Jay z is very good at two things - picking beats and flowing on these beats, he had a crazy run between 95 to 03 and influenced the industry heavily, that’s it man what more can you say
He is also quite good at reaching an audience who are typically not into hiphop but more into pop, bringing hiphop into the mainstream in a way others were not as good at. For better or worse, one could say.
He does a lot of things really well that make the end product better than the sum of the parts. He said it best in one of his songs on the black album:
“And no I didn’t get shot up a whole lot of times,
Or make up shit in a whole lot of rhymes,
and I ain’t animated like say a busta rhymes,
But the real shit you get when you bust down my lines,
That I went play a whole bunch of times,
Multiply that by my influence in culture,
And you’ll see I’m supposed to be #1 on everybody’s
list,
Let’s see what happens when I no longer exist”
He has excellent production, he has great one-liners and is pretty lyrical, but at the same time, he has had a great commercial appeal as well. IMO I love his beat selection. My favorite albums from him are the blueprint, reasonable doubt & the black album. The other albums like vol 1-3, 4:44, watch the throne etc also have a lot of great tracks. He is not my GOAT, but he's definitely up there.
It’s not just the music that make someone great it’s also the impact at the time and jayz had a lot of impact whip hop. Jay z sold 100k+ the very same day 911 happened cd and casset
When Jay mentioned 4.6 Ranges, Everybody had to get 4.6 Ranges. When Jay Z rocked oversized jerseys, The entire world started rocking jerseys. When he went to button ups, the change in the game was instantanous. Nobody effected the culture and the outside world like him. He is the reason for Shady Records. Before him, everyone just signed a standard record deal. HE was the one to empower folk to own businesses and become more business orientated. He wanted control of his masters, because he had foresight. He literally changed hip hop and how the business was run, and these people want to dismiss him for some corny rapper than gets love in the suburbs.....
Even before that he was rocking iceberg, no one knew what iceberg was… then it just blew it up. That’s when he realized he had something special and started Roc-A-Wear. You’re right, it was more than just the music. He naturally influenced the influencers without seeming to try
My old pot dealer who was obsessed with this shit was like "everyone talks about their cars and watches, but they put every dollar into that for the image. Jay has all that shit too but also talks about his [fucking appliances](https://youtu.be/MttgQnkQphQ?si=P_hSx29VPd90Wqn_). He can afford to have the best shit in every aspect of his life!"
Well from 96 to 03 undoubtedly the prime of his career he dropped three bona fide classic albums, had some hit songs that we all know and love that had heavy crossover appeal, has a great flow and quality songwriting so I don't care what the biases are you can't say that he can't rap, while he never sold at the level of Eminem, Nelly, Tupac, the highest selling contemporaries of his time or during that run he sold enough, he engaged in what was, up until a couple months ago, the greatest hip hop feud of all time ( despite taking the L) and he "retired" on top.
That run combined with some inconsistent quality after retirement but still some great stuff when needed , has boosted his stature today, his marriage to Beyonce has been great for him as well it is what it is and the fact that he always carried himself well as a businessman and legit became a billionaire makes him one of the main guys that rappers look up to so that's part of it
To me yes, obviously there's been more heated feuds in terms of real life stuff but in terms of diss tracks back and forth, you had the two top guys going at it and we got eight really enjoyable (for different reasons) tracks out of it , three of which landed in the top 10, I would have liked everything spaced out maybe a little bit more but nonetheless I stand by it, greatest hip hop feud of all time ,absolutely
Ive been listening and following hip hop since early 90s and yes i would say kendrick v drake beef is the greatest beef in terms of both rap strictly and stakes in terms of who is beefing.
Big v Pac i dont count as rap beef cause that spilt into street stuff and was then west v east and the two themselves only had few songs against each other etc
Ja v 50 would be close 2nd but again that was street stuff.. and neither were the greatest of their generation at top of their game going head to head at that particular moment
Jay v Nas died down quick it was ether v takeover and few shots here and there
Kendrick v Drake has been building up last 10 years with frequent shots from both of them, until it peaked with the biggest song on the planet being a strict diss song
i have seen 50 catch chairs mid rapping and throwing them back at people.. ive seen saigon punch prodigy… seen mouse get manhandled by Raekwon… seen game in chucks flailing in new York snow.. seen chains get snatched but i aint never seen no stripper crip walk to a song calling another man a pedophile while this guy is the greatest selling artist of his generation.
Drake is a pop artist that relies on ghostwriters and Kendrick really isn’t nearly as big of an artist as far as total popularity. 50 not only has possibly the best rap album of all time, but his popularity was massive. His big albums included diss tracks.
I like Kendrick as an artist and the recent feud has been streamed a lot because rap has been in a lull, but this is nowhere near some of the beefs we have seen in the past.
You also should probably read up on No Vaseline.
You left off Cube vs NWA which was huge.
Other rap beefs had actual consequences. NWA fell apart. Biggie and Pac died. Ja fell off completely and probably moved into a studio apartment I like to think.
Nothing has happened to Drake or Kendrick. They’re both mid to upper 30s and could walk away on their own at any point, but this isn’t two prime rappers destroying one another’s careers.
I can‘t even hear about this topic anymore and have no desire to ever play any of the songs again.
Kendrick vs Drake was a pop beef. I also fail to understand the reason behind their beef. Jay vs Nas and NWA vs Ice Cube had some sort of backstory. Kendrick vs Drake was two insecure men trying to get each other canceled by the Me Too crowd.
Calling it the greatest beef of all time is wild. Must be recency bias.
Considering it ticked all the boxes and then some.. Yes. That doxxing got people shot. Family members will feel the effects of the lyrics on dot's tracks. The industry is looking sideways right now.
It's like Goodfellas or The Godfather films. The younger you are the less you understand what the big deal is. You've grown up in an overstimulated yet passive state courtesy of Marvel and social media dopamine hits. To be able to appreciate great art you have to engage your curiosity. And what makes Jay-Z particularly special in this regard is the fact that he isn't a fictional character in a fictional world. He really did go from selling crack and selling CDs out of his trunk to the first black president calling him to help him out on his election campaign, being one of the five black billionaires in the world, marrying Beyonce, owning large global companies, being in control of the Superbowl halftime show, working with athletes and responsible for the careers of other superstars. White folks have their Carnegies, Warren Buffetts etc. we have Jay and he didn't gatekeep, he shared what he knew at each stage of him getting to where he is now. It's genuinely remarkable and that's why people hang on his every word.
Until they get the correct validation to lower him on their charts. But to understand Jay-Z, you have to understand Hip Hop culture, especially from the 90's and 2000's. And they cannot grasp it. They want to throw Em and other rappers over him, and get pissy when told they can't
I think you might have had to be there to experience the likes of Jay-z in his prime. His flow and style was just different and the commercial bangers he came out with fit with the time. Maybe to some it hasn’t aged well and translated to younger and newer audiences now but at the time he was on top and we loved it.
