Just Blaze On Eminem's "Recovery" Album, "I Have A Few More Songs I Have To Finish Mixing" [Video]

Producer Just Blaze has given a small update on Eminem's upcoming Recovery album and said he is placing his final touches on the solo project.

Blaze also talked about his experience working with the Grammy-winning artist.

"I have a few more songs that I have to finish mixing," Blaze said in an interview. "It's a great experience working with him, he's such a hands-on artist... Most artists come in and rap and the rest is up to you. It's good to collaborate with someone on the other end of the spectrum."
Producer Jim Jonsin recently talked about Em's interest to experiment on the new album.

"He was open to ideas," Jonsin revealed in an interview. "He was real respectful to my craft. He let me do what I do. He asked me ideas on some of the lyrics. We had ideas for lyric changes. Certain words may or may not work on radio. We talked about that. He had a setup outside of the room to do production, but I'd rather be in the room where he was at, and he was cool with that. And I knocked out a couple of joints in there while he was in there with me. He was pretty open and he let me do my thing. He did his thing. It was a pretty good experience...We touched on something that I haven't done anything like that before."
Em's manager, Paul Rosenberg, confirmed reports of the project's first single being called "Not Afraid" this week.

"It's not a dark song, it's an uplifting song," Rosenberg tells Billboard.com about the Boi-1da-produced track, which is scheduled to be released this week. About the album's new direction -- reflected in the album's recent title change -- Rosenberg says the set will be "more accessible to more fans. [Eminem] had pretty much completed a whole second album worth of material but at some point he took a step back, looked at it and said, 'I think I want to record some more,'" he says. "But in recording, the album started to sound so different and was going in such a different direction that he decided to keep it going and turn it into a whole new album. The last album was really for the core Eminem fans. I think this record will open that up a bit." Producers confirmed on the album include Dr. Dre, Just Blaze, Jim Jonsin and Mr. Porter.
The album replaces his originally titled solo project, Relapse 2.

"I had originally planned for Relapse 2 to come out last year," Eminem said via a statement. "But as I kept recording and working with new producers, the idea of a sequel to Relapse started to make less and less sense to me, and I wanted to make a completely new album. The music on 'Recovery' came out very different from 'Relapse,' and I think it deserves its own title."
Check out Just Blaze's interview down below:

Diddy, Just Blaze, Q-Tip & More React To Guru's Death, "He Had Time To Write This Statement While In A Coma?"

Diddy, Just Blaze, Q-Tip, Questlove and more have shared their reactions to the passing of rap veteran Guru.

Diddy categorized the rap veteran as an icon in hip-hop.

"RIP Guru! Hip-Hop lost an icon today-but u'll always be w/ us b/c Legends live on 4ever. Donate in his memory>http://www.eachonecounts.org/"
Producer Just Blaze questioned how Guru could have written a final statement while in a speculated coma.

"so guru had time to write this statement while he was in a coma/dying/dead?," Blaze wrote. "@JustBlaze yeh and strangely he seems to use the exact same phrases as his "brother, friend and partner" Solar does in his statement.... @JustBlaze And he felt it necessary to diss on Premo as his last words? I don't buy that sh*t. hope homie is enrolled in witness protection...@rachel1029 ive sat next to a few deathbeds.. and no ususally it is the exact opposite. man..."
Tip remembered how long of a run Guru had in hip-hop.

"From Allah we come to Allah we return. R.I.P. Keith GURU. A great man, poet, and I'm proud to say friend... 23 yrs. Damn!," he wrote. "Shouts out to my beatman crew. Large pro preemo peterock the beatminerz and da beatnuts."
The Roots' Questlove also questioned if Guru wrote a final, lasting statement.

"in my 10 greatest voices in hip hop. Guru was easily top 5 imo. smooth. velvet. will be missed. RIP Guru @swiftfmhttp://bit.ly/d86nKK. not trying to bring negativity into the situation. but i do NOT believe he wrote that letter. 1) he was in a coma. 2) HE WAS IN A COMA! i'm going in on the filler. hip hop experts know the obvious stuff. but the magic for me was the lp cuts @swiftfmhttp://bit.ly/ckC1fC when he was vice pres of Wild Pitch records MC Serch surprised me w a box Guru's 1st jam. loved this! #ripGuru@swiftfm http://bit.ly/9HVSf8"
Rap mogul Russell Simmons paid his respects to the rapper's memory.

"Legendary Gangstarr artist Guru has succumbed to cancer after a lengthy bout with the disease. U are here to achieve lasting happiness Enjoy ur time here . During ur time here u will be forced to recognize that sweet inspiring uplifting things outweigh small heavy toxic things Guru was a sweet inspiring uplifting person.. rip// rest in perfection Guru. Thanx for the inspiration."
Prior to passing from cancer, Guru allegedly wrote a final letter to fans and family.

"I, Guru, am writing this letter to my fans, friends and loved ones around the world," he wrote. "I have had a long battle with cancer and have succumbed to the disease. I have suffered with this illness for over a year. I have exhausted all medical options...My loyal best friend, partner and brother, Solar, has been at my side through it all and has been made my health proxy by myself on all matters relating to myself. He has been with me by my side on my many hospital stays, operations, doctors visits and stayed with me at my home and cared for me when I could not care for myself. Solar and his family is my family and I love them dearly and I expect my family, friends, and fans to respect that, regardless to anybody's feelings on the matter. It is my wish that counts. This being said I am survived by the love of my life, my sun KC, who I trust will be looked after by Solar and his family as their own. Any awards or tributes should be accepted, organized approved by Solar on behalf myself and my son until he is of age to except on his own. I do not wish my ex-DJ to have anything to do with my name likeness, events tributes etc. connected in anyway to my situation including any use of my name or circumstance for any reason and I have instructed my lawyers to enforce this. I had nothing to do with him in life for over 7 years and want nothing to do with him in death. Solar has my life story and is well informed on my family situation, as well as the real reason for separating from my ex-DJ..."

