Josey Scott of Saliva Shares Story of Feature on Jay-Z's "Takeover" With The Nu Metal Agenda Podcast

Josey Scott of Saliva joined the latest episode of The Nu Metal Agenda Podcast, to share stories from his decades-spanning (and still evolving) career as one of the most prolific voices in nu metal, bringing his own Memphis spin to the genre.

One of those stories — told publicly for the first time — was the inside scoop of how he came to record guest vocals for Jay-Z's "Takeover" and almost asked to be taken off before the track ever saw the light of day. Read an excerpted transcript of the clip below:

Holiday Kirk: So I get to ask you a question I've always wanted to ask- how did you end up on "Takeover" with Jay-Z?

Lyor always had the coolest ideas. He goes, "How would you like to be on a Jay-Z record?" and I said, "Are you talking about Jay-Z, Jay-Z? Yes, of course, dude!" I came out to New York, he sent a limousine to my hotel pick me up and I got whisked away into this building that you never would think was a studio. I go into this room, and there's Jay-Z. And I'm like, oh, my God.

He goes, "We're going to listen to the song a couple of times and then I want you to to go in. You remember that David Bowie song that goes 'Fame (fame)'"

Right, of course.

He goes, "I need you to sing that, but I want you to say, "Lame. You are lame!" in different parts of the song."

I go in and there's only one other guy in the studio, and when I got to looking, it turns out it was Kanye West turning the knobs, he was the producer. He went on to tell me how he was going to be the greatest rapper that ever lived. All this crazy stuff. And I was just like, okay, yeah.

I listened to the song a couple of times. I thought I caught the lyrics, but I was more paying attention to what Jay-Z wanted from me because I really wanted to knock this out of the park. But then I began to listen to the words, and I was like, are you guys talking about Nas? And then I began to really listen to the lyrics. And I was like, oh my God. This sounds terrible towards Nas! I remember looking at Jay-Z and I said, "Man, I'm really kind of scared to sing on this because this sounds really dangerous. Things you're saying- you're talking about the man's wife. Saying really personal, terrible stuff!"

And he goes, "Oh man, don't worry about it, it's going to be okay. We used to be roommates, man. It's all gravy." But what better way to get you back than to kill the little white boy that's singing on your song?

Well, I'm really glad you hung in there because that track would have been so much worse with like, David Draiman on it. So thanks for holding it together. Have you told that story before?

I've never told it publicly.

I knew it. I've never heard anyone about this song, but it's one of those mind-blowing nu-metal moments I get with people telling them that's you.

Listen to the full interview with Josey Scott, and our entire back catalog of podcast episodes here: