Former pro boxer Mitchell Rose believes that Jay-Z first decided to use a “whispering tone” in his raps after Rose handing him a demo in 2001, and has filed a lawsuit. First off, “whispering tone?” Is Rose referring to that annoying sigh Jay-Z uses on somber tracks like “Lost Ones?”? I’m not the biggest fan of Jay-Z’s stuff this decade, but I can’t think of too many tracks I’d say have a “whispering tone.” Also, I’m pretty sure if anybody can take responsibility for whispering in rap, it’s probably LL Cool J. Girl…
“I saw Jay-Z as we were leaving the arena after the fight, gave him my tape, and asked him to listen to it”, explained Rose, who also wrote a book called Mike Tyson Tried To Kill My Daddy. “He took the demo with him and shortly after that he began using the whispering (which he now frequents) in his songs. I had previously trained some of my artists to use that style, but it quickly became obsolete after Jay-Z got a hold of it. He used the whispering to enhance his music and financially benefit from it. Jay-Z disregarded the fact that it was my demo where he got the style from as he went on to use it for his own personal gains, which is wrong”…
Rose has served the lawsuit papers two of Jay-Z’s night clubs and will shortly be sending them to Def Jam Records’ headquarters, where Jay-Z is the CEO.
If this does somehow make it to court, I hope that the defense will argue that the “whispering tone” proved no actual benefit to the sales or quality of Jay-Z’s later albums.
Mitchell Rose Suing Hip-Hop Icon Jay-Z [East Side Boxing via Real Talk NY]
Jay’s been doing the whispery thing (rarely for whole songs, usually just a line here or there for emphasis) pretty regularly since about 2002, and the popular rap nerd theory has always been that he jacked the style from Young Chris from the Young Gunz.
I think the Ying Yang Twins have this on lock
I can’t begin to imagine on what grounds he’s filing his suit. Or who his lawyer is.
Ah, the Big Fat Liar theory.
Even if Jay took the stand and admitted, in open court, Yeah, come to think of it, that was where I got the idea, what’s the legal grounds here?
Can you imagine the precedent that would be set if a rapper could sue a successor for biting his style? It would make the post-Biz Markie legal fight over sampling look like a garden party.
This case obviously will set precedent for the D.O.C. vs Daryl McDaniels case set on the docket for later this fall.
“I’m not the biggest fan of Jay-Z’s stuff this decade…”
What, The Blueprint and The Black Album aren’t good enough for you?
@cassidy2099: “99 Problems” aside, I really prefer Reasonable Doubt through Vol. 3.
I applaud this suit, if only for the possibility that Biggie will come back from the dead to sue Shyne and Guerrilla Black for their millions.
Mike Tyson Tried To Kill My Daddy. I have to make a shirt with that on it.
On guard. I’ll let you try my Whisper Style.
The legal grounds for this suit are that this asshole hopes that he’ll pester Jay enough for him to settle out of court for enough stacks for him to pay his back child support and get himself some new Nikes.
Any judge who hasn’t been bribed would throw this without a second glance.