Just Blaze On Eminem's "Relapse 2" Status, "We Still Got A Lot Of Work [To Do]"

Eminem's Relapse 2 co-producer Just Blaze has updated fans on the project's status and said it is still being completed.

Although he did not give a release date, Blaze did reveal Em's recent work ethic.

"[The album], it's getting there, but we still got a lot of work. So I wish I could stay [in Miami] longer," Blaze said in an interview. "As far as what's going on in Detroit, a lot of good music is being made. He's really back spitting. The wordplay is crazy, the metaphors are crazy. He's really back on his game. He had his ups, he had his downs, he's back way, way, way up. This is definitely going to be up there with the best of his albums, for sure, for sure. The fact that he's branched out working with a lot of different people now, collaborating in a lot of different ways that he never has before, I think he's going to surprise a lot of people."

Blaze said he initially encountered work challenges dealing with Em last year.

"It's a challenge for both of us in the sense we've never worked with each other before," he revealed in an interview. "We've both been in the business ten plus years. We're both very self-contained. He has his own production compound, and I have my situation with Bassline Studios in New York. Sometimes I'm like I need this [song] back in New York and he's like I need it back in Detroit. It's interesting because we're both protective of the work and not wanting it to leak out. I'm in the same boat, because we both would lose money. Creatively it's a good process. When it goes beyond a business arrangement, it always works out. I've had cases where people just want a beat because you're Just Blaze. But here we are two people that are fans of each other's work."

While keeping details to a minimum, the producer previously said he has been working with Slim Shady since 2009.

"Only thing that I'm gonna get into right now, now that he put it out there, I am working with Eminem on his new album, we are working on Relapse 2," Blaze confirmed in an interview. "As of yesterday, he's done about six, seven records. I go back in a few weeks and do three or four more maybe. I've been quietly going back and forth to New York and Detroit for the past two months just getting a feel for it, and getting a feel for each other because he hasn't worked with too many people outside of his camp. We got a good relationship so the records are coming."

Em broke the news of his album featuring Just Blaze and Mr. Porter's signature sounds last fall.

"[I'm] pretty much finished as far as recording," Eminem revealed. "I think all that's left to do is mix. And you know, in the mixing process, if I come up with anything else then [it will be on there.] I think it's gonna be a lot different, a lot different than what people expect as far as the contrast from the last record to this one, I think I went back...I got a couple of tracks with Mr. Porter, I got two tracks on the album with him so far, four, possibly five with Just Blaze and I think the overall basis of the record is -- it's more emotional driven. Like the last record, I was more concentrated on spitting, but with this record, I feel like there's some of that, but at the same time I went back to making songs with feels to them as opposed to just rap records...I'm putting everything I got into this next record. All my focus, just everything, I just want to finish that project and I'll take it from there."

Check out a past Eminem interview down below:

Fat Joe Welcomes Cam'ron, Clipse, Just Blaze, DJ Premier & More To "The Dark Side"

Terror Squad leader Fat Joe has recruited Cam'ron, The Clipse, Just Blaze, DJ Premier and more for his upcoming Dark Side album which is set to drop this summer.

According to Joe, Miami duo Cool & Dre will also play an active role in the production of the rapper's latest solo effort.

"I got this sh*t called 'Kilo,' produced by Infamous, with me, the Clipse and Cam'ron. Bananas! I told you I was taking you to the dark side. N*ggas is going hard. N*ggas is going super hard. N*ggas will get this album and be like, 'D*mn. Joe knows how to make the hard-core album of a lifetime.' ... I got my Just Blaze track today, so I'm excited. I got Primo, Just Blaze, Scram Jones. Me and Cool & Dre did this monster with Trey Songz. I'm real happy with the album, man. I'm like one or two gems away from wrapping the deal. I'm just trying to dumb out. [Producer] Buckwild gave me something ugly."
Earlier this year, Joe dropped his album's first single, "Slow Down (Ha Ha)" featuring Young Jeezy.

"Congratulations Welcome to THE DARK SIDE!! The first single off my new album ft. Young Jeezy HAHA(Slow Down Son) YA ALL WELCOME!!!!," he wrote Thursday (February 4). "Here is the Clean Here is the dirty link again it I TOLD YA I WAS COMING WITH THAT MONSTER JOINT WELCOME TO THE DARK SIDE!!!!! CRACK @Scoopdeville My brother that beat is a monster you see what me and jeezy did to that thing there !!!!!"

The rapper recently announced that he will release the new solo project through E1 Music.

"It's been a long time coming," he stated. "I have a long history with Alan Grunblatt and everyone at E1. Although it's a small label, they have the best marketing and promotion staff in the hip-hop game and I'm looking forward to working with them on my new album, 'The Dark Side.'"
Fat Joe collaborator Rico Love previously spoke with SOHH about the rap veteran's dominance in music.

"It was an amazing experience working with Joe on the 'Aloha' record, as well as being involved creatively on the entire album," he explained. "Fat Joe is hip-hop royalty and he withstood the test of time. Seems like just yesterday I was watching his videos ontelevision and now I'm in a video with him. That's a great feeling. I'm honored."
Fat Joe's The Dark Side is scheduled to drop Tuesday, June 29th.

Check out a past Fat Joe interview down below: