Foxx: I doubted West on Slow Jamz
Foxx says he was convinced Slow Jamz, his 2003 Kanye West and Twista collaboration, would bomb. Foxx was attempting to relaunch his singing career by throwing house parties in LA when he first met Kanye, then an up-and-coming rapper who had just survived a car crash.
I would throw parties just so I could get into music. I had a studio in my house, and when I had music people over, I said, ‘Leave some music in my studio,’ ’cause I was trying to get on. In walks this kid with a backpack on, jaw’s a little busted; it’s Kanye West. I asked Kanye to perform, so he did this freestyle and I said, ‘Oh my God, you’re about to be bigger than life!’.
However, Foxx wasn’t so sure about Kanye’s ability to make hits after West told him to sing the song with less of an R&B feel.
He said, ‘Don’t do that. Things have changed, just sing it simple. So when I sing the song, I’m thinking in my mind, ‘This song ain’t gonna work’. I do the song begrudgingly, leave and do a bad movie for six weeks, come back, [and] when I get back, my homie said, ‘You know that song you said was bad? It’s number one in the country!’
On Air interiew
Seacrest interviews Foxx during On Air With Ryan Seacrest about his single You Changed Me.
It’s great for me because it’s not too, too young, which my daughter always reminds me, ‘Don’t get too young. My daughter is always on me even when I was trying to wear ‘too young’ of a shoe. With this music, I let her hear the music and she said, ‘Dad, that’s it. You’re young, it’s fly, it’s grown’.
The Hollywood Reporter cover
Foxx and Tatum appear on the cover of the July 2013 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. They talk about Obama, dancing, and directing.
Jamie Foxx interview
Winfrey interviews Jamie Foxx and talks about being a SNL host and his music career.
In different forms at different times. When I’m in the studio, I’m completely focused on music. But it’s tough for me when I’m with other musicians, as it makes me think of my childhood. When I was younger, I was funny, but I really only wanted to be a recording artist. I just didn’t get the chance – until recently.
Vanity Fair cover
Knowles, Foxx, and Murphy appear on the cover of the January 2007 issue of Vanity Fair magazine.
O Magazine interview
Foxx talks to Winfrey for O Magazine about the most successful event in his career.
Winning the Oscar. Everybody was crying. Speedy, a friend I’ve known since I was Eric Bishop, and all the other guys couldn’t hold back. Because it’s like this: Halle and Denzel are supposed to win the Oscars. Speedy and I were always just a couple of Wet Willies [pranksters] with cops harassing us. You know how our folks are: When one of us wins, we all just want to celebrate.
O Magazine Interview
Foxx gives his thoughts on why winning an Oscar caught him off guard:
Winning the Oscar. Everybody was crying. Speedy, a friend I’ve known since I was Eric Bishop, and all the other guys couldn’t hold back. Because it’s like this: Halle and Denzel are supposed to win the Oscars. Speedy and I were always just a couple of Wet Willies [pranksters] with cops harassing us. You know how our folks are: When one of us wins, we all just want to celebrate.
Jamie Foxx interview
Jamie Foxx is interviewed by Hall on The Arsenio Hall Show. They talk about how he got a record deal because of his exposure on Hall’s show. He does an acapella of various music that he improvises.
What I do is I take different songs and ladies like Luther when I (sing), ‘I need to have you next to me…in more way than one and I refuse to leave when I see the morning son!’