JAY-Z's "Beach is Better" is one of the most iconic tracks from his 2013 album Magna Carta Holy Grail, but it turns out that the song was not originally intended for him.In a recent interview with the All The Smoke podcast, Mike WiLL Made-It, the producer behind the hit, revealed that he had initially made the beat for Big Sean, who had asked him for some "hard-hitting" instrumentals.
"I sent him 'Beach is Better' and he was like, 'Yo, this is crazy, I'm about to kill this,'" Mike WiLL said. "But then he never sent it back to me. He was like, 'I'm still working on it, I'm still working on it.'"
Mike WiLL said he waited for a few months, but Big Sean never finished the song. He then decided to play the beat for JAY-Z, who was working on his new album at the time.
"I played him 'Beach is Better' and he was like, 'Yo, this is it, this is the one,'" Mike WiLL said. "He went in the booth and laid down the verse in like 10 minutes. He was like, 'I don't need a hook, I don't need a bridge, just loop it.'"
Mike WiLL said he was shocked by JAY-Z's decision to make the song only 56 seconds long, but he trusted his vision. He said he later called Big Sean and told him that JAY-Z had taken the beat.
"He was like, 'What? You gave it to JAY-Z?'" Mike WiLL said. "He was mad, but he was also happy for me. He was like, 'That's dope, man, congrats.'"
Mike WiLL said he still has love for Big Sean and hopes to work with him again in the future. He also said he is proud of "Beach is Better" and how it became a fan favorite.
"It's crazy how a song that short can have such a big impact," he said. "It just shows you how powerful JAY-Z is and how he can make anything sound dope."
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