Performing has become a lost art in today’s music industry. But it wasn’t always that way. And during Hot 97’s Summer Jam set in 2001, Jay-Z put on a masterclass in how to put forth a memorable performance.
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There was already a buzz in the arena before Hov’s set. Many people were already expecting fireworks, but no one was prepared for what was coming next.
Reliving Jay-Z’s 2001 Summer Jam Set
Hov appeared to be joking when he told the crowd that Michael Jackson was backstage at Summer Jam. And the majority of the people in the audience did not believe him. That is until he went backstage and came back on the main stage with the King of Pop, leaving the crowd in a frenzy.
It was a collaboration that many did not see coming, as hip-hop was officially mainstream. But with Michael Jackson being the most famous person in the world at the time, there were strict rules of conduct that people in the backstage area had to follow. Including that only a handful of people were even allowed to make contact with Jackson.
“Listen, if you weren’t with Hov, you had to turn around and face the wall,” Bleek said during a 2023 interview with Drink Champs.
“[His security] was making n***as face the wall like it was the pat-down on the block. Everybody, because Mike didn’t want eye-to-eye contact. Nobody looks him in his eyes.”
2001 was a sort of golden era for rap beef. Hov had several longstanding feuds at the time. But his most notable problems were his problems with fellow New York emcees, Prodigy of Mobb Deep and Nas.
Shortly after Michael left the stage, Hov would go on to perform “The Takeover” for the first time. The iconic diss track takes aim at both Nas and Prodigy.
During the performance of the song, Jay-Z also displayed photos of Prodigy. In a tutu from when he took ballet classes as a child. It is where the phrase getting “put on the Summer Jam screen” is derived from.
Prodigy did not officially respond to Jay. However, Nas hit back in a major way when he responded with “Ether” from his 2001 Stillmatic album. It is widely regarded as the greatest diss song of all time. In addition, the term “ethered,” used to describe someone getting obliterated, was adopted and is still relevant today.
