In 2020, Scarface experienced a bad health scare. He caught COVID-19 at the height of the pandemic, which left him with double bilateral pneumonia and kidney failure. His health declined so dramatically that people began to expect the worst, but he pulled through (thanks in part to a donation from his son) and seems to be living a largely healthy life.
In a new interview with Shannon Sharpe on Club Shay Shay, Sharpe asked the legendary MC to share the story about how Jay-Z helped him at that time in his life. Sharpe specifically cited several examples where Jay helped out his hip-hop peers, including Lil Wayne with his tax debt, allowing DMX to leave Def Jam to sign with Columbia, and others.
“So you remember when I caught the COVID and kidney failure and all that?” Scarface asked Sharpe in response. “Jay-Z chucked me a lifeline, DJ Khaled chucked me a lifeline. So can’t nobody tell me shit about Jay-Z and DJ Khaled, because they chucked me a lifeline. I’m thankful, you know what I mean? ‘Cuz I wasn’t working. So shout out to Hov and DJ Khaled. When I talk to Jay-Z, I call him ‘the keeper of the culture,’ man, ‘cause he do that big brother s**t."
Jay's benevolence when it comes to helping out his rap peers has been compared to names like Vito Corleone, as he has the power to ensure that things are done for those who need it. Not everyone has the same stories as Scarface does, but there are enough examples to suggest that it's more than an occasional helping hand.
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Scarface Jay-Z Club Shay Shay
Scarface and Jay-Z collaborated a few times in the early 2000s. Elsewhere in the interview, he discussed those songs, specifically his show-stealing performance on "This Can't Be Life" and Jay's reaction to hearing the Kanye West-produced beat for "Guess Who's Back?" He also delivered live performances of "I Seen A Man Die" and "On My Block," among other tracks.
When asked, Scarface also expressed doubt that Jay would release another album. He said that he doesn't have a reason to rap anymore. "That man not starving no more, man," he said.
On the other end, Memphis Bleek, one of Jay's closest friends, recently claimed that Jay was "working," and fans have long speculated that he's finally back in album mode after over eight years have passed since his last solo release. If Jay-Z is really in the studio again, it would be nice to hear these two legends of the game see if they can rekindle their old collaborative chemistry once again.
