Jay-Z Gets Probation

Two years after Jay-Z was accused of assault, the rapper has been sentenced to three years probation. The charge stems from the December 1, 1999 stabbing of record producer Lance Rivera at Manhattan Kit Kat Club.

Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, initially pleaded not guilty to the charges, which could have put him behind bars for fifteen years, if convicted. This past October, Jay-Z admitted to the stabbing and changed his plea to guilty, striking a deal to ensure the probation sentence.

According to the police report, Jay-Z stabbed Rivera twice with a five-inch knife after accusing him of making and selling counterfeit copies of one his recordings. Rivera, meanwhile, settled out of court with Jay-Z for between $500,000 and $1 million.

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Song Stories

“1999”

Prince | 1982

“I don’t consider myself a great poet,” Prince told Rolling Stone. “I just know I’m here to say what’s on my mind.” In the case of the apocalyptic party anthem “1999,” he was worried about then-president Ronald Reagan’s foreign policies. The song’s melody is based on a riff borrowed from the Mamas and Papas’ “Monday, Monday,” and Prince originally envisioned the first verse with three-part harmony but later split the vocals between himself and members of the Revolution. Because Warner Bros., with whom Prince was locked in a contractual battle, owned the original’s masters, Prince rerecorded the song and appropriately released that version in 1999.

More Song Stories entries »

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