Jay-Z has quietly returned to the studio thanks to the Denzel Washington film “American Gangster.”
More Top Picks Philips Sonicare 4100
Jay-Z said that the movie sparked a burst of creative activity that even he found surprising. He already has recorded nine tracks, almost every one prompted by a specific scene.
“It was like I was watching the film, and putting it on pause, and giving a back story to the story,” he said.
In the film, directed by Ridley Scott, Washington portrays Frank Lucas, an early 1970s Harlem heroin kingpin who, despite keeping a low public profile, rose to such power that he was able to defy the Mafia bosses who traditionally had dominated the New York drug trade before being brought down by a special narcotics task force. (Its leader is played by Russell Crowe.)
Jay-Z said he thought his fans would be struck by the image of a black man reaching such heights of success, even on the wrong side of the law, much like the Al Pacino anti-heroes Tony Montana and Michael Corleone.
“It immediately clicked with me,” Jay-Z said. “Like ‘Scarface’ or any one of those films, you take the good out of it, and you can see it as an inspiring film.”
The movie is set for a Nov. 2 release; Jay-Z’s album drops in early November.