Film features Jay discussing his connection with hometown New York and includes performance footage and interviews with John Mayer and others. By Jayson Rodriguez Jay-Z Photo: Kevin Mazur/ Getty Images Jay-Z and New York’s Madison Square Garden go together like Wayne Newton and Las Vegas’ the Stardust. So in honor of this partnership, Absolut vodka released a mini-documentary titled “NY-Z” that details the Brooklyn rapper’s bond with the world’s most famous arena. The 15-minute production, directed by Danny Clinch, landed online late Monday afternoon. “New York, New York, is my foundation, it’s the center of my growth, it’s the muse for my art,” Jay-Z says in the clip. “It’s where I grew up. It’s the thing that I have a lot of pride in.” The doc trails Jay-Z as he prepared for the release of his Blueprint 3 album and his September 11 benefit show at the Garden. The star-studded event boasted an array of guests, from old friends Mary J. Blige and Diddy to new Hov associates Kid Cudi and John Mayer. Mayer reveals in the doc that he was so moved by “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)” that he took to Twitter to express how much the song inspired him. “Very few songs that come on the radio today make me curious,” he explained in the clip, saying his motivation was to land a chance to play guitar on the track. The guitarist’s tweets got back to Jay-Z, who reached out to Mayer. “We had an e-mail correspondence and I told him, ‘I’m gonna hold you to that one day,’ ” Jay-Z said. Mayer ultimately joined Jay-Z onstage and provided one of the highlights of the 9/11 show , as the bluesy musician’s strings gave the rapper’s anti-Auto-Tune anthem added funk. In addition to interviews with Hov and Mayer about the 9/11 show, “NY-Z” features the rapper reminiscing about his upbringing in Brooklyn’s Marcy Projects and his mother’s record collection, which included albums by the Isley Brothers, the Jackson 5 and the Commodores, which Jay said inspired his original Blueprint album. Jay said his mom had “great musical taste.” Rehearsal footage of the lyricist and his band performing “Empire State of Mind” also makes its way into the film, as does behind-the-scenes footage of Jay-Z attending the 10-year anniversary party for his clothing line, Rocawear. Toward the end of the clip, the rapper talks about his knack for collaborations, in both the professional and personal scope of his life. “I’m all for collaborations, whether it be with business or with artists,” he said. “It can’t be about money, there has to be something in there that’s true for both sides. I think it’s a great thing when two people come together with two different ideas and two different approaches and they align at the end of the day. No one loses when it’s like that.” Where have you seen Jay-Z perform? Who else owns the Garden like him? Let us know in the comments below, or upload a video to Your.MTV.com ! Related Photos Alicia Keys Brings Jay-Z, Beyonce To Her New York Show Jay-Z Answers The Call At September 11 Benefit Show Related Artists Jay-Z
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Jay-Z Short Documentary ‘NY-Z’ Premieres Online
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