I was the engineer mixing for Just Blaze that night. We were at Battery Studios mixing the "Friday Night" single for Young Guns. While i'm mixing at the console, Just Blaze is behind me at the producers desk with an MPC and a turntable, his friend had brought him that record and i could tell by the head nodding with the headphones and the laser focus expression he had on his face he was cooking some fire, but i only got glimpses thru the headphone bleed.
We had the MPC routed into the SSL just to listen to when JB wanted to so at one point he says "Ken let me hear this on the big speakers for a second", i unmute the channels, turn that **** up on the mains and out comes the PSA beat at full volume. HOLY %^*^(#&%@^#**@Y&@! R U F'ing KIDDING ME!!!! that was a spiritual moment. i mean it was undeniable, unbelievable. instant classic. I can still recall it like it was yesterday.
After a while, he goes back to working with his headphones and i get back to mixing Young Guns. as i am printing my final mix passes for "Friday Night" JB had finished the beat and passed out on the back couch. I hadnt worked on anything on the Black album and i knew this would make it, let alone make history, so i tried to wake JB up just so i could print the beat to tape for him and at least get an engineering credit on it. Just Blaze was soooo exhausted he work up for a second and said "i need to tweek it a little, i'll print it tomorrow", and he did, but i wasnt there when that happened. I got shut out of the Black Album, Just Blaze made another historic hip hop moment.
