October 31 2015 by Toshytaka Kondo
Initially conceptualized as a Roc-A-Fella compilation album, The Dynasty: Roc La Familia, was released as JAY Z’s fifth solo album on October 31, 2000.
The album was a warning shot to everyone that Roc-A-Fella Records boasted the strongest rap crew in the game with JAY Z showcasing a roster that included stars-in-the-making such as Memphis Bleek, Beanie Sigel, Freeway, and Amil. Sonically the album was chock-full of soulful production from Bink, Just Blaze, and Kanye West that laid the foundation for the God MC’s classic sixth album, The Blueprint. To commemorate the 15th anniversary of The Dynasty: Roc La Familia, TIDAL spoke with Roc-A-Fella A&Rs, Kyambo “Hip-Hop” Joshua and Lenny “Lenny S” Santiago, Memphis Bleek and Freeway, and producer Bink!, who dropped some jewels behind the making of the much heralded album.
1. The Dynasty: Roc La Familia was recorded from end of July to September in 2000. It started one day at Baseline Studios when Memphis Bleek was working in the larger A-Room. Bleek’s normal engineer, Brian Stanley, had called out sick. Young Guru worked with Bleek that day instead and called the then up-and-coming producers, Just Blaze and Kanye West, to come to the studio. Bink happened to be working with Missy Elliott’s artist, Mocha, in the smaller B-Room. JAY Z and Hip-Hop stopped by Bleek’s session later and when Hip-Hop went in to talk with Bink and heard the beat for “You, Me, Him and Her,” he called JAY Z in. Mocha agreed to give JAY Z the beat and this became the first song recorded for the album.
2. NBA star, Malik Sealy, who owned Baseline Studios, was in the session when JAY Z recorded “You, Me, Him And Her.”
3. Bink! got the Moments’ “What’s Your Name” sample used on “You, Me, Him And Her” from Sylvia Robinson’s son, Joseph “Scutchy” Robinson, along with records from The Escorts, Skull Snaps, and others, as Scutchy and Sylvia had recently got the publishing rights for various artists’ catalogs. Bink! then put the Moments’ “What’s Your Name” in his MPC 3000 at 45rpm and sped it up +10 or +15rpm pitch-wise so the sample had a chipmunk-sound. Bink! then had Scutchy come to his Hackensack, New Jersey home, played him “You, Me, Him And Her” and asked him if he could recognize the sample. Scutchy didn’t recognize it, but Bink told him anyways and cleared the sample.
4. While JAY Z and The Neptunes were at New York’s Right Trax Studios (now Platinum Sounds Recording Studios) recording “I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me),” Ludacris’ manager, Chaka Zulu, called Hip-Hop and told him they needed a second single for his Def Jam debut, Back For the First Time. Hip-Hop booked another room in the same studio for Ludacris to work out of and The Neptunes went downstairs and they recorded “Southern Hospitality” the same night.
5. No one else laid down any verses for The Dynasty album until there were six songs recorded for the project.
6. Just Blaze used Logic to make the beat for “Streets Is Talking.”
7. Although initially meant to be a Roc-A-Fella Records compilation, after “Guilty Until Proven Innocent” and “I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)” were recorded, it was decided that it would be a JAY Z album.
8. Def Jam Records didn’t want to release it as a compilation because they felt it would be hard to find in the record stores if it wasn’t under JAY Z’s name.
9. Puff Daddy had a version of “I’ll Be Missing You” that used the same Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes’ “I Miss You” sample used for “This Can’t Be Life” that he played for Hip-Hop.
10. JAY Z and Beanie Sigel recorded their verses for “This Can’t Be Life” together in New York. Scarface recorded his a couple days later in New York.
11. Ghostface Killah was supposed to be on “This Can’t Life,” but due to miscommunication, Lenny S didn’t get in touch with him before the deadline to turn the album in.
12. JAY Z and Hip-Hop wanted to purchase two Timbaland records before they had ever started working on The Dynasty that Static Major had written hooks for including one called “I’m A Phenonem,” which helped develop the relationship that led to him singing on “Change The Game.”
13. Although “Change The Game” was recorded the first week JAY Z started working on The Dynasty, it didn’t have a hook until right before album was done. They listened to the song without a hook throughout the whole recording process of the album and decided to give Static a crack at it right before the album was done.
14. Memphis Bleek was mad because the production crew wouldn’t let him actually ride a motorcycle in the video for “Change The Game.” For safety reasons they hitched it to a truck that dragged it for the scene where he was on one.
15. Bink bought the Ten Wheel Drive’s “Ain’t Gonna Happen” record that he sampled for “1-900-Hustler” at a yard sale for $5 in Norfolk, Virginia.
16. It was JAY Z’s idea to bring in the elevator music that played right before Freeway’s verse on “1-900-Hustler.”
17. Hip-Hop got the concept for “1-900-Hustler” from the Convicts’ “1-900-Dial-A-Crook.”
18. Beanie Sigel was originally supposed to have a verse on “1-900-Hustler,” but instead asked Hip-Hop and Young Guru to let Freeway have his slot.
19. While recording “1-900-Hustler” everyone rapped over the parts Bink intended to be the hook part with the horns coming in, and used the part he intended to be the verses with the choir to do the phone operator skits.
20. Bink! is the voice for Murder Def Kill Homicide nikka on “1-900-Hustler.”
21. Because Roc-A-Fella had signed so many rappers from Philadelphia at that point with Oschino, Sparks, Beanie Siegel, Young Chris, And Neef, Freeway wasn’t officially signed to Roc-A-Fella Records when The Dynasty hit stores. Puff Daddy tried to sign him once the album came out, but he eventually signed with Roc-A-Fella.
22. “Streets Is Talking” was originally supposed to only have JAY Z on it. But Beanie Sigel asked to lay a verse on it, and JAY Z was fine with it.
23. The videos for “Change The Game,” “Do My…,” “Hey Papi,” “And “Is That Your Chick,” were all shot in L.A. over the course of 5 days.
. very underrated album
