’s been able to grow like that and stay around."

"I told you [in] ‘96 that I came to take this s***, and I did!” Jay emphatically declared during his live rendition of "Heart Of The City."

At the time he originally recorded the track in 2001, the statement might not have been more than bravado. Now, his 21-year-long résumé confirms his spot atop hip-hop's throne. Since the release of his debut album, Reasonable Doubt, in 1996, Jay has garnered 21 GRAMMY wins alongside fourteen No. 1 albums, selling more than 36 million units worldwide. Just days before his highly anticipated album 4:44 was due, he received the title as the first rapper to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Who Are The Top GRAMMY Winners Of All Time?

"I remember when rap was said to be a fad," he wrote on Twitter. "We are now alongside some of the greatest writers in history."

Jay Z's point of view often came from that of a have-not, "from the school of the hard knocks." However, his rock-influenced production of “99 Problems” and emotional tribute to friend and collaborator Chester Bennington proved that his vast catalog resonates with people from all walks of life.

Jay Z at Austin City Limits 2017

As hundreds of thousands of fans piled out of Zilker Park, phrases of awe pervaded conversations. In years to come, many will study the Jay Z blueprint in the hopes to replicate his savvy and success, while pondering what the key ingredient has been to his 20-plus-year career in the music business.

As he once told Forbes, "The genius thing that we did was we didn't give up."

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