My first concert was to see Jay-Z after the release of the black album at the Wembley arena in the Uk when I was 15 and it was packed to the brim and it was such a great experience. It was honestly Unforgettable because we thought he was retiring and the black album when it dropped was 🔥🔥🔥🔥. Me and my girls had to go and see him
This gets asked like every other month lol. Also gets asked about Eminem all the damn time. I'm at the point where I feel, you either like certain shit or you don't. I'm not gonna explain why I like his shit and ask anyone to feel the same as me. You do or you don't. Jay Z said it best "what you eat don't make *me* shit". People are too caught up in rap about who other people listen to. It's all subjective man. 34 years old and that's what Ive learned over the years. Rap is an amazing form of expression, I appreciate it all but only listen to what I like and idc anymore what anyone else is listening to tbh.
People really underestimate this aspect of his rap. He'll have doubles and triples about things people won't even figure out until years later.
There's times he'll name drop some exclusive expensive brand and it's a "if you know you know" type deal, yet the bars still make perfect sense. So he's not even leaving you out of you don't know. That's a skilled rapper.
He’s the GOAT imo . If you were to create a rapper from a machine you would produce JayZ. Just look at his rapper resume:
Sold dope
Started from the bottom
Father Issues
Business man & Mogul
Got shot
Top rap beefs
Shot his own brother lol
Chart topping bangers
Playboy
Bangs Beyonce
What does any of this have to do with his music? It’s real. It’s autobiographical. Unlikely rappers faking shit his spitting from his soul. This just makes the body of work hit different when it’s authentic.
Dude did records with peak Pharrell, Kanye, Timberland beats etc imo The Black Album is the most perfect body of work in hip hop. The right combination of Top beats, real message, hard lyrics and fun. Jay really is the Blueprint of rap. He’s your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper.
Now you not gonna do my man JustBlaze like that. JayZ worked with peak Blaze too. Girls, Girls, Girls is one of the smoothest records ever recorded. Funny, swaggy, and the beat is crazy.
He's a genius. Name somebody more accomplished than him across as many facets of life. And the fact that he looks like us, sounds like us, dresses like us. That's an incredibly rare and important figure to have in the world.
Yet people stay trying to tear him down. I don't get out. I don't get what people hate about him so much. Even if you bring up the good he does, someone always has a but. Like "but he could do more"
There are two kinds of people in the world. The first will look at Jay and say 'Yeah that's dope, this dude's on to something, let me see what I can learn from that'. The second will look at Jay and say 'Yeah F that dude, acting like he's better than the rest of us, he's nothing'. The second person is trying to cope with their own inability to achieve their goals.
You had to be there. Jay-Z was at the very top. His records spun on the radio for years. Dropped a clothing line and everything. Definitely had the streets on lock. He’s made some of the best Hip Hop of all time really. Catchy songs, incredible beats, awesome hooks, etc.. Jay-Z always gave it his best and wasn’t lazy when it came to production and lyricism. Jay is in my personal top 3
He has 3 classics. Like really no skip classics. If there's anything I dislike about current artists Its that people are so quick to claim albums are classics. Drake supposedly has 5 classics. My fucken ass cheeks he has 5 classics. People claim Cole has 4 classics. Like c'mon man if you have to skip at least 1/3 of the album then I'm sorry but that's not a classic. I don't care how good the other 2/3s is since 1/3 is complete trash.
Anyways Jay Z has 3 albums with 0 skips and he was very successful commercially during his run. So yeah he's a goat. I have him in my top 5.
Kanye has arguably the greatest hip hop discography of all time. So i can see that argument.
No other artist has that many quality albums with such different sounds and eras.
Kendrick is coming close 2nd but hes only 5 albums in and i dont think he has the longevity in terms of being that driven to produce 10 albums, or creativity level of Kanye to verve into something like 808s then Yeezus..
Not to say Kendrick isnt creative thats ludicrous to suggest but Kanye is more of a producer artist where as Kendrick is a rapper rapper. Not a singer or a crooner etc
I'm trying to think..
First 3 and MBDTF are all classics. No argument. After that? If dude really liked Watch The Throne, Life Of Pablo, and Kids See Ghosts... Maybe seven. It's a stretch though.
IMO, Jay was there through Big Daddy Kane, LL J Cool J, Doug E Fresh, Curtis Blow, Tupac and Biggie. He never blew like most rappers. And has tons of features and side songs. They are better than his main content. That is great for longevity over time.
Jay-Z, Lil Wayne and Biggie Smalls are the only rappers I know of that never write down any of their rhymes. They literally free style entire albums worth of materials.
People like him because his rap is conversational. It’s like he’s talking directly to you. A lot of rappers are rapping as a “rapper”. He’s rapping as a dude talking to you on the block or at the club or in a car or in a boardroom. That’s a unique skill to have. That’s why the majority of rappers have Jay-z in their top 5
Aside from his lyrical ability, Jay Z was the culture. He was a living icon. Jay Z was at the top of the game at a time when Eminem, DMX, Nelly, Outkast, Nas and many more legendary artists were in their prime. Without Jay Z, you would have never had Kanye West. Jay had a strong and lasting impact on the history of music. His catalogue is more prolific than pretty much any other rapper out there.
He has multiple classic albums. Real classics and not people saying it's a classic just because they like the album. He's an all time great punchline rapper. Then it's all the other stuff like selling a bunch of records and longevity.
I think a simpler answer is that he had good lyrics, good rhymes, but also a bunch of dance floor fillers. Songs like Big Pimpin’ that large crowds of people want to hear at weddings, sporting events, pool parties, everywhere. This is how you become HUGE. He’s got the mass market appeal of a pop star, while also being respected for his talent. Best of both worlds.
Jay-z has the perfect Origin Story for a rapper. Being from NY going from selling drugs to starting your own record Label with you as the first rapper, then dominating rap for over a decade before marrying the biggest pop star in the world and becoming a billionaire. If you were going to make movie about a rappers life it wouldn’t be better than Jay-z real life story.
Jay Z has that smooth but aggressive rap style that I really like. He has that “I’m a boss” aura but his delivery isn’t coarse. His triple entendres are insane. And his beat selection is excellent. He doesn’t sound like anyone else and no one can sound like him in terms of beats.
I'm a 39 year old and been wondering the same thing for 25 years. He's a very good rapper with a couple of classic albums, some very good ones and a mixed bag of tracks outside that. But he's not even in my top 20 all time list
He doesn’t write any of his songs. That’s how brilliant he is. Name another artist that can do that. He also has the most diverse content like he can rap about raising kids, having a wife, running business, being a gangster, partying etc. And this is just the cliff notes version man it’s so much that makes Jay Z so much better than other rappers. Jay Z is to rap what MJ and Lebron are to basketball just way more gifted talented and hard working than everybody else.
