You know that I love sharing legendary and forgotten tales of Chicago Hip-Hop, right? Well this story was completely off the radar to anyone outside of Chicago at the time. It would later become known as the infamous "bottle incident", where *allegedly*, Payroll attempted to hit Kanye in the head with a bottle.
The beef stemmed from the track below, Payroll's "Never Change". Back in the early parts of this decade, when Kanye was just a young up-and-coming producer, he produced a track for a rising Chicago "gangster" rapper (sorry, you know how I hate labels), by the name of Payroll, and that track became known as "Never Change". A short while later an almost identical version of "Never Change" showed up on one of this decades biggest hip hop albums, Jay-Z's the Blueprint. To add insult to injury, Kanye re-spit Payroll's hook "I'm still fuckin' with crime, cause Crime pays, Out hustlin', same clothes for days", bar for bar on Jigga's version. Needless to say, Payroll was a little less than pleased when he heard his exact song, that he'd paid for, on a Jay-Z album. I guess what Jay-Z wants, Jay-Z gets. I just wonder if Jay knew anything about the Payroll version, and if he possibly mumbled something to Kanye about swiping the hook?
So you can consider Payroll as an uncredited inspiration and writer on, quite possibly, Jay-Z's greatest album ever.
Don't believe me? Listen for yourself. And please, speak on it.
Payroll - "Never Change" (Prod. by Kanye West)
42 Comments:
i've heard that story but never the song, that is some crazy shit! i got a line when i said "stuck in my ways i'll never change nope! for Payroll, you either tryin to get a beat from Kanye, or sellin yayo, or both!"
I remember the bottle jump off @ the Issac Hayes, that was a dope nite/ event!
Payroll's version is an official Chitown classic. Anyone from the Chi with the J version in their collection should have Payroll's nxt to it. Chi All Day!
I'm actually working on an editorial about this was that was put off who knows if it comes back, you gave me a little more in depth if I can finish it up.
Of course I had to add Payroll's Ether Free to Ye ..
One of my favorite diss tracks of all time
Webb, throw a link to "Ether Free" in here....
Pay made it a hot line, Jay made it a hot song
WOW im from tampa and live in atlanta ... so this is all new to me and i dig the PAYROll version!(first time hearin it) but that Beat might just be too major for payroll, sorry
thx for the free education tho
nellsatl.blogspot.com
unfortunately, this happens everyday of the week in chicago - and beyond
damn thats crazy, thanks 4 droppin' some more knowledge andrew
nice.
This shit happens ALL the time. Ye is wrong for not crediting Payroll. But at the end of the day, he wouldn't be where he is today if he never took that opportunity. Sorry, but score on for Konman.
Let's keep it a 100, Payroll's version would've never saw the light of day. Some niggas from the crib would've fucked with it but it wasn't gonna be no national break out hit for dude. That's just the reality of the situation.
"Payroll made it a hot line, Jay made it a hot song." PERIOD
By the way, what is Payroll doing now? I don't know if yall know or not but the kid who produced this track is actually one of the HOTTEST rappers in the game right now. LMAO!!!
And you're lame! U sound like a clown! "Payroll made it a hotline, Jay made it a hot song." Where's your code of ethics?? Anything for the $$$ huh??
I remember gettin a call the night that shit happened...i was too young to get in Isaac hayes at the time....We wouldve missed a classic if it wouldnt have happened....
Yall aint know? Kanye kinda grimy yall...lol
That is some shady ass shit. I'd bust a bottle over his head first chance I got. To some people $$$ is the only thing that matters...
My bad Drew, didnt see your response until now, but here's the Ether Free
Payroll goes in
http://www.zshare.net/audio/1408972901063443/
"get a good lawyer, so problems won't pile...."
Let's be honest. It's fucked up that Kanye would do that, but when you are a producer, you on the grind just like anyone else. Kanye could have left that beat for Payroll, or he could get some shine (which he did). It was obviously a good career move for Kanye. A bottle upside the head seems like a small price to pay for the type of dough Kanye got now. Behind every fortune is some shit.
Like Kanye is supposed to hold the beat for someone that ain't gonna do anything with it, when you have the biggest name in the business asking for it... But ol' boy didn't have to rap his line on Jay's version either
i personally dont think that Kanye spittin on this track has ne thing to do with the fact that Jay-z goes hard...
at the end of the day, Payroll who??
The day when ethics get thrown out the window for money is a dying day for hip hop...
Coming from a producer's stand point , i would've let Jay -Z used the beat but i would've worked it out with Payroll & lace him with some other shit. Like hey man Jay-Z wants this beat hold me down & i'll hit you off with some other fire. Like that everybody gets what they want. But only Kanye & Payroll know the real story. Were all just speculating here.
