News of September 15, 2006
Jay-Z: First Details on the Comeback Album
In September 2006, word of Jay-Z's return from retirement leaked: how “Presidential Gala” became the number-one album “Kingdom Come”.
After The Black Album (2003), that was supposed to be the end of it: Jay-Z had officially retired from rapping and was leading Def Jam as president. The fact that he was now heading back into the studio was major news, especially since as label head he was by then also working with his former rival Nas. On September 15, 2006, the site reported the first details regarding his comeback to the microphone.
The First Details Leak: Working Title “Presidential Gala”
Following several rumors, official information had leaked, the post reported, citing SOHH and Rolling Stone. The new album reportedly carried the working title “Presidential Gala” and was expected to be released on November 14. “Show Me What You Got” was planned as the first single for October, with its video directed by F. Gary Gray. The report named the Neptunes, Kanye West, Cool & Dre, and The Runners among the producers.
In addition, the post announced Jay-Z’s only concert in Germany, at the Maimarkthalle in Mannheim. Also announced was Nas’s new album Hip Hop Is Dead: it was scheduled for release on November 7 and was set to include a guest appearance by Jay-Z.
From “Presidential Gala” to “Kingdom Come”
The album was released on November 21, 2006, under the title Kingdom Come, exactly one week later than reported. The working title “Presidential Gala” did not stick. Selling around 680,000 copies in its first week, Kingdom Come debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and earned Jay-Z a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album.
The single “Show Me What You Got” came out on October 30, 2006. F. Gary Gray’s video aired on MTV and BET in late October-so the reported details proved accurate. Nas’s Hip Hop Is Dead, in contrast, was not released until December 19, 2006, as his first album on Def Jam. Jay-Z is indeed featured on it, on their collaborative track “Black Republican.”
During the same week as Kingdom Come, two other familiar albums were released: Tupac’s Pac’s Life and Snoop Dogg’s Tha Blue Carpet Treatment. For the archive, it remained a curious side note that all three releases were in stores at the same time in late November 2006.