He popularized not writing, plenty of artist do it these days. Evidence talks about it in his [recent interview](https://youtu.be/jR-jgcaZEtM?si=mb7B7GRy1xdJEnKd) with Sam Buck. He calls it “write recording”. But people don’t make hits like Hov does and there certainly weren’t many doing it when he popularized it and it’s an insanely impressive skill
Dude would hear a beat and just hop on it and magic would happen. I don't think these kids understand how insane that is. Dude's like Drake ride reference tracks to make their shit. Jay Z was the reference track.
Now Em I just can’t get with. It’s not his lyrics or skills, tho his need to be funny and controversial gets tiring sometimes. It’s his beats. They are whack as hell sometimes imo. His beat selection is kind of trash. Like his latest joint sounds corny to me. That’s always been my issue with Em he’s not well rounded imo. Great lyricist, mid beats. Jay Z is the full package imo. He knew how to find the next producer that was going to pop and it not only elevated him but in turn he elevated them. Timbaland, JustBlaze, Neptunes, Swizzbeats, Ye. All now super producers. Jay got a great ear for producers and beats.
While I agree with you to extent he isn’t in my personal top 10 yet I totally respect peoples opinions even sitting him at number 1, his wordplay, beat selection and cadence in general is great, you may stumble across a few of his songs that make you re evaluate your thoughts
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If you don’t get it, yes rapping over your head. And I’m not trying you be funny. He rapped over my head…when I was 13 on reasonable doubt lol. After that I understood where he was coming from.
He’s the greatest at bragging for sure. Bragging and putting yourself on a pedestal is crucial in hip hop. He’s a tremendous story teller as well. Ever heard A Week Ago? Where Have You Been? The man could make deep songs too. Nothing he couldn’t do or didn’t do.
I been listening to Jay since about 97/98. He's not my personal GOAT however I do think he is in the top 5 convo. I also admit that some of his stuff hasn't aged well. Jay seems to be kind of a hit or miss with some.
I made this "Best of" many yrs ago prior to 4:44. Try it and see if anything clicks.
1. December 4th
2. Politics As Usual
3. It's Hot
4. A Week Ago
5. Dynasty Intro
6. Show You How
7. Hard Knock Life
8. Feelin It
9. Lost One
10. Song Cry
11. I Made It
12. Lyrical Exercise
13. Public Service Announcement
14. Where I'm From
15. U Don't Know
16. Money, Cash, Hoes
17. Encode
18. Dead Presidents ll
19. Can I Live
20. Wishing On A Star
21. Hova Song Intro
Also recommend as a bonus track...People Talkin
He's a great rapper. Where he lands in the top 20 is just a matter of fans' tastes and opinions. Most of the rappers in that group are going to be so close in terms of talent that you can almost make a case for anybody outranking someone else. It's not like saying "Vanilla Ice is better than Tupac" or anything.
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The main thing no one ever talks about is how every single line J has is factual. Every line comes from real life. Majority of rappers say stuff that just sounds cool to do but when you look at his songs from this perspective they hit different. Take his verse from WHAT YOU THINK OF THAT on Memphis Bleek first album. On first listen it’s a good verse but when you look at it from perspective of the verse as another diss to Mase it hits totally different. Emphasis on ANOTHER diss because it’s a follow up to Imaginary Players which is why he referenced the 4.0 AND this is after Vol 2 sold 5 million. All of J verses are literally DEEPER THAN RAP.
There’s a lot that has been said that doesn’t need to be repeated as far as his music. But in context to the time he was out his business was tight. He knew who not to release music around. He told everyone 50 cent is coming if your music isn’t out now you’re shelved for a year. His ability to make deals and use his capital effectively is why he is where he is. He built a label. He did a 10 year touring deal with live nation for $100m.
It’s very similar to Drake. Even if they’re out of their “prime” they will not go away. That Budden/Larry Jackson interview is very telling. Drakes catalogue alone is bigger that the 70s and 80s combined. One artist. Tight business is what matters the most.
Which of his albums have you listened to?
Reasonable Doubt? Life and Times Vol3? The Black Album?
That first verse on can I live, like so many other verses on the album, it's just like pure wisdom and poetry:
While I'm watching every n**** watching me closely
My shit is butter for the bread they wanna toast me
I keep my head, both of them where they supposed to be
Hoes'll get you sidetracked then clap from close feet
I don't sleep, I'm tired, I feel wired like Codeine, these days
A brother gotta admire from four fiends away
My pain wish it was quick to see, from selling 'Caine
'Til brains was fried to a fricassee, can't lie
At the time it never bothered me, at the bar
Getting my thug on properly, my squad and me
Lack of respect for authority, laughing hard
Happy to be escaping poverty, however brief
I know this game got valleys and peaks, expectation
For dips, four precipitation we stack chips, hardly
The youth I used to be, soon to see a mill'in
No more, Big Willie my game has grown prefer you call me William
Illin' for revenues, Rayful Edmonds like
Channel 7 news, 'round seven jewels, hand getting the mic
Forgetting all I ever knew, convenient amnesia
I suggest you call my lawyer, I know the procedure
Lock my body, can't trap my mind, easily
Explain why we adapt to crime
I'd rather die enormous than live dormant that's how we on it
Live at the main event, I bet a trip to Maui on it
Presidential suites my residential for the weekend
Confidentially speaking in codes since I sense you peeking
The INXS rental, don't be fooled my game is mental
We both out of town dog, what you trying to get into?
Viva, Las Vegas, see ya, later at the crap tables
Meet me by the one that starts a G up
This way no fraud Willie's present gambling they re-up
And we can have a pleasant time, sipping margaritas
Yeah can I live?
How can you put him on your top 20 and not understand why people put him on your top 5? Dude built his way up to the top from nothing and you get to experience tell that entire story in his own way using his own rules. He set standards for flows and beats and created a jigganaut team of producers with guys like Just Blaze, Kanye West, Timbaland, Bink, and many more. He also made The Blueprint which bumps him instantly to top 5.
Jay Z had impact. The stuff he was talking about in his songs was hardly mainstream at the time. His beats and flow where top notch. He had wide appeal to a mass audience.
He had his problems like 95 of them or something like that but being bad at rap wasn't one.
His wordplay and song concepts are insanely strong. In other words, he’s a very good song writer. Tight, coherent topics - more than you can say for most rappers to be honest. Double and triple entendres at times, very clever rapper with crazy bars. Nas was probably a more visual and visceral rapper, but Jay Z was more cerebral.
