Andrew, Jay Z and Kelly from MySpace
As you may or may not know, Hip Hop has been a major influence on my life and career, so when I was asked by MySpace UK to help produce an interview with Jay-Z, I jumped at the chance. Jigga is one of my favourite artists, not just as a rapper but also as an individual.
Before he stepped in the room the usual thought before any interview I have participated in occurred: “Will he be like how I have perceived him or would I be disappointed like some other artists I’ve met?”. Fortunately the answer was how I perceived him. Jay Z was a very humble guy and like his lyrical wordplay, I learnt a lot from just observing him.
What did I learn? If there was one thing I took away from this encounter, it was Jay-Z is CLASSY. When I mean CLASSY, I don’t just mean his clothes were stylish (I did admire his custom made Nike Dunks & the ice dripping off his left wrist) but also, and more importantly, the way he carried himself.
Is CLASS something you learn or just born with? I don’t know, but if you could learn it, here are some traits Jay taught me.
Body Language – It screamed confidence and was controlled throughout. According to various sources they say body language equates to 55% of communication (Voice tone 33% and words 12%), and what Jay communicated to the room was a cool persona.
Calmness – No question or even the amount of people staring at him seemed to faze him. Sure he is media trained but he seemed very calm and made everyone in the room feel at ease.
Intelligence – He s a very intelligent artist & businessman (or business maaaaaan), so it wasn’t a surprise that everything he said was very calculated, clear and precise. Most people talk without thinking, but he seemed to have every answer planned and therefore made sense and was interesting.
If there was ever a life skill to strive for then CLASS is one of them. You don’t even have to be rich or famous to be classy, as there are plenty of people who have both and are far from it. Like Jay, it’s so important to carry yourself in such a way that when people remember you, they think CLASS.
Oh yes the interview itself……NEXT WEEK people ☺
waiting for that interview mayne!
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