Stove God Cooks Sent Jay-Z a Hook — and All He Wants in Return Is a Roc-A-Fella Chain
Rapper Stove God Cooks told The Joe Budden Podcast that he sent Jay-Z a hook — a song's recurring chorus melody — for the rapper to use however and whenever he wants, with no money or percentage attached to the offer. The only thing he wants in return is a Roc-A-Fella chain, the iconic pendant associated with Jay-Z's storied label imprint.
Stove God Cooks, a rapper from Syracuse, New York, laid out the pitch in characteristically blunt terms on the podcast. "I sent Hov a hook," he said. "Don't let me get on this album. I'm really gonna dance on you n—as. Now we gonna talk." He was careful not to confirm that Jay-Z has a new album in the works, telling the hosts: "I'm not confirming that big homie got an album coming out, but big homie, if you got an album coming out, use that hook I sent you" (Billboard).
That caution lines up with what Jay-Z's own camp has said. Roc Nation, the entertainment company Jay-Z founded, dismissed rumours of a new Jay-Z album as "fake news" via its Instagram Stories, as reported by Billboard. No album has been announced, and no release date exists.
The hook offer carries some weight because Stove God Cooks has form in this area. He contributed a hook to "F.I.C.O.," a track on the Clipse album that won a Grammy, and his 2020 debut Reasonable Drought, produced entirely by Roc Marciano, built a devoted following that has been waiting six years for a follow-up (Billboard).
His own next project is now officially in motion. Stove God Cooks said he has renegotiated his deal with Babygrande Records, the independent label that released Reasonable Drought, and confirmed an album is on the way. He announced the renegotiation on his Instagram Stories, writing: "I salute real sh–, always. Respect to Chuck [Wilson] at Babygrande. He came and sat down face-to-face and we got the renegotiation done! Album on the way" (Billboard).
For fans, that means two threads to watch: a sophomore album from Stove God Cooks that finally has a label framework behind it, and an unsolicited hook sitting somewhere in Jay-Z's inbox with no strings attached beyond a piece of jewellery. Whether either leads to a collaboration is, at this point, speculation. Roc Nation has shut down the album rumours, and Stove God Cooks himself stopped short of confirming anything beyond the fact that he sent the material. What he did confirm is his intent: the hook is a gift, the chain is the price, and the verse, by his own account, is ready.
