Stories of Rappers Passing On What Became Hit Records....

[Jerz-2]

.....y'all got any?

Saw this in @KingsOfKings thread HERE :

According to Roc-A-Fella’s former Head of A&R Kyambo “Hip Hop” Joshua, JAY-Z had the beat for “Still Not A Player” first.

“There’s a lot that didn’t make it, that I tried to force and then other people used them,” Hip Hop told the R.O.A.D. Podcast earlier this year. “‘Still Not A Player, I had that. I had [Black Rob’s] ‘Woah,’ I think [Memphis] Bleek passed on that. We had [Mr. Cheeks’] ‘Lights, Camera, Action,’ [JAY] said it was too slow. I was like, ‘What you mean it’s too slow?’”

Man, Bleek prollee would have ruined that "Whoa" beat anyway.

And at Jay calling the "Lights Camera" beat "too slow":

 

[Street Knowledge]

Well the question for me is it ready made with the hook or just a beat?

I think this is an important distinction

 

[vdfebduderocks]

don't think Lights Camera Action would've fit The Blueprint. Hov chose The Ruler's Back, All I Need, and Momma Loves Me as the 3 Bink beats.

As for Other Beats Passed On:

Pusha T (N's in Paris)
Wale (See You Again)
Mary J Blige - Umbrella

Plenty of others, but those are the 3 I immediately think of.

 

[Motife43]

 

[Skooby]

That New York group Home Boys Only or H.B.O. that turned down Boyz N The Hood. Dre and Yella convinced Eazy-E start rapping instead since Ice Cube had stepped out of the studio.

The rest is history.

 

[Yehuda]

Think "Heard 'Em Say" was originally meant for Common.

Nas had the "We Gon' Make It" instrumental but didn't do anything with it and it eventually got to Kiss and Styles.

 

[RammerJammer]

Nas passed on We Gon Make It

Ghostface passed on Girls, Girls, Girls

MJ didn’t want Rock Your Body, he wanted Superthug

 

[Toe Jay Simpson]

“Still Not A Player” wouldnt have worked with a non Latin rapper. The beat is too tropical sounding.

 

[Rembrandt]

Wale (See You Again)

He would have killed that

 

[MurderToCassette]

Buckwild said Foxy brown heard I Got a Story To Tell and said "it was the worst beat she'd heard in her life".

Big got it and made a classic

 

[WTFisWallace?]

Jay passing on Ether….

 

[Jerz-2]

....so Skillz passed on the "Runnin'" beat?

I know he prollee SICK

 

[Piff Perkins]

Kendrick passed on fukkin Problems (ASAP Rocky), which was initially going to be on GKMC.

 

[Playaz Eyez]

Remember reading Common passed on “Wouldn’t Get Far”

 

[Jerz-2]

That New York group Home Boys Only or H.B.O. that turned down Boyz N The Hood. Dre and Yella convinced Eazy-E start instead since Ice Cube had stepped out of the studio.

The rest is history.

GREAT answer.

I'm actually kinda surprised somebody like Art of Noise ain't went and found them dudes yet and interviewed them.