Everybody seems to be forgetting that the man "Payroll" wrote the hook. Ye can do whatever he wants with the beat. Hell i would do the same if Jay came to me and wanted the beat but the hook is not Ye's hook. It's Payroll's hook. And to not compensate and credit Payroll for writing the hook is dead wrong. But lets not forget that Ye did the same stuff to Rhymefest with Jesus walks until there was some legal issues thrown Ye's way about it.
Point blank... If Ye made the beat and wrote the hook he can do what he wants, but he didnt write the hook and that's where things get really shadey. It's only right to break Payroll off some cash and writers credit for his work. Ye' got what he deserved. That's wack as hell.
thats some fucked up ish
I agree with the last comment. We're all just speculating. Who knows what really happened and how it went down. Did Payroll sue Jay or Ye for theft of his chorus? Maybe Kanye wrote it.
Maybe he didn't. Who knows. Unfortunately this kind of thing happens all of the time.
Damn ..This is the 2nd time Ye and some seemingly underhanded sh!t are in sync. Hope he did right by Payroll...obviously Payroll ain't on Ye's level..So it should be no major issue with breaking him off some cash and credits.
i remember living in indiana when the first popped off, this was crazy.
the jay version is much better tho and i dnt think it would have gone anywhere w/payroll.
jay does this all the time, if you go and read articles about Reasonable Doubt, you'd see that Jay took alot of beats from other rappers. So i think he knew about it, just didn't care. thats for the producer(s) to work out
All this complaining shit is some straight ig'nant nigga shit.
Payroll clearly wrote the hook to a song on a platinum plus album.
That's about $2 million dollars worth of a lawsuit.
What the fuck is he waitin for?
Cash in idiot.
I read a interview a few weeks ago with Payroll and the dude said himself that Kanye told him what was up. He even signed a contract allowing Kanye to use the beat AND hook. But he said later, that after everything was signed he felt like it wasn't a good idea. He fucked himself if you ask me. I"m gonna try to find that interview cuz yall niggas talking about ethics and Kanye doing this and that for money would be suprised...
Here's the interview as promised...
http://chibangin.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=3744
PAYROLL INTERVIEW:
Down: How did you and Kanye first meet?
Payroll: There was this little clothing store that one of my partners owned. When they would close for the night, they used to have people come in and have little rap competitions. They had some members from Kanye's crew up there one day and we was all goin' at it. They was like "Damn! This dude sick as hell!" They told me there was a nigga they wanted me to meet, so we exchanged numbers. The next day we ended meeting at Kanye's crib on 95th street. He ran some beats and we all started rappin'. He thought I was ill as hell. I mentioned how I wanted to put out this little project with my guys and the nigga was all with it. We started working around Christmas time just before 2001. I ended up finishing an EP that had four joints on there and one of 'em was called "Never Change."
Down: What were the circumstances behind you and Kanye falling out?
Payroll: The EP came out in April 2001. Kanye was off in New Jersey. I started hearing rumors that Jay-Z had the same song called "Never Change" and niggaz was like, "I think he used the same words on the shit," but I don't believe that shit. Couldn't nobody get in touch with Kanye to learn the truth. By the end of August, I get a call from one of his guys sayin', "Kanye wants to meet with you." So we meet up and this nigga tells me that he gave the beat away and he also used the same fuckin' hook. Then he's like, "but Jay-Z used the song," so instantly I'm thinkin', "Man, Jay-Z used my mufuckin' shit. I'm on!" He runs some bullshit script about me getting five percent of the publishing and he'll throw me a couple beats and some other shit for taking the hook. I been in the penitentiary for nine years, I don't know shit about this mufuckin' business. His lawyers end up sending me some paperwork and it was some bullshit where they was just tryin' to get me to release my rights to the song, because my copyrights were all in order. It just didn't look right, so I never ended up signing no fuckin' papers. After that, I lose contact with the nigga again. Later, I was scheduled to perform at a benefit show for the victims of the E2 tragedy and they tellin' me at the door that Kanye is gonna be there. I see him at the show and ask the man, "How we gonna resolve this shit with you usin my hook?" He caught a little attitude and it just went down. I went upside a nigga head and we got to goin' at it with his security.
Down: Were you still with the same people that helped you put out the first EP at the point of the Kanye incident?
Payroll: Self-Made was the name of the label I had released that EP under. These niggaz got so damn money hungry, thinkin' everybody finna be rich off this one hook that this nigga stole that we end up fallin' out.
Down: You recently signed to Chicago-based independent label Legion Records. What can people expect from you?
Payroll: My national debut is titled Money, Mack And Murder. I got Cap-1, Ric Jilla and Belo from Do or Die on it. I ain't tryin' to go outside with out of town niggaz. On the beats I got all Chicago peoples. I still got some work to do, but I'd still love to get NO I.D. It'll probably come out around first quarter of 2007. Ain't gonna be no pretty shit on this album. I'm just tryin' to bring it back to the essence with some real Chicago gangbangin' shit.
This announcement and exclusive preview is brought to you courtesy of
Down Magazine & ChiBangin.com - Chicago's Official Rap Site
ChicaGo-Getter said...
