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Writer Of Jay Z's Empire Track In Disbelief!!!!
WRITER OF JAY-Z'S 'EMPIRE' TRACK IN DISBELIEF: Brooklyn's Angela Hunte, also of '560 State Street' describes song's improbable journey.
December 14, 2009
*Singer/songwriter/producer Angela Hunte tells Billboard she is still in shock over the success of "Empire State of Mind," the Jay-Z/Alicia Keys track she wrote and produced with writing partner Jane't "Jnay" Swewll-Ulepic about her Brooklyn hometown.
"I come from the same building where he [Jay-Z] lived, and we knew each other from Brooklyn, but we never worked together. Not in a million years did I think I'd make this hit for him," says Hunte, who actually grew up at "560 State Street," the street address Jay-Z mentions on the track. "I still have no words even for the World Series performance. You get your hopes up with artists but then things happen and the record doesn't make it for whatever reason. But Jay loved the song, it made the album and it sounds crazy."
Hunte created the track with Sewell-Ulepic after the two shared their homesick feelings during an overseas trip in February.
"My writing partner and I were in London, missing home. Her mother was ill at the time and I was sick that summer, and we were just down," Hunte explains. "We said to ourselves, 'we complain so much about New York -- about the busy streets, about the crowds and the pushing, about the subway system -- but I would trade that for anything right now.' Before we left the hotel that night, we knew we would write a song about our city."
The pair decided to send the track to Roc Nation in March hoping that Jay-Z would like it and use it. But no one at the company was feeling it. Fast forward to the summer, when EMI's Jon "Big Jon" Platt heard the track at a BBQ and fell in love with it, realizing "it would be perfect for Jay-Z," says Hunte.
Hunte and Sewell-Ulepic were hesitant, though, being that they had sent the track for consideration already and were shut down. But when a Notorious B.I.G. figure she kept by the computer fell as they played the track for Platt -- a statue that had never moved before regardless of how loud they've blasted music, according to Hunte -- she realized it was an omen. "We all just looked at each other like, 'if Biggie approves, then, send it to Jay," she says.
The next day, Platt sent it to Jay-Z and he "loved it and recorded it that night," Hunte recalls. "We were just so happy he wanted to honor our work and our production. Two female producers/writers and for him as a rapper to take our song -- that's not a combination you see a lot. For him to be so open-minded about it, we just couldn't be any more grateful and thankful."
Jay-Z ended up writing all new verses inspired from the original lyrics and leaving Hunte on the hook. But when Hunte and Sewell-Ulepic were asked if they thought someone else would be more appropriate for the chorus, Hunte suggested Alicia Keys.
"She's never done a record with him and she also has my same vocal tone. She made the song sound so close to the original. She just nailed it and brought it home. It was a great choice," says Hunte, who studied her craft alongside mentor and producer Salaam Remi before signing a production deal with EMI in 2001.
Although Hunte wouldn't reveal many details, she says the original version of "Empire State of Mind" will one day be released . "The original is so powerful it's only a matter of time till you hear it down the line," she says.
In the future she hopes to team up with the likes of Sting, Elton John, Miley Cyrus and Corinne Bailey Rae.
After signing with EMI, Hunte went to Europe to write for the likes of Ms. Dynamite from the UK, Mis-teeq and British R&B singer Beverly Knight, among others. Her big break came when she penned the track "Do Somethin'" for Britney Spears, which appeared in her "Greatest Hits: My Prerogative" compilation, and was released as the second single off the set.
December 14, 2009
*Singer/songwriter/producer Angela Hunte tells Billboard she is still in shock over the success of "Empire State of Mind," the Jay-Z/Alicia Keys track she wrote and produced with writing partner Jane't "Jnay" Swewll-Ulepic about her Brooklyn hometown.
"I come from the same building where he [Jay-Z] lived, and we knew each other from Brooklyn, but we never worked together. Not in a million years did I think I'd make this hit for him," says Hunte, who actually grew up at "560 State Street," the street address Jay-Z mentions on the track. "I still have no words even for the World Series performance. You get your hopes up with artists but then things happen and the record doesn't make it for whatever reason. But Jay loved the song, it made the album and it sounds crazy."
Hunte created the track with Sewell-Ulepic after the two shared their homesick feelings during an overseas trip in February.
"My writing partner and I were in London, missing home. Her mother was ill at the time and I was sick that summer, and we were just down," Hunte explains. "We said to ourselves, 'we complain so much about New York -- about the busy streets, about the crowds and the pushing, about the subway system -- but I would trade that for anything right now.' Before we left the hotel that night, we knew we would write a song about our city."
The pair decided to send the track to Roc Nation in March hoping that Jay-Z would like it and use it. But no one at the company was feeling it. Fast forward to the summer, when EMI's Jon "Big Jon" Platt heard the track at a BBQ and fell in love with it, realizing "it would be perfect for Jay-Z," says Hunte.
Hunte and Sewell-Ulepic were hesitant, though, being that they had sent the track for consideration already and were shut down. But when a Notorious B.I.G. figure she kept by the computer fell as they played the track for Platt -- a statue that had never moved before regardless of how loud they've blasted music, according to Hunte -- she realized it was an omen. "We all just looked at each other like, 'if Biggie approves, then, send it to Jay," she says.
The next day, Platt sent it to Jay-Z and he "loved it and recorded it that night," Hunte recalls. "We were just so happy he wanted to honor our work and our production. Two female producers/writers and for him as a rapper to take our song -- that's not a combination you see a lot. For him to be so open-minded about it, we just couldn't be any more grateful and thankful."
Jay-Z ended up writing all new verses inspired from the original lyrics and leaving Hunte on the hook. But when Hunte and Sewell-Ulepic were asked if they thought someone else would be more appropriate for the chorus, Hunte suggested Alicia Keys.
"She's never done a record with him and she also has my same vocal tone. She made the song sound so close to the original. She just nailed it and brought it home. It was a great choice," says Hunte, who studied her craft alongside mentor and producer Salaam Remi before signing a production deal with EMI in 2001.
Although Hunte wouldn't reveal many details, she says the original version of "Empire State of Mind" will one day be released . "The original is so powerful it's only a matter of time till you hear it down the line," she says.
In the future she hopes to team up with the likes of Sting, Elton John, Miley Cyrus and Corinne Bailey Rae.
After signing with EMI, Hunte went to Europe to write for the likes of Ms. Dynamite from the UK, Mis-teeq and British R&B singer Beverly Knight, among others. Her big break came when she penned the track "Do Somethin'" for Britney Spears, which appeared in her "Greatest Hits: My Prerogative" compilation, and was released as the second single off the set.
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