Jigga's Rolling Stone cover story.

[Birdman9]

This surprises you? Whatever you may think of their music, The Roots are a working band that will go out and tour the fuck out of a record, and draw a crowd in pretty much any country in the world where kids listen to hip-hop. They get plenty of media coverage as well. Record companies like that kind of thing because it makes their life easier. Objectively speaking, The Roots have had the potential to become worldwide superstars for a few years now. Now they're at a label that seems to give a shit about them, there's a possibility that it might actually happen.

well if record companies are looking for a rap act that will tour and get in blender magazine they cant go wrong with the roots, if they want an act that will sell records they need to look elsewhere
Possibly, if you look at it purely in terms of the US - which you must be doing if you think anyone outside the US reads Blender - although I don't agree. And while you probably couldn't give a fuck about how many records The Roots sell in Brazil or Germany or Holland or Japan, that's precisely the kind of thing the CEO of a major label does give a fuck about.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not trying to cheerlead for them. But it makes perfect sense to me that there'd be a bidding war to sign them.
It also needs to be kept in perspective...this is a story big-upping Jay, he just signed the Roots, I am sure 5 easily other labels were interested, and they went with Jay, makes for good copy. 'Bidding-wars' are a lot of people blowing a lot of smoke up lawyer's asses.

 

[DocMcCoy]

Jay won a five-label bidding war and signed the Roots.... "his priority with Game Theory is us turning in a critically acclaimed album. When I talk about singles, he says, 'Get that thought out of your head.'"

there was actually a "bidding war" for the roots? really? hmmm

This surprises you? Whatever you may think of their music, The Roots are a working band that will go out and tour the fuck out of a record, and draw a crowd in pretty much any country in the world where kids listen to hip-hop. They get plenty of media coverage as well.
Well, that certainly makes money for the Roots, but is it going to make money for a record label?

I think their window closed at least five years ago and that they are doomed to the perpetual purgatory of selling ~200K and playing the jam band circuit.
America might have had enough of The Roots, but that doesn't necessarily apply to the rest of the world. I think Jay's smart enough to recognise this, and it'd be quite an achievement to blow the Roots up internationally as something other than a good live draw that sells a few hundred-thou each time out. I get the impression from that article that it's the kind of thing that might appeal to him. The fact that he's talking about signing rock bands shows that he's prepard to look outside the obvious markets and demographics and whatever. But why sign a rock band, when you could get an established hip-hop act that could easily appeal to a rock audience if you took a few chances with the marketing? If the hip-hop crowd aren't interested, as you seem to suggest, then why not?

 

[DocMcCoy]

'Bidding-wars' are a lot of people blowing a lot of smoke up lawyer's asses.

This is very true.

 

[asprin]

Imagine a full blown tour a-la-a Jay-Z unplugged with the roots feat. the def jam roster. That would pull crowds from all corners.

 

[SouthCrackalack]

i'd be there

 

[rootlesscosmo]

Man Dame is all over the place:

"He's always gonna be my friend."

"...That's still my man..."

"...I don't even know that guy anymore."

And Nas gets sonned a little here:

"That was some little shit," he said. "Don't make it a big section at the end of the article." But Nas feels it was a major moment. "That was the highest mountain ever climbed in the game," he said.

 

[emynd]

I know Toure is widely thought to be kind've a cornball journalist, but this article was pretty dang thorough. Extremely interesting read.

Jay-Z is the epitome of a big dude.

-e