Jay-Z Accepted L In "Takeover" Vs. "Ether" Feud With Nas, Lenny S Claims

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Rapper Jay-Z performs at The Pearl concert theater at the Palms Casino Resort July 3, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Jay-Z is expected to release the album, "Blueprint 3" this September.
Jay-Z handled the L with grace, apparently.

Today marks the 18 year anniversary of Jay-Z's Blueprint, an album that's regarded highly in his discography and hip hop as a whole. Members of Jay's immediate circle recently sat down to discuss the album and the creative process behind it including the face-off between Jay and Nas over "Takeover" and "Ether."

Lenny S, A&R at Roc-A-Fella, spoke candidly on the energy in the Roc-A-Fella camp after the release of Nas' "Ether." While he revealed Jay admitted defeat in that battle, it was the way Jay dealt with the scenario itself that impressed Lenny S at the end.

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"The Blueprint showed me how selfless Jay was. This was the time when “Takeover” was out and “Ether” and everything. The energy was kind of crazy. They did a poll on the radio like “Ether” vs. “Supa Ugly,” and everyone voted “Ether.” It was like, 'Jay’s career is over. He’s done,'" He recounted. 

"Jay’s on the phone with me, convincing me that this has to happen in life. We have to go through ups and downs," he continued. "We have take losses in order to get greater wins. We have to fall in order to get up. He just spent 15 minutes convincing me why this was necessary and that it’s alright. This man just took a loss. A public loss to a rival rapper. And he’s convincing me, a young A&R, and obviously his friend and his brother, of like why I need to be okay with this and let it go and not take it to heart. It just taught me as a man how to be a more mature adult."


About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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