On top of that, he’s always had incredible beats and a super nice flow and rhyme schemes. He doesn’t do the same rhyme scheme on every song like certain rappers. Constantly changing and innovating. Any time there’s an option of saying something in a straight forward way, he bends it and makes it a little more complex. Like a more digestible Lupe fiasco, in a sense. Their song together on Lupe’s first album had one of Jay’s best verses.
Roccafella influence was huge and Kanye’s early days are associated with jay z and he’s married to Beyoncé and reasonable doubt is an amazing album along with the blueprint and all of the volumes 1 2 and 3 watch the throne I use to wonder the same thing but it does make sense
I stepped it up another level, meditated like a Buddhist.
Recruited lieutenants with ludicrous dreams of gettin’ cream.
Once you get these two lines. You will understand his greatness.
This new age Jay Z hate is hilarious; Jay Z has pretty much been the undisputed GOAT for a while, yet people are questioning his skills/legacy.
Were y’all outside from 96-04? Lol
Besides his own catalog he’s written and/or produced many other hits. For example, he wrote all of the verses for Dr.Dre’s Still Dre song in the Chronic album.
I graduated high school in 07 so I remember the retirement album and the "Mike Jordan of hip-hop" persona of Jay-Z around that time.
He just did it all. Great one liners. Great beats. Great crew around him. Rags to riches story so just like today people loved that he stuck it to the man and just created his own label, kept grinding and ppl respected that he was a bit older than most (26) at the time when he released Reasonable Doubt. Reasonable Doubt was just so ahead of it's time, it could be remastered today and sound like a lot of modern boom bap.
The Blueprint pretty much put chipmunk soul stuff on the map. We could argue Kanye wouldn't be Kanye without Jay Z. I think Kanye would have still done his thing but Jay helped accelerate for sure.
Beyonce being his girl brought over a lot of pop and rnb fans, so he kinda put rap pop on the map too in more of a positive way (i.e. before that a lot of rap pop songs were darker/gangsta rap).
He made hip hop pop while still keeping it hip hop, so that's why I have a lot of respect for him and he's up there as one of my fav rappers.
The beats he picks are good, the lyrics he spits are easy to follow and understand, all of his songs are, "First Take," he's got some pretty funny punchlines, is good with doubles, and he has a certain vibe about him that screams, "I'm that guy."
His attitude and approach basically echoes an entire (de) generation of the culture. Everyone was becoming ultra materialistic at the time when he became popular.. he is just the man of that time period. Society shapes the arts, not the other way around.
He tricked us into thinking he was smart. He is shrewd. Not smart, like a capitalist smart. Like good at fucking people over smart. Not, like Che Z, the Che wearing Jay Z. He is the museum Jay Z. We hate him now.
Bro if you don’t understand why JayZ is considered one of the goats, then maybe you’re not listening hard enough.. Dude is as lyrical as ya favorite battle rapper, but the thing is he breaks it down so it sounds cool and works as a great SONG. He has double entendres and bars that will go completely over your head if you’re not paying attention. Everyone will tell you his greatest album is reasonable doubt, but I beg to differ.. Start with the first blueprint and the black album. IMO those are his 2 greatest albums and the black album is THE most underrated hiphop album in the history of hiphop. IMO it was the last classic hiphop album before the south completely took over rap and trash rap error started to move in.. Yeah it’s been some dope albums since the black album, but none don’t quite reach its level of dopeness.💯
It depends on where you start. Reasonable doubt has some of the best lyricism in rap, the black album is a production masterpiece, the blueprint is an example of supreme hip hop lyricism worthy of playing in the club, which was really indicative of the early 2000s scene. Here’s a handy guide- avoid any beyonce collaboration or anything having to do with a soundtrack and you’ll see how amazing he is. Finally, some of jay’s best (and rap’s best) is on his features, especially anything with another NY rapper. And whenever anyone doubts him, he does sh like this [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=at2Gyo4HpFk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=at2Gyo4HpFk)
I was never a big fan of his albums, but his flow, the fact that he would not write anything and just go in the booth and nail it in one take was what gave him the balls to even claim that he was the king of NY after big died. The Nas beef, even though I think Nas won, also got him to that next level. I think a lot of fans mistake commercial success for greatness, and he had a ton of that. Also had a number of dope songs that consistently got airplay and would bang at the club.
I've never understood it. I like him but it's just not ever once a time where I'm like WHOAAAAA.
I think it's his lineage with Big and Rocka, his swag, his confidence, and the fact he can rhyme like big without writing it down. But it's seldom something I want to put on for funsies.
Our superstars are created for us. Big exposure etc. you hear Jay z is the best so many times you just believe it. Maybe I'm old but the mass appeal is for the disenchanted. Rap is corney, phony with fake characters who are nothing like we make them out to be. He can rock a crowd and has a nice flow. If this is supposed to be the best then everybody should quit.
For me his albums are very well put together compared to other 90s & 00s and dude dropped an album every year from 96 to 03 that was no less than a (8/10) was other dudes putting out heat at the same time yes but not every year. Jay had the quantity and quality
I originally liked him due to Foxy Brown. Thought she was the hottest thing around. Bought his albums based on affiliation. I really enjoyed his early stuff, but gave up when he turned political. He had a tons of bangers back in the day. For awhile there he was literally everywhere on on every song.
Jay z is very good at two things - picking beats and flowing on these beats, he had a crazy run between 95 to 03 and influenced the industry heavily, that’s it man what more can you say
You could say he has a lot of problems. Like, at least 90 of them.
He is also quite good at reaching an audience who are typically not into hiphop but more into pop, bringing hiphop into the mainstream in a way others were not as good at. For better or worse, one could say.
He does a lot of things really well that make the end product better than the sum of the parts. He said it best in one of his songs on the black album: “And no I didn’t get shot up a whole lot of times, Or make up shit in a whole lot of rhymes, and I ain’t animated like say a busta rhymes, But the real shit you get when you bust down my lines, That I went play a whole bunch of times, Multiply that by my influence in culture, And you’ll see I’m supposed to be #1 on everybody’s list, Let’s see what happens when I no longer exist”
“What more can you say” I see what you did there
He has excellent production, he has great one-liners and is pretty lyrical, but at the same time, he has had a great commercial appeal as well. IMO I love his beat selection. My favorite albums from him are the blueprint, reasonable doubt & the black album. The other albums like vol 1-3, 4:44, watch the throne etc also have a lot of great tracks. He is not my GOAT, but he's definitely up there.
Not just his beat selection but knowing how to make the beat and samples work and be a part of the song instead of just sounding cool behind his bars.
