u don’t know

Just Blaze Explains How Jay-Z Got The ‘U Don’t Know’ Beat Over Busta Rhymes And Prodigy

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On the latest episode of the Idea Generation podcast, superproducer (and Uproxx’s friend of the site) Just Blaze delves into his impressive musical resume, from crafting the so-called Roc-A-Fella sound in the early 2000s to becoming one of the biggest hitmakers of the past 20 years. Among the stories he shares with host Noah Callahan-Bever is the explanation of just how Jay-Z ended up with one of the more recognizable songs from his game-changing 2001 album The Blueprint. It’s a story he’s told before, but it never gets old.

“‘U Don’t Know’” was at one point going to be Busta [Rhymes] and Prodigy,” Just says. “A lot of people don’t know, me and P used to hang out a lot. I still don’t have a lot of rap friends, right? He was one of the few people actually to come to the house. It was wild because then [The Alchemist] ended up moving around the corner from me.”

After that bit of scene setting, Just explained why the song ended up with the home team instead of one of the other two rappers, who were — at the time — considered bigger stars. “Prodigy hears ‘U Don’t Know,’” he recalls, “Then Busta [Rhymes] hears ‘U Don’t Know.’ Yo, the worst thing ever was knowing that I have Jay ready for me but Busta’s doing this Busta Rhymes [style] on the ‘U Don’t Know’ beat. I’m like, ‘Yo, this is real dope.’ I’m torn. I’m a kid at the time, and I’m torn.”

Fortunately for Justin, he didn’t have to choose. “Luckily, Busta didn’t record to it,” he exults. “I go back to Soundtrack [Studios], where Mobb Deep was recording. Prodigy hears the beat; I play it off of a cassette. He starts rhyming to it. Some drama ended up happening; he had to leave. I go around the corner [to Baseline Studios]. I play it for Jay. [This is] all in that same weekend. Then, all of a sudden, Jay was like, ‘Yo, lay that right now.’”

The rest is, as they say, history. “U Don’t Know,” which was never released as a single, has become one of the most enduring songs in Jay’s catalog; it’s a club staple whose lyrics fans have debated for two decades (that is, until Jay cleared it up himself last year). You can check out the full interview above.

Jay-Z Clarifies The ‘Water To A Whale’ Line From His 2001 Cut ‘U Don’t Know’

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Jay-Z MTV Unplugged 2001
Getty Image / Theo Wargo

Following Arby’s and Pusha T’s scathing diss track toward McDonald’s Filet O’ Fish sandwich, fans are questioning a line from Jay-Z’s Blueprint cut “U Don’t Know.” On “Spicy Fish Diss Track,” Push proclaims, “I could sell water to a whale,” directly referencing “U Don’t Know.” Although the song’s lyric video confirms Push says “whale,” the clip has left fans asking if Jay originally says “I’m a hustler baby, I sell water to a whale,” or “sell water to a well.”

Hip-hop journalist Sowmya Krishnamurthy reached out to Just Blaze, who produced “U Don’t Know,” for clarification. Blaze asked Jay, who kept it open to interpretation, saying it could be either “well” or “whale.”

“Haaaa!!!! Well/whale,” said Jay, by way of a text message from Blaze. “It’s never a coincidence when these things happen. I try to make things work on multiple levels every time I sit down to create. It keeps me engaged.”

Push and Arby’s diss track follows the “Diet Coke” rapper’s claims that he wrote McDonald’s iconic “I’m Lovin’ It” jingle, alongside his brother and fellow Clipse member No Malice, Justin Timberlake, and Pharrell Williams. Push was apparently paid a one-time fee for his contributions and has not been paid any royalties for the almost two decades McDonald’s has been using the jingle.

“I did it at a very young age at a very young time in my career where I wasn’t asking for as much money and ownership,” Push told Rolling Stone. “It’s something that’s always dug at me later in life like, ‘Dammit, I was a part of this and I should have more stake.’ It was like half a million or a million dollars for me and my brother — but that’s peanuts for as long as that’s been running.”