On Monday morning (August 1), the New York Post's Page Six reported that Hov and Yeezy are "barely speaking to each other," feuding over the particulars of their upcoming tour. Unnamed sources told the Post that Kanye wanted to spend upward of $400,000 per show on a flashy set during the duo's upcoming Watch the Throne jaunt and the more frugal Jay-Z was against it. Well, Hov swung through New York City's Hot 97 later Monday and told radio host Angie Martinez that things weren't as they seemed.
"I kinda want to spend a gazillion dollars. They got it backwards, but it's all good," Hov said with his trademark laugh during the interview. "I know that we're doing something right now. When I woke up to all that, I was like, 'Oh yeah, we must be really hot right now.' "
Jay made it clear that Kanye is his "brother," and that relationship does come with some brotherly tension.
"Yes, we get on each other's nerves, but that's part of pushing each other. We push each other. The people who have a problem with Kanye or myself are the people that are complacent in life," he said. "People don't like to be pushed. It's, like, annoying. It's a thing when people are pushing you to be greater, and we push each other to be greater. So of course there are times when we're in the studio, we're yelling, but that's about it."
Aside from the occasional argument, Jay dispelled any notion of things getting physical — and if they did, he said the world would never know. "I would never disrespect that man. I have so much respect for him. Put my hands on him?" Jay questioned rhetorically. "And if I did, it would be like the backyard, like brothers, and you would never hear about it."