DECEMBER 2010 ISSUE MMUSICMAG.COM

BEHIND THE CLASSICS WRITTEN BY: SHAWN CARTER, MARTIN CHARNIN, MARK JAMES, CHARLES STROUSE RECORDED AT: THE HIT FACTORY, NEW YORK CITY PRODUCED BY: THE 45 KING VOCALS: JAY-Z TRACK: THE 45 KING FROM THE ALBUM: VOL. 2 … HARD KNOCK LIFE (1998) Arthur Elgort

“Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)” JAY-Z

AS A CHILD GROWING UP IN BROOKLYN’S his own Annie-related revelation. Watching The completed track sounded like a hit, poverty-stricken Marcy Houses public TV at home in Teaneck, N.J., he saw a but the publisher of “It’s the Hard Knock Life” housing complex, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter commercial for a revival of the musical and refused to give permission for its use. So Jay-Z was particularly close to his older sister was struck by the melody of “It’s the Hard wrote a letter to songwriters Martin Charnin Annie. So when he noticed that a movie Knock Life.” “I said, ‘Wow, hey, you could and Charles Strouse, sharing the tale of how called Annie was on television, he took put a beat under there and that could work,’” he had won an essay contest as a boy—and notice. Watching the 1982 fi lm adaptation he recalled later. He bought a copy of the the prize had been a ticket to see Annie on of the Tony-winning Broadway musical, the original 1977 Broadway cast recording at Broadway, an experience that changed his youngster heard music that was outside his the Salvation Army for a quarter, and set life. As a result, Jay-Z was allowed to use usual R&B listening habits—but he saw a life about putting his theory to the test. the chorus sample, which featured the voice he could relate to. The Great Depression-era The resulting track eventually found its of then 7-year-old Broadway cast member orphans living what one of the musical’s best way into the hands of DJ and producer David Danielle Brisebois. Today Jay-Z admits the known songs deemed a “hard knock life” “Kid Capri” Love. Hired to spin records essay-contest story was completely fabricated. were expressing sentiments familiar to a poor between acts at an all-star rap concert, he “It was a bad lie—for a good reason,” he said. youngster whose father had abandoned his brought it along to try out on the audience. “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)” became family: “Instead of treated, we get tricked/ As Jay-Z came offstage following his set, Jay-Z’s second pop Top 20 hit and helped Instead of kisses, we get kicked.” “Anybody he heard the track fi lling the hall and froze. to propel his similarly titled album to sales of who ever went through any hardship can “It immediately brought me back to my more than 5 million copies. As he writes in relate to that song,” he said. childhood and that feeling,” he said. The his new book, Decoded, the rapper believes Like Little Orphan Annie herself, Jay-Z rapper quickly located Kid Capri, who put the song owes its enduring appeal to both saw his life take an unlikely rags-to-riches Jay-Z on the phone with the 45 King on its seeming contradiction in tone and to the trajectory. By 1998 he had established the spot to secure the track. Soon after, ultimate universality of its message. “The himself as one of the most promising the producer brought his instrumental to chorus is a sweet-sounding children’s song, rappers on the hip-hop scene, although he the studio on a two-inch analog tape reel. but the lyrics are adult: violent and real,” he was still looking for the big crossover hit Under the 45 King’s watchful eye, Jay-Z writes. “Knowing how to complicate a simple that would cement his heavyweight status. stood before a Neumann U47 microphone song without losing its basic appeal is one of Unbeknownst to him, rap producer Mark and rhymed about his own journey from “the the keys to good songwriting.” “The 45 King” James had recently enjoyed hard knock life” to success. –Chris Neal

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