I read a interview a few weeks ago with Payroll and the dude said himself that Kanye told him what was up. He even signed a contract allowing Kanye to use the beat AND hook. But he said later, that after everything was signed he felt like it wasn't a good idea. He fucked himself if you ask me.
------------------------
He said he didnt sign the release
=========================
His lawyers end up sending me some paperwork and it was some bullshit where they was just tryin' to get me to release my rights to the song, because my copyrights were all in order. It just didn't look right, so I never ended up signing no fuckin' papers.
Yeah, you right. My fault. Then why didn't he ever take legal action? He could've stopped that shit real quick. Or at least use it as leverage to get son Ye beats, lol.
This is why heads deserve mouthshots. Its about reaching down and pulling someone up people, not throwing your own under buses. GoIller stand up, this happens too much in the city. Ye should have at broke Payroll off what he paid for the track plus a premium and gave a point in royalties. He probably swindled dude nasty. Part stupidity on Payroll, part schiester Kanye. So not fresh.
Kanye a bitch for that.Payroll should have swelled his face up worse than that car accident did.I've seen cats die for a whole lot less.And if there is any rapper thats REALLY STILL in the streets, its Payroll.
^SMH. That's aint shit to brag about. I swear cats are so lost. Plus Kanye is pretty wealthy now. If he really wanted to he could end this whole situation with no problem, if you know what I mean. So I don't think he really wants to take it to the streets. Big bank takes little bank every time.
Ain't braggin....just speakin facts.You crazy as hell. Ye don't even come out of downtown when he out here.Ain't nobody comin up Payroll block to get nobody.Ye wouldn't even know who to talk to bout somethin like that. Schoolboy ass nigga.
Its obvious payroll legal stuff with the song wasn't in order like he say, if it was he would be caked up now cuz his case would hold in court. So yep let this be a lesson....to all yall upcoming artist....its all about business...take care of yo shit.
blueprint came out in 2001, why are we just hearing about this?
Check Out: fuckchicago.blogspot.com
"The Official Site 4 Real Chicago HIpHop"
New & Unreleased Chicago Muzik
From what I hear Payroll & CAP-1 eventually got they ass whooped by GLC...but I guess niggas don't know bout that. And yeah it was grimey but this is the music industry. When hasn't it been fucked up? Payroll shoulda had his P.A. forms in and maybe that hook (if he wrote it) wouldn't have been jacked. Or maybe he should have, IDK, WROTE UP A CONTRACT!!! Lol, I been in the Chi for a few years now and thats one thing Chicago niggas will NEVER understand, get your paperwork right. It don't matter how hard you are (pause), cause at the end of the day Kanye & Jay are makin millions and Payroll is still in the Chi...
you're hearing about it now cause most people will only listen to one certain type of chicago rap over another. payroll has said in the chibangin dvd what went down and what his folks on the label he was on then got in their head. he's done with that shit, he'll say on thing or two but he's done with it. for you to dismiss him just cause jay-z makes your boxers cream is lame. payroll i guess fucked up and learned the hard way bout the game, he had just gotten out of prison and fresh into the industry. he was wide eyed and thinking people would be stand up dudes in the industry was naive and he paid for it in the sense of money and movement in his campaign. i personally think payrolls is harder than jay-z cause rolls words got so much heart in his cause that lifestyle was fresh to him oppose to jay-z who has been out of that life for years. in the end, all that matters to me is good music and payroll makes good music. i hope one day there's a big pay off for it but who knows. but the lame comments that's posted here, i bet y'all know how shaq's ass tastes like.
Ain't braggin....just speakin facts.You crazy as hell. Ye don't even come out of downtown when he out here.Ain't nobody comin up Payroll block to get nobody.Ye wouldn't even know who to talk to bout somethin like that. Schoolboy ass nigga.
SMH @^
FAM...US BEIN CHICAGO NIGGAS AND WE POSSED TO BE REAL NIGGAS AT THAT...KANYE DONT GOTTA GET A CHICAGO NIGGA TO DO IT. YE IS WORLD WIDE YOU THINK THEM OVER SEAS MUFUKKAS CARE BOUT PAYROLLS STREET CRED IN CHICAGO. MONEY IS THE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE. A NIGGA COULD HAT KANYE GUTS BUT WOULDNT TURN DOWN A MILLION TO CLAP PAYROLL IF YE OFFERED. HELL...YALL WOULD PRALLY TAKE 50,000 TO GO AT PAYROLL.......SAY IM LYIN....AND STILL LOOK IN THE MIRROR
First let me say I love and respect this site!But come-on man, you have to do the research before you post something like this. Kanye wrote that hook to "Never Change" thats why its on the Jay-Z version and Payroll only leased the beat he didn't have exclusive rights, therefore Kanye could do what he wanted with the track.
If any of that had been true Kanye and Jay-Z would have both gotten sued. Payroll was just salty period.
Post a Comment