Jay’s Vol. 2…Hard Knock Life turns 14 years old today. While on the carpet of his NBA2K event, he recalls his first encounter with a 17 year-old Swizz for the Grammy award-winning album.

“I wanted Dame Grease, ’cause he was workin’ on the DMX album. I was like, ‘Where’s the guy that’s making all of those songs?”

For whatever reason, Darrin “Dee” Dean, the co-CEO of X’s label, didn’t link Jay with Grease, but instead tried to pawn his nephew Swizz off on Hov.  ”I’m like, ‘Nah don’t try and play me with the nephew’. He came in, he played those songs. We went from my office to the studio, we made four records … From there, the body of the album was in place.” [RapRadar]