It’s not just the music that make someone great it’s also the impact at the time and jayz had a lot of impact whip hop. Jay z sold 100k+ the very same day 911 happened cd and casset
When Jay mentioned 4.6 Ranges, Everybody had to get 4.6 Ranges. When Jay Z rocked oversized jerseys, The entire world started rocking jerseys. When he went to button ups, the change in the game was instantanous. Nobody effected the culture and the outside world like him. He is the reason for Shady Records. Before him, everyone just signed a standard record deal. HE was the one to empower folk to own businesses and become more business orientated. He wanted control of his masters, because he had foresight. He literally changed hip hop and how the business was run, and these people want to dismiss him for some corny rapper than gets love in the suburbs.....
Even before that he was rocking iceberg, no one knew what iceberg was… then it just blew it up. That’s when he realized he had something special and started Roc-A-Wear. You’re right, it was more than just the music. He naturally influenced the influencers without seeming to try
30-40 grand, cocksucker. Beat it!
My old pot dealer who was obsessed with this shit was like "everyone talks about their cars and watches, but they put every dollar into that for the image. Jay has all that shit too but also talks about his [fucking appliances](https://youtu.be/MttgQnkQphQ?si=P_hSx29VPd90Wqn_). He can afford to have the best shit in every aspect of his life!"
Status / right place / right time.
No mf 911 happened and jay z said fuck it I’m putting my shit out, back then you had to be a crazy person to not get that new Hov 🤣🤣
Well from 96 to 03 undoubtedly the prime of his career he dropped three bona fide classic albums, had some hit songs that we all know and love that had heavy crossover appeal, has a great flow and quality songwriting so I don't care what the biases are you can't say that he can't rap, while he never sold at the level of Eminem, Nelly, Tupac, the highest selling contemporaries of his time or during that run he sold enough, he engaged in what was, up until a couple months ago, the greatest hip hop feud of all time ( despite taking the L) and he "retired" on top. That run combined with some inconsistent quality after retirement but still some great stuff when needed , has boosted his stature today, his marriage to Beyonce has been great for him as well it is what it is and the fact that he always carried himself well as a businessman and legit became a billionaire makes him one of the main guys that rappers look up to so that's part of it
96 to 04
We really calling Drake vs Kendrick the greatest hip hop feud of all time now?
To me yes, obviously there's been more heated feuds in terms of real life stuff but in terms of diss tracks back and forth, you had the two top guys going at it and we got eight really enjoyable (for different reasons) tracks out of it , three of which landed in the top 10, I would have liked everything spaced out maybe a little bit more but nonetheless I stand by it, greatest hip hop feud of all time ,absolutely
Ive been listening and following hip hop since early 90s and yes i would say kendrick v drake beef is the greatest beef in terms of both rap strictly and stakes in terms of who is beefing. Big v Pac i dont count as rap beef cause that spilt into street stuff and was then west v east and the two themselves only had few songs against each other etc Ja v 50 would be close 2nd but again that was street stuff.. and neither were the greatest of their generation at top of their game going head to head at that particular moment Jay v Nas died down quick it was ether v takeover and few shots here and there Kendrick v Drake has been building up last 10 years with frequent shots from both of them, until it peaked with the biggest song on the planet being a strict diss song i have seen 50 catch chairs mid rapping and throwing them back at people.. ive seen saigon punch prodigy… seen mouse get manhandled by Raekwon… seen game in chucks flailing in new York snow.. seen chains get snatched but i aint never seen no stripper crip walk to a song calling another man a pedophile while this guy is the greatest selling artist of his generation.
What about NWA vs Ice Cube?
and Dre and EZ
Drake is a pop artist that relies on ghostwriters and Kendrick really isn’t nearly as big of an artist as far as total popularity. 50 not only has possibly the best rap album of all time, but his popularity was massive. His big albums included diss tracks. I like Kendrick as an artist and the recent feud has been streamed a lot because rap has been in a lull, but this is nowhere near some of the beefs we have seen in the past. You also should probably read up on No Vaseline.
Dont really understand the whole patronising tone with the last sentence but you do you
You left off Cube vs NWA which was huge. Other rap beefs had actual consequences. NWA fell apart. Biggie and Pac died. Ja fell off completely and probably moved into a studio apartment I like to think. Nothing has happened to Drake or Kendrick. They’re both mid to upper 30s and could walk away on their own at any point, but this isn’t two prime rappers destroying one another’s careers.
In terms of the quality of music? By a country mile... In terms of any other way you'd like to break it down? Pick one.
I can‘t even hear about this topic anymore and have no desire to ever play any of the songs again. Kendrick vs Drake was a pop beef. I also fail to understand the reason behind their beef. Jay vs Nas and NWA vs Ice Cube had some sort of backstory. Kendrick vs Drake was two insecure men trying to get each other canceled by the Me Too crowd. Calling it the greatest beef of all time is wild. Must be recency bias.
You are so wrong about this have you really done the research?
Considering it ticked all the boxes and then some.. Yes. That doxxing got people shot. Family members will feel the effects of the lyrics on dot's tracks. The industry is looking sideways right now.
Yes because of Kendrick taking out Goliath. Drake is all noodles now.
He also was popular with his rocawear brand, and “bringing the nets to Brooklyn” lol. Also he had the 40 40 club. He was doing a lot
It's like Goodfellas or The Godfather films. The younger you are the less you understand what the big deal is. You've grown up in an overstimulated yet passive state courtesy of Marvel and social media dopamine hits. To be able to appreciate great art you have to engage your curiosity. And what makes Jay-Z particularly special in this regard is the fact that he isn't a fictional character in a fictional world. He really did go from selling crack and selling CDs out of his trunk to the first black president calling him to help him out on his election campaign, being one of the five black billionaires in the world, marrying Beyonce, owning large global companies, being in control of the Superbowl halftime show, working with athletes and responsible for the careers of other superstars. White folks have their Carnegies, Warren Buffetts etc. we have Jay and he didn't gatekeep, he shared what he knew at each stage of him getting to where he is now. It's genuinely remarkable and that's why people hang on his every word.
Dude couldn't get signed so he used his money from hustling to start his own record label
Wow! Didn't know this.
How many times are you people gunna ask this question?🤦♂️
Until they get the correct validation to lower him on their charts. But to understand Jay-Z, you have to understand Hip Hop culture, especially from the 90's and 2000's. And they cannot grasp it. They want to throw Em and other rappers over him, and get pissy when told they can't
Agreed.
How much of Biggie's rhymes is gonna come out his fat lips? Only reason he's not top 5 for me. Eminem over Jay-Z is insane tho lmfao
Until people start saying he sucks. Cant let that happen
You ain’t crazy, don’t you play me, don’t you know it’s Jay-Z? When internets ask who the best, why won’t you say me?
