Jay-Z Says Nirvana “Stopped” Hip-Hop for a Second
Pharrell’s forthcoming book titled The Places and Spaces I’ve Been features interviews with figures like Buzz Aldrin, Kanye West, Anna Wintour, and Jay-Z. During his talk with Jay-Z, they talked about Nirvana’s impact on pop culture and how it “stopped” hip-hop.
“So, where were you mentally and physically when grunge music hit,” asked Pharrell. “Like where were you when you first heard, ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit?’”
Jay replies saying that he was in V-to-the-izz-A, also known as Virginia, Pharrell’s home state. But Jay being the thinker that he is, he quickly starts talking about grunge’s history. “First we got to go back to before grunge and why grunge happened,” says Jay. “Hair bands dominated the airwaves and rock became more about looks than about actual substance and what it stood for, the rebellious spirit of youth. That’s why “Teen Spirit” rang so loud because it was right on point with how everyone felt, you know what I’m saying?”
Jigga man then went on to say that grunge, Nirvana in particular, stopped hip-hop’s momentum. “It was weird because hip-hop was becoming this force, then grunge music stopped it for one second, ya know? Those ‘hair bands’ were too easy for us to take out,” he says. “When Kurt Cobain came with that statement it was like, ‘We got to wait awhile.’”
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23 Responses to “Jay-Z Says Nirvana “Stopped” Hip-Hop for a Second”
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Please, like Hip Hop has any substance
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Jake Reply:
October 9th, 2012 at 3:29 am
Yes it does, Weed!
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jayzurtits Reply:
October 9th, 2012 at 3:51 am
@Nate, exactly
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Alicia Dihm Reply:
October 9th, 2012 at 4:24 am
@Nate, Clearly go
You have not listened to much Hip Hop!!!
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jack of all Reply:
October 9th, 2012 at 4:25 am
He’s talking back in the early 90′s Einstein….hip-hop had a LOT OF SUBSTANCE BACK THEN!!! Dont get it confused with today’s crap rap! There was more substance in rap than rock music in that time period
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bee Reply:
October 9th, 2012 at 5:17 am
@Nate,
Thank you!
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Even so it wasn’t him who brought it back or kept it going….it was the acts of Tupac and Biggy not this poser!
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yep they was playin nirvana on 106.1 KMEL a HIP HOP station in the bay area
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niggers
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jack of all Reply:
October 9th, 2012 at 4:25 am
this guy needs to get laid
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well.. grunge also derived from punk.. it was just a new era spawned from the north west.. alot of these guys like green river, the melvins, nirvana all listened to hardcore punk which had been coined here across america since the late 70s early 80s.. it was that same spirit of just picking up an instrument and playing.. jay z is completely wrong.. of how grunge derived.. he can only speak on behalf of the mind of a A and R guy.. a record exec.. Topple the rock.. Poke the pyramid in its eye..
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He should shut the fuck up. Rock music has ALWAYS been about something other then drugs and referring to women as bi#%#s. Thank you very much.
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weavehole Reply:
October 9th, 2012 at 9:00 am
@bee,
Yes! Like songs 1 and 3 on side 2 Rolling Stones’ 1971 album Sticky Fingers for eg.
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He’s partly right. The genre was a resurgence of underground punk rock which had always been. It’s just that, Nevermind took off because it was way different from Poison, GnR, Bon Jovi, etc. It meant something totally different, to a younger generation than the one that grew up in the late 80′s. Think that only 4 years separates HS seniors from freshman, and that trends change in that amount of time. As far as stopping hip hop? Dr. Dre’s solo album, Snoop’s Doggy style, Tupac, Ice Cube, etc it was the gangsta rap renaissance, if you will from 92-96, also. Grunge and gangsta rap were pretty popular at the same time.
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Ace Harm Reply:
October 9th, 2012 at 11:47 pm
You are right, but remember gansta rap wasn’t considered Hip Hop.
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pffff ….some people need to came down and walk thrue the earth
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Kurt liked hip-hop though.. he even said it was a pure form of expression in music
R.I.P a true legend KDC
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Jay who ?!?!? hip hop is for children, grunge for people with a mind..
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Mark Reply:
October 9th, 2012 at 4:39 pm
@Peter, Well.. I am just sick of people only knowing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains and Mudhoney – and still call themselves “Grunge-fans”..
Come on, Hip Hop isn’t that bad – some prefer Grunge, some prefer Hip Hop..
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i’m like a Rock fan and i hate the kids today , because they don’t know what they’re listening , Justin bieber is like a singer to them.. LOL
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Kurt cobain is the best!
R.I.P. Kurt
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Fuck you hip-hop!!! Kurt Cobain was , and will be a legend For Ever!!! And you!? Nothing!!!! ROCK ON \m/
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And now he’s in the lime light cause he rhymes tight.
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