Jay-Z and Kanye West's duo is one of the best bromances that hip-hop has ever seen. The pair linked up all the way back in the 1990s: Jay, who was on the top of his game, tapped West to produce his album. Since then, the two have worked on several projects together: record labels, an iconic joint album, and a groundbreaking streaming service.
However, things haven't always gone smoothly for the two. It's tough love, especially for people of a creative caliber like Kanye West and Jay-Z. The rift inside their relationship is no longer a secret, as they've been at each other's throats in the past few years. To sum it up, here's a timeline of the ups and downs of Jay-Z and Kanye West's conflicted bromance.
9 1990s: Kanye Produced Several Tracks For Jay-Z's 'Blueprint' Album
At the time, Jay-Z was at the peak of his career, but it also came with a few haters along the way. He was the most dissed artist in the game, beefing against the likes of Nas, Jadakiss, and more. He tapped Kanye West, an aspiring producer from a production collective called 'Hip Hop Since 1978,' to make beats for Jay's magnum opus The Blueprint.
8 2002: Kanye Signed With Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Imprint, But He Was Initially Denied As A Rapper
Shortly after rising to prominence for producing a Jay-Z album and for several Roc-A-Fella Records acts, Kanye West signed to his pal's label in 2002. He then released his hotly-anticipated debut album, The College Dropout, to massive success in 2004.
However, the initial rift started during this time. At the time, Jay was initially reluctant to sign West because he did not embody a 'gangsta' image. At the time, it was rare for rappers to achieve mainstream success if they weren't affiliated with such a persona.
7 2007: Kanye Painted A 'Tough Love' Story Inside The Label In 'Big Brother'
West described the pair's conflicted relationship on the track "Big Brother" from his award-winning Graduation album. Throughout the song, West praises Jay for being his mentor and his hip-hop brother, but subtly bashes him over a misunderstanding over a Coldplay track.
"I told Jay I did a song with Coldplay / Next thing I know he got a song with Coldplay / Back in my mind I'm like damn, no way," he raps. So, what does Jay think about it? He admitted that their relationship is a "tough love," saying that it's a "fair portrayal from a little brother's perspective."
6 2009: Kanye Interrupted Taylor Swift's VMA Speech For Beyoncé
In September 2009, Kanye West stirred massive backlash for his infamous "I'mma let you finish" moment. He interrupted Taylor Swift's acceptance speech for the Best Female Video at the VMAs to declare that Beyoncé, Jay's wife, "had one of the best videos of all time."
"I didn't know this was going to happen," the singer recalled the moment she was crying to her father after the incident.
5 2011: The Pair Linked Up For 'Watch The Throne'
Two years later, the pair announced that they're the most wanted hip-hop duo and cemented their relationship on their debut collaborative album, Watch the Throne. Supported by singles like "Ni***s in Paris," "Otis," "Lift Off," and more, the 2011 album went quintuple platinum in November 2020 and marked their first-ever collaborative joint as two rap heavyweights. The Watch the Throne Tour kicked off in Atlanta a few months later and their bond seemed as strong as ever.
4 2013: Jay Revealed During An Interview That Working With West Isn't Always Easy
Three years later, Jay-Z sat down with Zane Lowe from the BBC for an interview on Radio 1. According to the Hard Knock Life rapper, West isn't always easy to work with. Those kinds of clashes are common, as these two are the biggest creative minds in hip-hop.
"He's going to challenge everything because he's really trying to test it and poke holes to make sure that it stands up," the rap mogul said. "I admire that. It kind of works for me."
3 2014, 2016: Jay Didn't Attend Kanye's Wedding & Slammed Him For Kim Kardashian's Paris Robbery
The rift started to get bigger in 2014 when Jay and Beyoncé didn't attend West and Kim Kardashian's wedding in Fort di Belvedere in Florence, Italy. "I was hurt about them not coming to the wedding," West told Charlamagne tha God during a segment of The Breakfast Club in 2018, seemingly confirming the tense. "I understand they were going through some things, but if it’s family, you’re not going to miss a wedding."
Two years after the wedding, West bashed Jay for not checking up on him and his wife Kim after she was robbed at gunpoint in Paris, France. He had several on-stage outbursts during his Saint Pablo tour before he was hospitalized for exhaustion after the Sacramento stop.
2 2017: Kanye Parted Ways With Jay-Z's Tidal
Jay-Z launched the Tidal streaming service in 2014 and West was one of the most important players that helped shape the company. Unfortunately, as the result of the forthgoing feud, the Stronger rapper reportedly pulled his music out of the streaming platform in 2017 over a $3 million dispute.
1 2019, 2020: The Pair Reunited At Diddy's 50th Birthday & For Kanye's Hotly-Released 'Donda' Album
However, it seems like the two are on good terms once again. In 2019, Sean 'Diddy' Combs celebrated his 50th birthday in Los Angeles with Kanye West and Jay-Z attending. This year, West has recently released his hotly-anticipated album Donda with Jay's vocal on its second track, "Jail."
Watch the Throne Part 2 coming soon?
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