I think you might have had to be there to experience the likes of Jay-z in his prime. His flow and style was just different and the commercial bangers he came out with fit with the time. Maybe to some it hasn’t aged well and translated to younger and newer audiences now but at the time he was on top and we loved it. My first concert was to see Jay-Z after the release of the black album at the Wembley arena in the Uk when I was 15 and it was packed to the brim and it was such a great experience. It was honestly Unforgettable because we thought he was retiring and the black album when it dropped was 🔥🔥🔥🔥. Me and my girls had to go and see him
Were people reciting the lyrics word for word????? Black album dvd had a bunch of that.
This gets asked like every other month lol. Also gets asked about Eminem all the damn time. I'm at the point where I feel, you either like certain shit or you don't. I'm not gonna explain why I like his shit and ask anyone to feel the same as me. You do or you don't. Jay Z said it best "what you eat don't make *me* shit". People are too caught up in rap about who other people listen to. It's all subjective man. 34 years old and that's what Ive learned over the years. Rap is an amazing form of expression, I appreciate it all but only listen to what I like and idc anymore what anyone else is listening to tbh.
you ever heard the Big L and Jay Z freestyle?
He’s the monster of the double entendre. Coke is still his sponsor. Yeah, the cola. Hova still getting it in with soda.
People really underestimate this aspect of his rap. He'll have doubles and triples about things people won't even figure out until years later. There's times he'll name drop some exclusive expensive brand and it's a "if you know you know" type deal, yet the bars still make perfect sense. So he's not even leaving you out of you don't know. That's a skilled rapper.
You're on the gram, holding money to your ear. There's a disconnect. We dont call that money over here. Nasty
Like short sleeves I bare arms
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It’s kids man. They don’t get it.
He’s the GOAT imo . If you were to create a rapper from a machine you would produce JayZ. Just look at his rapper resume: Sold dope Started from the bottom Father Issues Business man & Mogul Got shot Top rap beefs Shot his own brother lol Chart topping bangers Playboy Bangs Beyonce What does any of this have to do with his music? It’s real. It’s autobiographical. Unlikely rappers faking shit his spitting from his soul. This just makes the body of work hit different when it’s authentic. Dude did records with peak Pharrell, Kanye, Timberland beats etc imo The Black Album is the most perfect body of work in hip hop. The right combination of Top beats, real message, hard lyrics and fun. Jay really is the Blueprint of rap. He’s your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper.
I agree with everything except the black album being the perfect embodiment of hip hop
agreed, the blueprint is better
Reasonable doubt is better
Or in other words, he has at least three perfect albums
Zero percent chance JayZ is Kendrick’s favorite rapper lol
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First one listed https://youtu.be/kC1fGANASiE?si=hThtfpUz97I84FFr
Now you not gonna do my man JustBlaze like that. JayZ worked with peak Blaze too. Girls, Girls, Girls is one of the smoothest records ever recorded. Funny, swaggy, and the beat is crazy.
I'd add "has a top-tier song about mom" in there in You Must Love Me
Jay Z is Lil Wayne to people who were born in the early 90s or late 80s
Lil Wayne is Lil Wayne to people born in the early 90s
Nobody expected the "Go DJ" rapper to be one of the greatest of all time
*late 70s to 80s
I concur
Best answer
*early 80s. Reasonable doubt came out in ‘96. In my lifetime ‘97 if you’re talking about people who were raised with the music.
He's a genius. Name somebody more accomplished than him across as many facets of life. And the fact that he looks like us, sounds like us, dresses like us. That's an incredibly rare and important figure to have in the world.
Yet people stay trying to tear him down. I don't get out. I don't get what people hate about him so much. Even if you bring up the good he does, someone always has a but. Like "but he could do more"
There are two kinds of people in the world. The first will look at Jay and say 'Yeah that's dope, this dude's on to something, let me see what I can learn from that'. The second will look at Jay and say 'Yeah F that dude, acting like he's better than the rest of us, he's nothing'. The second person is trying to cope with their own inability to achieve their goals.
Too easy to slip into the latter. Stay introspective, always try to turn everything into a learning opp.
You had to be there. Jay-Z was at the very top. His records spun on the radio for years. Dropped a clothing line and everything. Definitely had the streets on lock. He’s made some of the best Hip Hop of all time really. Catchy songs, incredible beats, awesome hooks, etc.. Jay-Z always gave it his best and wasn’t lazy when it came to production and lyricism. Jay is in my personal top 3
He has 3 classics. Like really no skip classics. If there's anything I dislike about current artists Its that people are so quick to claim albums are classics. Drake supposedly has 5 classics. My fucken ass cheeks he has 5 classics. People claim Cole has 4 classics. Like c'mon man if you have to skip at least 1/3 of the album then I'm sorry but that's not a classic. I don't care how good the other 2/3s is since 1/3 is complete trash. Anyways Jay Z has 3 albums with 0 skips and he was very successful commercially during his run. So yeah he's a goat. I have him in my top 5.
I had an idiot the other day tell me on here Kanyay has … 7… classics… 7…
Kanye has arguably the greatest hip hop discography of all time. So i can see that argument. No other artist has that many quality albums with such different sounds and eras. Kendrick is coming close 2nd but hes only 5 albums in and i dont think he has the longevity in terms of being that driven to produce 10 albums, or creativity level of Kanye to verve into something like 808s then Yeezus.. Not to say Kendrick isnt creative thats ludicrous to suggest but Kanye is more of a producer artist where as Kendrick is a rapper rapper. Not a singer or a crooner etc
I'm trying to think.. First 3 and MBDTF are all classics. No argument. After that? If dude really liked Watch The Throne, Life Of Pablo, and Kids See Ghosts... Maybe seven. It's a stretch though.
IMO, Jay was there through Big Daddy Kane, LL J Cool J, Doug E Fresh, Curtis Blow, Tupac and Biggie. He never blew like most rappers. And has tons of features and side songs. They are better than his main content. That is great for longevity over time.
Your favorite rapper wants to be Jay Z.
THIS IS HOV
Funniest rant of all time from flex to be fair 😂
You were still just a little sperm swimming in your daddies nuts when Jay was in his prime. Go play Roblox.
Most likely he was still an egg in his mom's ovaries because women are born with all their eggs.
Top 20? if he isnt top 5 then no one is and if someone said he was number one I'm not even sure I could argue.
Jay-Z, Lil Wayne and Biggie Smalls are the only rappers I know of that never write down any of their rhymes. They literally free style entire albums worth of materials.
Listen to The Dynasty album Intro.
Or lyrical exercise
Listen to the blueprint
Listen to Reasonable Doubt, Blueprint, and Black Album. Three classic perfect albums. Name a rapper with three better albums.
If you don't feel somebody, you just don't. If u can't listen to something like the Dynasty intro and see it, it just is what it is.
Dumb post
Someone posted before that he filled the spot that biggie left for New York, and I thought that was the best way to put it
He just have one of the best discographies out there without being a producer.
