Here Today... Gone To Hell!

Jay-Z gives a shout out to Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose on a remix of Kanye West's new single 'Power'.

The rapper appears on the track, which West debuted on his blog earlier today (August 20), alongside Swizz Beatz.

Referring to Rose, Jay-Z raps: ?F*ck all these labels, f*ck what everybody wants from you. They're trying to Axl Rose you, welcome to the jungle.?

West goes on the rap about the ongoing war in Iraq during the song, which also features a sample of Snap's 'I've Got The Power'.

'Power' is the first song to be taken from West's as-yet-untitled new studio album, which is due out in November.

http://www.gigwise.com/news/57993/Jay-Z-Shouts-Out-Axl-Rose-On-Kanye-West-Power-Remix



/jarmo

He's referenced GN'R a few times...

Last year for instance..
"Kanye's in the process of making a new batch of music that's going to be phenomenal, and at the end of the day, when it's ready for the people, we'll serve it up," said Jay-Z. "If I don't have any time constraints...then I'll be Axl Rose out here. It'll be 12 years later and we'll be talking about my Chinese Democracy or something."

http://uk.eonline.com/uberblog/b127756_jay-zs_latest_blueprint_unfolding_on_911.html

In Success on his album American Gangster:
Finish my breakfast, why?
I got an appetite for destruction and you're a small fry
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdwJq71H8iU

And of course the song Guns & Roses with Lenny Kravitz on The Blueprint 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw4Coh4NZyE

I guess he's a fan.

Those are all I can think of for now.

What exactly does he mean by 'trying to Axl Rose you...' wouldn't it be the other way around because Axl doesnt care about labels and what people want from him in my opinion.

I'm thinking it means they are trying to welcome you to the jungle...

Like Axl.




/jarmo

Yeah, of course he could be going deeper and saying they fucked Axl on Chinese Democracy.  Jay-Z's known for his double, and even triple, entendres.

I honestly couldnt understand anything positive about it...

what i thought it meant, by reading it, was that he was saying fuck the labels for advertising a guy who hasnt done nothing in 15 years, and that by this standard we will still be hearing of Chinese Democracy because thats what the labels want to shove to you.
And the welcome to the jungle part, means that he welcomes you to our world and thats the reality we live in, referring to the Axl part.

Now this is what i understood from the lyrics and i think it makes much more sense, doesnt mean i agree with it which i clearly not, but F*** Jay-Z anyways, i never liked his music, but i do like Kanye West!

Nah, I don't think it was meant in a negative way at all.  I think he's saying, they're trying to F--k with you, like they did with Axl.  Then again, I've never been great at deciphering rap lyrics.

Man you are reading way into that, but interesting view. However, the the label by no means pushed CD down anyone's throat.

they're trying to SUE you or
they're trying to BLACKEN your name
they're trying to TELL LIES about you
they're trying to DICTATE what you should do

or I just don't get it

When one of the most popular artists of recent times mentions your name in a song, it means it will be heard.

I don't see anything negative in anything he's said about Axl.




/jarmo

"They're trying to Axl Rose you, welcome to the jungle"

Well i guess only Jay Z really knows what that meant, but i will admit that the first thing that came to my mind was something negative.

Reading to it better though, i can see that he's a fan, so he's probably blaming the chinese democracy thing on the labels, and trying to alert artists to not let that happen to them. So i apologize if i read into it too much  :hihi:

I took it as they're referring to the ticketmaster/live nation merger.  They're saying that all artists, whether they're indies or major bands, are getting fucked over and strong-armed by this monopoly now having all this power to dictate every when/where/how of the business.

They're calling on the artists to fight-the-fight and take back the power.

I think it's more of a reference in that Axl usually catches flak for any controversy, the scapegoat. So for whom Jay is relaying to it, he adds "Welcome To The Jungle", like 'they're gonna try and put some sh*t on you, and it's gonna get hectic.'

Only the line has been quoted so far. Look more at Jay's entire verse:

Rumble, young man, rumble
Life is a trip, so sometimes, we gon? stumble
You gotta go through pain in order to become you
But once the world numbs you, you?ll feel like it?s only one you
Now you got the power to do anything you want to
Until you ask yourself, ?Is this what it?s all come to??
Lookin? at life through sunglasses and a sunroof
You have the power to get out from up under you
Fuck Rollies, labels, fuck what everybody wants from you
They tryna Axl Rose you, welcome to the jungle
To be continued, we on that Norman Mailer shit
In search of the truth, even if it goes through Taylor Swift
Tell her this

Like the Norman Mailer name-drop, I would say is a direct reference to his book "American Dream". Makes perfect sense to me.

I wouldn't say it's positive-negative thing, just something more descriptive. Yes, a name drop by J is something of incredible value.

The weird thing though is the hook of the song, "No one man should have all that power".......hmmmmmm

I am not into JayZ at all but it sounds to me that he is bashing the record companies / labels....cos he might got screwed by the labels) just like Axl maybe got screwed by labels / managers....

Am I completely wrong or not ? Please correct me ifso....

 :peace:

Jay was on show in NY 2006

Like GNR

I'd say this is the correct explanation. Everyone else is reading way too much into it.

I think that's it. 

 ?F*ck all these labels, f*ck what everybody wants from you. They're trying to Axl Rose you..."

Welcome to the jungle. ;)

This.

Just listen/read the lyrics, and it's pretty obvious.


I think Jay-Z is a big GN'R fan..

Exactly -- it seems pretty clear. :hihi:


I agree, he's not dissing Axl.  He sounds like a fan. :yes:

Jay-Z has an asthma attack on all his songs.

He's a buster and so are his followers.

Its either one of two statements.

People should not be pressured by labels and management to release a particular sound and in so loose their vision or integrity. Axl had a lot of pressure on him to complete the album and had a lot of people trying to influence him.

Another take though that nobody has mentioned is the common belief that Axl forced his choices upon the rest of the original line up during the illusions era, kinda a my way or the highway take. Much as the first statement would be suggesting of record labels. Not my belief at all, but something I hadn't seen mentioned.

Seeing though its not the only Guns mention Jay-Z has dropped I'd lean toward the first and him being a fan but none of his previous mentions are any more specific either as to his views on Axl or the band. They are merely mentions.

I agree.

Many artists have problems with labels. Axl is just one case, but a very well-known case.

The official lyric is:

They tryin' to ask who rose you, welcome to the jungle.

Essentially, it's a play on words and an amazing one at that.

As posted here: http://www.kanyewest.com/home/#/2010/08/21/official-power-remix/@comments

Ah, that IS a clever play on words.  Those rappers are quite crafty.