Young Guru reflects on Roc-A-Fella Records, speaks on "Watch the Throne," and "Otis" video

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

Young Guru has had the pleasure of working closely with Jay-Z for fifteen years. He was there for the rise of the Jay-Z empire. While Young Guru has seen the triumphs, he has also seen the failures. Fortunately, there have been more triumphs than failures.

When Roc-A-Fella Records was first launched, Guru was among the first in-house producers. Surprisingly, the label suspended operations after Jay-Z moved on to a new venture, Roc Nation. The label now only stands to release Kanye West albums.

Despite no longer being on Roc-A-Fella Records, Jay-Z did have a return, of sorts, to his label. His collaborative album with Kanye West, Watch the Throne, was released through Roc-A-Fella Records. Following tradition, Young Guru was a part of the production of the album. Young Guru produced the "New Day" track with RZA.

Young Guru said Watch the Throne is a classic album simply based on the lyrics of the "New Day" song, in which they talk to their unborn sons as if they are here. Aside from the album, Young Guru also spoke on the video for "Otis." He said the "Otis" video took the music video game back to when hip hop was still evolving and rappers actually had fun when shooting their videos.