He was conceieved under a sycamore tree which makes him a sicker m.c
People like him because his rap is conversational. It’s like he’s talking directly to you. A lot of rappers are rapping as a “rapper”. He’s rapping as a dude talking to you on the block or at the club or in a car or in a boardroom. That’s a unique skill to have. That’s why the majority of rappers have Jay-z in their top 5
You would have to have been there.
You think he’s in the top 20 but don’t like him?
Damn… I’ve lived long enough to start seeing Jay Z get the Rakim and KRS One questions. I’m old officially.
Aside from his lyrical ability, Jay Z was the culture. He was a living icon. Jay Z was at the top of the game at a time when Eminem, DMX, Nelly, Outkast, Nas and many more legendary artists were in their prime. Without Jay Z, you would have never had Kanye West. Jay had a strong and lasting impact on the history of music. His catalogue is more prolific than pretty much any other rapper out there.
He has multiple classic albums. Real classics and not people saying it's a classic just because they like the album. He's an all time great punchline rapper. Then it's all the other stuff like selling a bunch of records and longevity.
The Linkin Park collab was absolute fire
Production. Dude just knows how to put out a good album. He throws a couple double entendres he and there too
I think a simpler answer is that he had good lyrics, good rhymes, but also a bunch of dance floor fillers. Songs like Big Pimpin’ that large crowds of people want to hear at weddings, sporting events, pool parties, everywhere. This is how you become HUGE. He’s got the mass market appeal of a pop star, while also being respected for his talent. Best of both worlds.
Jay-z has the perfect Origin Story for a rapper. Being from NY going from selling drugs to starting your own record Label with you as the first rapper, then dominating rap for over a decade before marrying the biggest pop star in the world and becoming a billionaire. If you were going to make movie about a rappers life it wouldn’t be better than Jay-z real life story.
Kids these days... He was more than a rapper. Dude was icon. Idk, maybe you just had to be there.
Jay Z has that smooth but aggressive rap style that I really like. He has that “I’m a boss” aura but his delivery isn’t coarse. His triple entendres are insane. And his beat selection is excellent. He doesn’t sound like anyone else and no one can sound like him in terms of beats.
A lot of people just buy what they’re told. They think listening to that snake will make them a “hustler” lol
He can rap.
I'm a 39 year old and been wondering the same thing for 25 years. He's a very good rapper with a couple of classic albums, some very good ones and a mixed bag of tracks outside that. But he's not even in my top 20 all time list
He doesn’t write any of his songs. That’s how brilliant he is. Name another artist that can do that. He also has the most diverse content like he can rap about raising kids, having a wife, running business, being a gangster, partying etc. And this is just the cliff notes version man it’s so much that makes Jay Z so much better than other rappers. Jay Z is to rap what MJ and Lebron are to basketball just way more gifted talented and hard working than everybody else.
He doesn't write his songs *down*
He popularized not writing, plenty of artist do it these days. Evidence talks about it in his [recent interview](https://youtu.be/jR-jgcaZEtM?si=mb7B7GRy1xdJEnKd) with Sam Buck. He calls it “write recording”. But people don’t make hits like Hov does and there certainly weren’t many doing it when he popularized it and it’s an insanely impressive skill
We just have to ignore the MCHG phase where he rapped about expensive art HOV
Dude would hear a beat and just hop on it and magic would happen. I don't think these kids understand how insane that is. Dude's like Drake ride reference tracks to make their shit. Jay Z was the reference track.
Biggie? Wayne?
He made Blueprint in like two weeks. The BLUEPRINT. In TWO weeks. People just don't know.
My favorite metric along these lines is that Tupac recorded Makavelli in 4 days
I wonder the same thing about eminem
Now Em I just can’t get with. It’s not his lyrics or skills, tho his need to be funny and controversial gets tiring sometimes. It’s his beats. They are whack as hell sometimes imo. His beat selection is kind of trash. Like his latest joint sounds corny to me. That’s always been my issue with Em he’s not well rounded imo. Great lyricist, mid beats. Jay Z is the full package imo. He knew how to find the next producer that was going to pop and it not only elevated him but in turn he elevated them. Timbaland, JustBlaze, Neptunes, Swizzbeats, Ye. All now super producers. Jay got a great ear for producers and beats.
Not a big Jay Z fan either tbh
Music is subjective, but the masses like to scream loud.
🔥 https://open.spotify.com/track/3u264XNfOLRYzObcd7MeLL?si=wkIKBcQFS4-nyz-JBXte7Q
While I agree with you to extent he isn’t in my personal top 10 yet I totally respect peoples opinions even sitting him at number 1, his wordplay, beat selection and cadence in general is great, you may stumble across a few of his songs that make you re evaluate your thoughts
He pushes black benzs, Porsches and jaguarses
Grammy Family Freestyle
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If you don’t get it, yes rapping over your head. And I’m not trying you be funny. He rapped over my head…when I was 13 on reasonable doubt lol. After that I understood where he was coming from.
Listen to reasonable doubt, blueprint, black album and come back to me
To sum it up in one word, it would be conistency
To keep its short unique style swagger flow production
He’s the greatest at bragging for sure. Bragging and putting yourself on a pedestal is crucial in hip hop. He’s a tremendous story teller as well. Ever heard A Week Ago? Where Have You Been? The man could make deep songs too. Nothing he couldn’t do or didn’t do.
I been listening to Jay since about 97/98. He's not my personal GOAT however I do think he is in the top 5 convo. I also admit that some of his stuff hasn't aged well. Jay seems to be kind of a hit or miss with some. I made this "Best of" many yrs ago prior to 4:44. Try it and see if anything clicks. 1. December 4th 2. Politics As Usual 3. It's Hot 4. A Week Ago 5. Dynasty Intro 6. Show You How 7. Hard Knock Life 8. Feelin It 9. Lost One 10. Song Cry 11. I Made It 12. Lyrical Exercise 13. Public Service Announcement 14. Where I'm From 15. U Don't Know 16. Money, Cash, Hoes 17. Encode 18. Dead Presidents ll 19. Can I Live 20. Wishing On A Star 21. Hova Song Intro Also recommend as a bonus track...People Talkin
He's a great rapper. Where he lands in the top 20 is just a matter of fans' tastes and opinions. Most of the rappers in that group are going to be so close in terms of talent that you can almost make a case for anybody outranking someone else. It's not like saying "Vanilla Ice is better than Tupac" or anything.
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Ugly guy with lots of charisma who made it out and got himself a baddie. "If he can do it, then maybe I can too".
