<\/p>\n
Chicago has always been one of Jay \u201cJeezy\u201d Jenkins\u2019 favorite \u2014 and key \u2014 cities to play since he broke out in the early 2000s.<\/p>\n
Three or four times a year, by his account, he would perform his fiery anthems, such as \u201cSoul Survivor\u201d and \u201cGo Crazy,\u201d at hallowed urban nightclubs across the Chicago area, while being championed by DJs like Tone Kapone and DJ Pharris, as well as rappers like Bump J.<\/p>\n
Twenty years later, the Grammy-nominated, New York Times bestselling rapper\/author\/entrepreneur is returning for his second performance this year in Chicago after joint-headlining with 2 Chainz. In celebration of his debut album \u201cLet\u2019s Get It: Thug Motivation 101,\u201d Jeezy will be returning to the Chicago Theatre Saturday with Color of Noize Orchestra.<\/p>\n
According to the \u201dAnd Then What\u201d rapper, he has been working on the tour for nearly five years and has overcome various obstacles, from skepticism to logistical hurdles. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe are building a bridge between two different worlds: the culture of hip-hop and the tradition of classical music,\u201d Jeezy said, adding that overcoming adversity made it more \u201cimpactful.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery obstacle became a reason to push harder and prove that hip-hop deserves a stage as grand and respected as any other genre. The journey brought together artists, musicians and fans from all walks of life. Seeing that unity and creativity come alive on stage \u2014 that\u2019s the real reward,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
With the help of Grammy and Emmy Award winner Adam Blackstone and composer Derrick Hodge, Jeezy will be presenting a reimagined vision of his debut album.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese brothers I\u2019m on the road with are truly talented,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m so happy and just in awe that I get to share them with the culture and show people that they\u2019re great at what they do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Around 2004-05, Jeezy\u2019s music began to pick up steam beyond his native Atlanta, at a time when music executives would frequent the city\u2019s nightclubs and Black strip clubs in search of new talent. Jeezy recalled a network with many DJs and music executives who would soon introduce his music across local Black radio stations, like Power 92.3 and WGCI 107.5, and Black nightclubs, which is how he built such a devoted fan base in the city.<\/p>\n
\u201cChicago always resonated with hustlers. Chicago always resonated, from my understanding, with authenticity and just grit. And I think \u2018TM: 101′ was grit and was about, \u2018I\u2019m gonna make it regardless. I\u2019m gonna make it regardless of the circumstance I\u2019m under.\u2019 And I think they aligned with that,\u201d Jeezy said.<\/p>\n
The production of \u201cTM: 101″ is larger than life, akin to an orchestra of its own, but with 808s. Jeezy said while recording the album, he was beginning to understand what real music production was all about. It began with him using his distinctly boisterous voice and reverendlike delivery as an instrument and went with sounds aligned with his tone, voice and cadences. It\u2019s when he discovered his \u201ccalling card\u201d to make songs like \u201cTrap or Die\u201d into full-fledged anthems that people sang along to. <\/p>\n
Jeezy set out to make music based on his own story of coming of age in the streets of Atlanta to motivate people. The late rapper 2Pac was a huge influence on him because he was \u201cintentional about the type of music he was putting out.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cThug Motivation\u201d came from Jeezy contemplating if he were in a position to talk to people \u2014 \u201cdoctors, lawyers, pedestrians,\u201d as he puts it \u2014 what would he want to say? And his messages resonated as the album went double platinum, selling over 2 million copies<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI think that the Snowman was something that was bigger than me,\u201d Jeezy said. \u201cWhenever you\u2019re able to mobilize and go to the root with it, I think that you\u2019re a threat. I was able to talk to my people in a way that nobody was able to do at the time, and I think that scared them more than anything.\u201d<\/p>\n His greatest takeaway from that time came from a conversation with actor Samuel L. Jackson, who told him, \u201c\u2018You\u2019re representing something that people are scared of. And those are the have-nots and the people that America has basically turned a blind eye to. And nobody wants that. So, that means you got to go even harder,\u2019 and that really resonated with me,\u201d he recalls.