Press Release

I just wanted to give you the scoop that I have been waiting to reveal since 2003. Being that your establishment is the voice of hip-hop, it would be unjust if I didn’t contact you. My name is Dater Blackwell and I am a journalist and author in North Carolina. When I completed my first novel, I sent copies to several hip-hop companies. I did this because I knew that my content was too raw to send to a regular publishing house and they wouldn’t understand it. This was also during the time when rappers were involved in the Hip-Hop Action Summit about the drug laws.
In May of 2003, I sent it to Roc-A-Fella Records and never received a response. However, I did hear some of my content on the Black Album in October/November 2003! I’ve told people this for several years and to be quite frank, some people didn’t believe me. Then they saw the dates on my work and listened to his lyrics that came out six months after he received my novel.
When they say truth is stranger than fiction, people are going to be shocked by what Jay-Z did with my novel. I sent him and his partners at the time, Damon Dash and Kareem Burke, copies also. So, they also know that it’s true if they read it as well.
My novel is based on the mandatory minimum drug laws and three college students that get sucked into it by one of their Dominican boyfriends and his friends. Needless to say, Jay-Z has portrayed himself as the characters and recited several of their words in my novel. I hope that you will take me seriously and as you read my novel, notice anything remotely similar to The Black Album. American Gangster was not his first concept album. My novel, Under These Circumstances, was. He is reciting lines from most of the villains in my book and has even said things in public interviews, exactly like the characters in my book. (This can be proven with the date on my CDs as well and the dates he said these things in interviews with several magazines years later.)
When he said allow me to re-introduce myself that came from Raul Santana in the last chapter, page 522. You would have to read the whole novel to understand how cut-throat this character is. I came, I saw, I conquered, came from Robyn’s character, page 235. I just rolled the dice trying to get some change came from Boo Boo’s character, page 509. The concept of 99 Problems is taken from pages 68-76.
These are just a few things. He said it best: Men lie, women lie, but numbers don’t. This includes dates. Trust me when I tell you, it’s going to blow everyone away, including Jay-Z. I’m sure he thinks that I’ve forgotten, or perhaps I should have been flattered that he used my novel (I wasn’t). In my book, I used certain song lyrics or hooks from a few songs and Jay-Z saw how I wrote it and ran with it! I know I did not base my characters on him! Please contact him for verification. When I sent it to him, it was titled Circumstance Made Me What I Am. I decided to change the title to shorten it. Once he recognizes my name, he’ll know the jig is up! If he says anything other than the truth, you will really later see and READ it for yourself.
One last thing, this year several of my friends told me that he ordered thousands of dollars worth of white orchids for his wedding. Please read page 57 and you will see more of them throughout the novel. White orchids have significance in my novel. Read it with a high lighter in hand! There was also an incident in London when he tried to make a pass at two young models. It is currently on Rhymeswithsnitch.com. At any rate, he told them both that he would like to get to know them better. Please read page 51! He is still out there using these lines!
I honestly didn’t publish my book to bash or hate on Jay-Z. I know people often confuse truth with hate. I’m only coming to you all to set the record straight. I wrote and published my novel to bring awareness to the mandatory minimum drug laws. My book is raw and very relevant. I’ve received great reviews and it definitely caught the attention of Jay-Z. I was inspired to write it from my own personal tragedies with friends and family members. I had no clue Jay-Z would use my book for his Black Album.

Sincerely,
Dater Blackwell