Admittedly I don’t listen to Rap Radar with much regularity, as many of the artists just don’t appeal to me. But every now and then, a guest catches my eye. As was the case with Just Blaze. I’m a huge Jay-Z fan so I thought if nothing more this would be a sideline glimpse into one of my favs. Well the interview was excellent and surprising filled with hella business gems.

When talking about his semi retirement, Just Blaze really went into the whys. As he explained music is a fickle business and you can be in one day and out the next. So he stepped away from hip hop to score video games and movie soundtracks, a move that has worked out for fellow super producers Pharrell (Despicable Me)  and Timbaland (Empire). He also mentions that he learned early how to invest well. And now he’s able to dip his toe back into the music industry as he feels inspired, not because he HAS to. (Beyonce “Freedom” anyone??!?) No matter how many times I hear it, the lesson never gets old – diversify your portfolio and have multiple streams of income.

Other amazing lessons from this podcast include:

Surrounding Yourself with the Right People: Just Blaze talks about how Jay-Z wanted everyone around him to be millionaires and kept them accountable to that goal.

Picking Your Battles: He recounts a frivolous court case over Usher’s “Throwback” that he could have settled for $50K to make it go away. Instead he fought it on principle and it costed him $350K in legal fees.

This interview was dope on so many levels. Between the passion with which Just Blaze told his stories, the sheer fire that is his catalog, and the gems, this is definitely a worthwhile listen. Check it out here.