JAY-Z Explains Backstory To His ‘One-Take Hov’ Nickname: “I Didn’t Waste Time”
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JAY-Z has explained the meaning behind the ‘One-Take Hov’ nickname that was bestowed upon him over two decades ago.
During a conversation with Gayle King for a two-part interview for CBS Mornings, the 53-year-old gave insight into the origin of the moniker, sharing that it was inspired by the tedious recording process to create records during the ’90s.
“This was when you were recording to actual tape. So, you can’t mess up, ‘cause then you got to go all the way back and cut the tape,” the mogul explained while giving King a personal tour of the Book of HOV exhibit at the Brooklyn Public Library.
“That’s where the whole ‘One-Take HOV’ came from. Because if you wanted a fly chorus on this thing, you had to go to dinner. It took an engineer hours to cut the tape… fly it over here… So I start learning my lyrics really good so I could do them one time—you understand—straight down, and I didn’t waste time.”
During the period the rap icon was referencing, music was recorded using analog rather than digital equipment, with tape reels regarded as the industry standard to lay down vocals. This resulted in artists having pressure on them to cut vocals in “one-take” to shorten the recording process.
In addition to his nickname, JAY-Z also answered the long debated question of whether it would be wiser to choose between a $500,000 payout or the opportunity to have lunch with him and pick his mind about business and other topics. “You’ve gotta take the money,” Hov responded, adding that any advice or information that would be picked up over a meal could be gleaned from his music discography.
In an exclusive interview and tour of @BKLYNlibrary’s Book of HOV exhibit with JAY-Z, the rapper told @GayleKing how he earned the nickname “One-take HOV,” while looking at a display of his masters.
Watch the interview Thursday and Friday on CBS Mornings. pic.twitter.com/XHI7ALhOuK— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) October 24, 2023
“You’ve got all that in the music for $10.99… I wouldn’t tell you to cut a bad deal. Like, take the $500,000, go buy some albums, and listen to the albums,” he continued. “It’s all there. If you piece it together and really listen to the music for the words, well, what it is, it’s all there.”
JAY-Z’s two-part interview with Gayle King will air on CBS Mornings on Thursday and Friday (Oct. 26 and 27).
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