Here’s the Role Jay Z Played in Lupe Fiasco Signing to Atlantic Records
Lupe Fisaco‘s former mentor and business partner Charles “Chilly” Patton is bringing all kinds of new information to the table about the rapper’s public beef with Atlantic Records. Chilly, who is currently serving a 44-year sentence for heroin charges since being sentenced back 2007, did a very rare interview with HipHopDX‘s Justin Hunte to talk about it.
According to Chilly, Lupe signed to Atlantic Records because Jay Z told him he was going to get a high level position with the label. “This is how it went,” Chilly began. “I’ll never forget it. Jay Z hit me like, ‘Yo, I’m coming to Atlantic Records. I’m going to to be the president of Atlantic Records.’ LA Reid was my man. I introduced LA Reid to Jay Z. That’s how they got tight. So Jay’s like, ‘I’m coming to Atlantic. I need you and Lupe over at Atlantic with me.’ I’m like, ‘cool.’ I’m thinking Jay’s coming to Atlantic so I do the deal.”
Things immediately went south with the label chairman, Craig Kallman, who allegedly disliked every song on Lupe’s Food & Liquor project. Chilly claimed he then had to pay out of his own pocket to promote the single, “Kick, Push.” Of course, Jay never went to Atlantic and instead became the president of Def Jam.
Chilly went on to say he remembers the exact moment Jay broke the news that he went to the other label instead. “When I get out [of jail], Jay hit me , I’ll never forget it , at two in the morning like, ‘Yo, LA [Reid] hit me [and offered me the president of Def Jam]. I’ll give you your masters, I’ll give you this, I’ll give you this.’ It was a courtesy call on some brother shit, but really he was telling me he wasn’t coming to Atlantic. I’m like, ‘N*gga, you’d be stupid not to fuck with LA. This n*gga is giving you your masters back. This n*gga’s making you president.’ You know, the whole shit with him and Dame [Dash] was crumbling. I’m like, ‘Yo, n*gga, you fixing to be that n*gga. I’m not salty.’ We cool because I could’ve went with anybody.”
This information sheds an entirely new light on Lupe’s career and the rapper’s bumpy history with his label who he said treated him like a third class citizen. You can watch the full interview above with the Lupe Fiasco bit starting at the 4:55 mark.
