Meet All Of The Friends Jay-Z Shouts Out On “Friends”
by Staff Editor
Jay Z and Beyonce took the world by storm this weekend by secretly dropping a duo album entitled, ‘Love Is Everything‘. The album features 9 original songs, one visual and one bonus track.
For years, Jay Z has been known for mentioning his friends in his raps, and the power couple decided to keep the tradition going by making an ode to their long-time friendships on track six titled, “Friends”.
Behind every successful person is a tribe of friends that keeps you grounded. It’s important that you surround yourself with friends and family that will celebrate your growth, love you unconditionally and that speak positivity into your life. Jay and Bey have built an empire all the while, putting their friends and family in positions of power as well. It’s cool to be independent but it’s greater when the whole team is winning.
Bey sings the chorus, refrain, and two verses following the notorious theme of #NoNewFriends.
“I don’t know what I would do without all of my crew, yeah I ain’t making no room, yeah, I ain’t making no new friends,” Beyoncé says in the first verse.
While Jay-Z took the opportunity to shout-out his extended family members and Roc Nation affiliates.
“Ty-Ty there, E there, Breezy there, Juan there
High here, Chaka there, Law there, they all here, ah yeah
Dez there, Kawanna here, shit feel like nirvana here”
We took some time to make a quick breakdown the relationships of the friends mentioned by Jay-Z.
Check it out below:
Tyran “Ty Ty” Smith
Lyric: “Ty mama died, I was there, my nephew died, he was there” and “Ty Ty take care of my kids, after he done grievin'”
Jay-z’s right-hand man and Roc Nation co-founder, Tyran “Ty Ty” Smith has been by his side since day one. During the song Jay reveals he and Beyoncé have asked Smith to look after their kids if something were to happen to them.
Emory Jones
Lyric: “Bought Emory a BM as soon as he came home” and “E there”
Jay’s close friend Emory “Vegas” Jones was sentenced to 16 years in prison on drug charges, but Jay helped him come home early by writing a letter to Judge Benson Legg, explaining that upon Emory’s release, he had a $50k job offer for Emory to work as an executive assistant at Roc Apparel Group.
Jay Brown
Image via Getty/Johnny Nunez
Lyric: “Breezy there”
Jay Brown is the co-founder and CEO of Roc Nation. Before Roc Nation, Brown worked with Jay while he served as Executive Vice President for Def Jam Recordings.
Image via Getty/Denise Truscello
Lyric: “Juan there”
Jay-z’s business partner and friend Juan “OG” Perez co-owns The 40/40 Club in Manhattan with the rapper and serves as the president of Roc Nation Sports.
Briant “Bee-High” Biggs
Lyric: “High here”
Briant “Bee-High” Biggs is Jay’s cousin who also serves as an executive at Roc Nation. In his autobiography, “Decoded,” Jay said Bee-High encouraged him to “stop hustling” and start taking his music career seriously.
Chaka Pilgrim
Lyric: “Chaka here”
Chaka Pilgrim is the former president and artist manager of Roc Nation Records and currently serves as the head of film and television for Shawn Carter Enterprises. She recently was credited as an executive producer of 4:44 visuals “BAM,” “4:44,” and “Moonlight.”
Lawrence “Law” Parker
Lyric: “Law there”
Lawrence “Law” Parker is a longtime friend of Jay’s and works as an A&R at Roc Nation.
Desiree Perez
Lyric: “Dez there”
Desiree Perez has been a close associate of Jay-Z’s for over 20 years and currently works as the Chief Operating Officer at Roc Nation. She is also married to Juan “OG” Perez.
Kawanna Brown
Image via Getty/Patrick McMullan
Lyric: “Kawanna here”
Kawanna Brown is married to Roc Nation CEO Jay Brown and currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Magic Johnson Enterprises.
Meek Mill
Lyric: “When I say free the dogs, I free ’em. That’s how Meek got his freedom.”
Earlier this year, Jay Z wrote a passionate op-ed for The New York Times about Meek’s unjust imprisonment. New York rapper also put his money where his mouth was by paying some of Meek’s legal fees.
“JAY-Z is actually responsible for some of my legal fees, which I thought was the dopest in the world because it was some millions of dollars. I don’t even think I could have afforded it,” Mill admitted in an interview with The Breakfast Club