You’re going to hear a lot more from Justin Timberlake over the next few months. In addition to the second part of his The 20/20 Experience double album, which has two just-revealed major features, JT will also be popping up on a long-rumored Nas track.
After picking up his Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at Sunday’s 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, Justin made the rounds of some New York radio stations on Tuesday to talk about his upcoming projects, as well as his face-to-face with Kanye West at the VMAs, during which they settled their mini-beef from earlier this year.
Speaking to MTV News’ Sway Calloway on his Shade 45 show on Tuesday, Timberlake revealed that he had an hour-long sit down with West to air out their differences, and probe a possible collaboration.
The very first item on the agenda was discussing Yeezy’s dis of “Suit & Tie” earlier this year (“Man I got love for Hov, but I ain’t f—ing with that ‘Suit & Tie.'”). As you might recall, Justin swiped back during his “Saturday Night Live” appearance a short time later (“My hit’s so sick got rappers acting dramatic.”)
“It doesn’t matter,” Timberlake said of the months-old flap. “It was one of them things where I love it, in a way, because at the end of the day it’s just music,” he said. “I love the record, I love ‘Suit & Tie.’ It reminds me of the music I grew up listening to. I respect his opinion because I think he’s a genius. But I don’t share that opinion. It’s just not that big a deal.”
Timberlake was very vocal about his love of West’s music and said he told the rapper as much, adding that he hopes they can work together some day. “He [Kanye] said the exact perfect thing, which was, ‘The best way I know how to do that is just for us to sit down and play music.’ You can’t plan out … you cant, ‘Hey, Ross I need you!’ I love ‘Ye … I feel like I understand what he’s doing. I love Yeezus. I love that album. I feel like I understand what he’s doing. I think he’s ahead … of a lot … all the time.”
In addition to defending Miley Cyrus’ twerkathon at the show, JT told Hot 97’s Angie Martinez that a rumored all-star track he recorded with three hip-hop heavyweights is a real thing.
“Yes,” he said when Martinez asked about the unreleased “Sinatra in the Sands,” which Justin confirmed features himself, Jay Z, Nas and Timbaland. “How all this music came about was we were in the studio at Jungle City and all of this music came out of that,” he said. News about the song destined for Nas’ upcoming album leaked earlier this summer when the quartet were pictured together in the studio.
With Timbaland on the beat and JT offering up the melody, “Sinatra” came together when Timberlake said he sang the hook in the style of ‘Ol Blue Eyes. “I didn’t know that Jay was going to be on it,” he said. “I haven’t heard it done. I’ve only heard when Tim and I did. I haven’t heard any verses … It’s a mid[tempo] song … I don’t want to say too much about it … because I haven’t heard it. And Tim has been known to, in post, [does Timbaland impression] ‘I flip the beat.’ “
A source close to Justin also confirmed that 20/20‘s second half will feature collaborations with Jay on the song “Murder” and Drake on “Cabaret.” Like all the other tunes on the two albums, he told Martinez that those tracks were recorded during a month-long studio sprint a year ago. “The song that Jay’s on on the second half is a song I had done and I was like, ‘put an extra 16 bars on there … because I know Hov would like’ … I just heard him on it.” In fact, “Murder” was the inspiration for the single that would lead Timberlake’s musical reboot, “Suit & Tie.”
Hyped by how “Murder” came out, Jay and JT recorded “Suit & Tie” and then Jay’s “Holy Grail.” The Drake tune, however, was just “sitting around” and Timberlake said, once again, he just heard Drake’s place on it. “Drake and I have been trying to get at each other about doing a record and I think we’ll probably end up doing more as time goes by … he killed it,” he noted, praising Drizzy’s ability to rap and sing.
No Comments