JAY-Z's line about giving Kanye West $20 million on the 4:44 album has been exaggerated. At least according to TMZ. In the song 'Kill Jay Z,' the Brooklyn legend claims he handed Ye that amount of money, only to be dissed in return.
"But you ain't a saint, this ain't kumbaye / But you got hurt because you did cool by 'Ye / You gave him $20 million without blinking / He gave you 20 minutes on stage, fuck was he thinking?" spit JAY on the cut.But a source familiar with the business dealings between Kanye and JAY said the $20 million was actually an advance from Roc Nation to handle expenses, like the floating stage on the Saint Pablo Tour and to pay staff, which is standard for an artist of West's magnitude. Besides Hov himself, Ye is the biggest artist on the Roc Nation roster.
[Related: JAY-Z's issues with Kanye are personal, not professional.]
It's hard to figure out if these two will ever be friends again or remain on the outs with each other. Some might say if anyone needs to humble themselves it would be Kanye, considering JAY made him a star, not to mention rich. And remember, it was Ye who called JAY out, not the other way around.