Jay-Z Welcomes Back DJ AM, Dedicates Song To McCain

As reported earlie, Jay-Z was joined by DJ AM (back behind the decks less than four weeks after he and former blink-182 drummer Travis Barker survived a deadly jet crash) at Los Angeles' Hollywood Palladium. "We're gonna party it up for them," Jay-Z said of the Barker and the four victims of the crash. The concert was also the reopening ceremony for the new Hollywood Palladium, which was closed down while the landmark venue endured $20 million in renovations. The night wasn't without controversy, however, as Jay-Z dedicated "99 Problems" to John McCain and "the one who says 'You Betcha.'" "I'm gonna get in trouble for this," Jigga said, "but fuck it, this is freedom of speech." T.I. also made a surprise appearance at the show to handle his "Swagger Like Us" verse.

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Song Stories

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nirvana | 1991

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," named after a brand of deodorant marketed to girls, was Kurt Cobain's attempt to "write the ultimate pop song," he said, using the soft-loud dynamic of his favorite band, the Pixies. Cobain "had that dichotomy of punk rage and alienation," the song’s producer, Butch Vig, told Rolling Stone, "but also this vulnerable pop sensibility. In 'Teen Spirit,' a lot of that vulnerability is in the tone of his voice." Sadly, by the time of Nirvana's last U.S. tour, in late '93, Cobain was tortured by the obligation to play "Teen Spirit" every night. "There are many other songs that I have written that are as good, if not better," he claimed.

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