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Jay-Z to Danica and Little E: Show Me What You GotIt's been three years since the release of The Black Album, where Jay-Z, claiming to have done it all, retired from making studio albums. With retirement came a hellish touring schedule, as well as countless album collaborations and turns as producer.Well, it looks like retirement was too hectic because Jay's back with Kingdom Come, his comeback album that is scheduled to drop on November 21. With his single "Show Me What You Got" leaked to the internet and now getting radio play, it was time to go to work with the visuals. And what better place for the most prolific and successful American rapper of the last decade to turn than the world of auto racing? NASCAR and the IRL, to be exact.The video, shot in Monaco by F. Gary Gray (Friday, The Negotiator, TLC's Waterfalls), opens with Jay-Z riding shotgun with Dale Earnhardt Jr. Yes, you read that correctly.
Whether they'll drive past a billboard for Wrangler Jeans in the video remains to be seen. The boys rip and run through the infamously treacherous Monegasque roads in a Ferrari but have to share the road with another driver -- Danica Patrick. I imagine 007 shenanigans ensue. But soon enough, the fun ends, as Jay ditches Junior (I'm guessing they ran Danica off a cliff) for ladies, speed boats, and the ocean. From there, the video transitions to an exclusive resort where he gets involved in a high-stakes game of poker and passes on the now-boycotted Cristal for a bottle of Veuve Clicquot. ...
And Danica, who has graced the cover of dozens of magazines, hosted tv shows, and acted as the spokeswoman for various products, can only increase her celebrity and marketability by dipping into the world of hip-hop. It's win-win for both. But how did Junior get involved? I understand having a female counterpart but when you're trying to be Casino Royale, why make yourself the sidekick to a guy who thinks "shaken not stirred" are directions found on the back of a bottle of Valvoline? I'll submit that aside from Jeff Gordon, Dale is the most recognizable and marketable face in American racing; he also seems like a pretty cool guy. But he is sponsored by Budweiser, Bass Pro Shops, and Menards. On my way home from dinner last night, I passed a billboard featuring the line "Grrrr-8 discounts at Menards!" To the left was Earnhardt feigning enthusiasm for the landscaping products pictured in the foreground. Something about that just doesn't feel very '007 meets Roc-A-Fella' to me. But it will work and it will own - something one can always expect when Jay-Z is involved.
Disclaimer: I have nothing but respect for Dale Earnhardt Jr as a driver, personality, and businessman. This coupling of two distinctly different worlds will not only result in a cool video, it will also serve to be a great business moves for all involved parties. However, I'm terribly amused by the fact that the fact that Little E will now be a fixture on BET will surely send millions of Jim Bob Cooters out there into a total frenzy. This amusement will only be trumped by the obnoxious glee felt when Jay-Z announces his entry into the world of stock car ownership.  Posted at October 11, 2006 6:10 AM Permalink • Filed under: Racing & Cycling |
I can almost buy the Danica Patrick/Jay-Z collaboration. Jay wanted a slick, James Bond-esque video involving fast cars and a classy yet badass Bond girl. If he wants someone who actually knows how to operate a vehicle at high speeds and look cute while doing it, who else is he going to ask?
Comments (12): Jay-Z to Danica and Little E: Show Me What You Got
Brendan
October 11, 2006 10:01 AM
That's pretty funny but it would be made better if Patrick was one of the hoochies on the boat or in the club :)
Koester
October 11, 2006 10:26 AM
I don't mean to be petty but Jay Z is one ugly sumbitch. How does he get to wrap up Beyonce lookin like that?
gerome
October 11, 2006 12:01 PM
sarah fisher is to' up!! goddamn.
Bailey
October 11, 2006 3:20 PM
When did the ban take place? I completely missed that.
The Pen
October 11, 2006 5:47 PM
Hey now! Easy on my boy, Jim Bob. :-)
Other than that, I find it mildly disturbing that Lil E is hanging out with Jay Z. I wonder what all his fans here in Alabama think about their darling running with a rapper. Lil E is just cool enough to pull it off, though.
Julius
October 11, 2006 11:46 PM
LOL What's up with the disclaimer? Get flooded with redneck hate-mail again? :)
Nixon
October 12, 2006 8:22 AM
"To the left was Earnhardt feigning enthusiasm for the landscaping products pictured in the foreground.
Something about that just doesn't feel very '007 meets Roc-A-Fella' to me."
haha That's understating it just a little. It's the anti-Rocafella.
Erik
October 12, 2006 11:09 PM
This makes perfect sense to me. One is a moderately talented driver making a living on the back of his father's ghost, the other a moderately talented rapper(IMO) making a living on the back of hip-hop's ghost...because we all know that real hip-hop years ago. This is synergy, if you ask me.
Nathan Arrington
October 14, 2006 8:14 PM
How very UN-good ole boy of Junior! Add the Jay-Z video to Earnhardt being the only NASCAR driver to comment in any way on the Confederate flag issue and it might be enough to make fans go on the attack soon.
yarrow
October 14, 2006 9:14 PM
Dale Jr has commented on the confederate Flag and racism several times over, obviously he isn't racist. Actually, Dale Jr has been in Vibe, combo interview with Ludacris who has also visited him at races, Jr has been featured in Rolling Stone, Playboy and on and on. Jr has also been the subject of Documentaries on Vh1, Mtv and ESPN. He has also appeared on the MTV music awards and been in multiple music videos.
He's famous for Driving in one of the most competitive racing series there is. It's a driving sequence on treacherous roads in a music video. The combo isn't so weird or strange. And if Jay-Z did become a car owner he wouldn't be the first African American owner in any of the top NASCAR series. He wouldn't even be the first rapper as Nelly part owned in the Craftsmen Truck series for a time.
I hope the video is as great visually as it has been hyped to be
Adam Castro
October 16, 2006 3:02 PM
No one's saying Junior is a racist. It's not about him. The general comment is about the combination of hip-hop/rap with a sport that has a Southern, white fanbase where Confederate flags fly proudly at events. If you look at this without bias, you'd probably agree that the basic combination of the two "worlds" is a step away from what most people would expect. This has nothing to do with Junior.
dsousa
October 18, 2006 10:05 AM
I'm still haunted by this video. My daughter was killed racing against another car on back roads. I'm all for professional racing but you should understand that all three of these stars may be influencing many young drivers to See What They Got..... Please rethink this video