Drake and JAY-Z have a lot in common. Both are among the greatest rappers of all time. Both companies parlayed their success into other ventures. Both have remained relevant for decades. It’s no wonder these two see each other as kindred spirits. Since 2009, Drake and JAY-Z have collaborated five times (six if you count “Off That”). “Talk Up” has become a fan favorite over the years, and a recent anecdote from JAY engineer Young Guru has made fans respect the 2018 release even more.
Drake started the whole thing. The rapper leaked 100 gigabytes of unreleased material on August 6, including footage of him and JAY-Z making “Talk Up.” Young Guru saw the video and decided to shed some light on the unique circumstances in which the song was born. He detailed the experience on his IG Story, revealing that JAY-Z recorded the experience immediately after the concert. “Hoff must write a poem [for Drake],” he recalled. “We were filming On the Run 2. Hov hit me up and simply said ‘set up a studio on the property’ and I thought ‘what’? But of course I did it…he finished two whole I actually wrote this poem after the hour-long performance.
Young Guru shares JAY-Z’s story on Instagram
Guru’s statement matches the video posted by Drake. The Toronto rapper was asked if he planned to take a break, but he insisted on staying up until JAY-Z sent over his lyrics. “I don’t want him to hit me and say, ‘Hey, what do you think about this?’ and I’m not there to respond,” he said. JAY-Z and Guru were stuck, but they managed to finish the verse in time. The latter recalled the Lofi technology they had acquired in such a short time. “I have to connect my phone to my computer to send the conversation to @ovo40,” he explained. “I also caught up on my game in time.”
Young Guru and JAY-Z are thrilled with the results. However, Guru did point out in his IG Story that the best musical moments often come from stressful situations. “When you hear this work, I sometimes wonder if you understand what it says,” he wrote. “Classic night!!! I killed my shit, haha.” “Talk Up” isn’t mentioned as often as other Drake and JAY-Z collaborations like “Light Up” or “Pound Cake” and, but the story behind it really gave it an extra boost. Remember its creation the next time you listen.
About the author
Elias is the music writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined the site in 2024 and covers a wide range of topics including pop culture, movies, sports, and, of course, hip-hop. You can find him publishing for HNHH from Monday to Friday, especially coverage of new albums and singles. His favorite artists are Andre 3000, MF Doom, pre-808 Kanye West and Tyler, The Creator. He likes L.A. hip-hop, but not L.A. sports teams. The first album he bought was Will Smith’s “Big Willie Style,” which he thinks still sounds great.
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