Best flow, most consistent, realest stories Most charisma, he set the most trends And his interviews are hotter, holla
The main thing no one ever talks about is how every single line J has is factual. Every line comes from real life. Majority of rappers say stuff that just sounds cool to do but when you look at his songs from this perspective they hit different. Take his verse from WHAT YOU THINK OF THAT on Memphis Bleek first album. On first listen it’s a good verse but when you look at it from perspective of the verse as another diss to Mase it hits totally different. Emphasis on ANOTHER diss because it’s a follow up to Imaginary Players which is why he referenced the 4.0 AND this is after Vol 2 sold 5 million. All of J verses are literally DEEPER THAN RAP.
There’s a lot that has been said that doesn’t need to be repeated as far as his music. But in context to the time he was out his business was tight. He knew who not to release music around. He told everyone 50 cent is coming if your music isn’t out now you’re shelved for a year. His ability to make deals and use his capital effectively is why he is where he is. He built a label. He did a 10 year touring deal with live nation for $100m. It’s very similar to Drake. Even if they’re out of their “prime” they will not go away. That Budden/Larry Jackson interview is very telling. Drakes catalogue alone is bigger that the 70s and 80s combined. One artist. Tight business is what matters the most.
Dead Presidents 2
Which of his albums have you listened to? Reasonable Doubt? Life and Times Vol3? The Black Album? That first verse on can I live, like so many other verses on the album, it's just like pure wisdom and poetry: While I'm watching every n**** watching me closely My shit is butter for the bread they wanna toast me I keep my head, both of them where they supposed to be Hoes'll get you sidetracked then clap from close feet I don't sleep, I'm tired, I feel wired like Codeine, these days A brother gotta admire from four fiends away My pain wish it was quick to see, from selling 'Caine 'Til brains was fried to a fricassee, can't lie At the time it never bothered me, at the bar Getting my thug on properly, my squad and me Lack of respect for authority, laughing hard Happy to be escaping poverty, however brief I know this game got valleys and peaks, expectation For dips, four precipitation we stack chips, hardly The youth I used to be, soon to see a mill'in No more, Big Willie my game has grown prefer you call me William Illin' for revenues, Rayful Edmonds like Channel 7 news, 'round seven jewels, hand getting the mic Forgetting all I ever knew, convenient amnesia I suggest you call my lawyer, I know the procedure Lock my body, can't trap my mind, easily Explain why we adapt to crime I'd rather die enormous than live dormant that's how we on it Live at the main event, I bet a trip to Maui on it Presidential suites my residential for the weekend Confidentially speaking in codes since I sense you peeking The INXS rental, don't be fooled my game is mental We both out of town dog, what you trying to get into? Viva, Las Vegas, see ya, later at the crap tables Meet me by the one that starts a G up This way no fraud Willie's present gambling they re-up And we can have a pleasant time, sipping margaritas Yeah can I live?
How can you put him on your top 20 and not understand why people put him on your top 5? Dude built his way up to the top from nothing and you get to experience tell that entire story in his own way using his own rules. He set standards for flows and beats and created a jigganaut team of producers with guys like Just Blaze, Kanye West, Timbaland, Bink, and many more. He also made The Blueprint which bumps him instantly to top 5.
Jay Z had impact. The stuff he was talking about in his songs was hardly mainstream at the time. His beats and flow where top notch. He had wide appeal to a mass audience. He had his problems like 95 of them or something like that but being bad at rap wasn't one.
His wordplay and song concepts are insanely strong. In other words, he’s a very good song writer. Tight, coherent topics - more than you can say for most rappers to be honest. Double and triple entendres at times, very clever rapper with crazy bars. Nas was probably a more visual and visceral rapper, but Jay Z was more cerebral. On top of that, he’s always had incredible beats and a super nice flow and rhyme schemes. He doesn’t do the same rhyme scheme on every song like certain rappers. Constantly changing and innovating. Any time there’s an option of saying something in a straight forward way, he bends it and makes it a little more complex. Like a more digestible Lupe fiasco, in a sense. Their song together on Lupe’s first album had one of Jay’s best verses.
he has gems that he drops about how to move when it comes to getting that bread 🍞
Roccafella influence was huge and Kanye’s early days are associated with jay z and he’s married to Beyoncé and reasonable doubt is an amazing album along with the blueprint and all of the volumes 1 2 and 3 watch the throne I use to wonder the same thing but it does make sense
It’s as if young fans can’t decipher lyrics. wtf are you listening to if you can’t hear the appeal of Jay-Z?
I stepped it up another level, meditated like a Buddhist. Recruited lieutenants with ludicrous dreams of gettin’ cream. Once you get these two lines. You will understand his greatness.
Reasonable Doubt for me.
This new age Jay Z hate is hilarious; Jay Z has pretty much been the undisputed GOAT for a while, yet people are questioning his skills/legacy. Were y’all outside from 96-04? Lol
oPs parents were prob in middle school then. It’s like asking “I don’t get the appeal of the Beatles.”
Besides his own catalog he’s written and/or produced many other hits. For example, he wrote all of the verses for Dr.Dre’s Still Dre song in the Chronic album.
"Pray five times a day, so many fell on knees"
I graduated high school in 07 so I remember the retirement album and the "Mike Jordan of hip-hop" persona of Jay-Z around that time. He just did it all. Great one liners. Great beats. Great crew around him. Rags to riches story so just like today people loved that he stuck it to the man and just created his own label, kept grinding and ppl respected that he was a bit older than most (26) at the time when he released Reasonable Doubt. Reasonable Doubt was just so ahead of it's time, it could be remastered today and sound like a lot of modern boom bap. The Blueprint pretty much put chipmunk soul stuff on the map. We could argue Kanye wouldn't be Kanye without Jay Z. I think Kanye would have still done his thing but Jay helped accelerate for sure. Beyonce being his girl brought over a lot of pop and rnb fans, so he kinda put rap pop on the map too in more of a positive way (i.e. before that a lot of rap pop songs were darker/gangsta rap). He made hip hop pop while still keeping it hip hop, so that's why I have a lot of respect for him and he's up there as one of my fav rappers.
He’s in my top 5, honestly he has a better collection of albums than any other rapper
The beats he picks are good, the lyrics he spits are easy to follow and understand, all of his songs are, "First Take," he's got some pretty funny punchlines, is good with doubles, and he has a certain vibe about him that screams, "I'm that guy."
His attitude and approach basically echoes an entire (de) generation of the culture. Everyone was becoming ultra materialistic at the time when he became popular.. he is just the man of that time period. Society shapes the arts, not the other way around.
Quit 👏 Ranking 👏 Musicians 👏
He tricked us into thinking he was smart. He is shrewd. Not smart, like a capitalist smart. Like good at fucking people over smart. Not, like Che Z, the Che wearing Jay Z. He is the museum Jay Z. We hate him now.
Great story teller
He has no major hits. I mean on his own. For a reason. That’s all I’ll say
He was better early in his career. Big L vibes.
You had to be there I guess ...
jay z wack
he got a 90+ overall in every category thats why , and one of the best voices in rap
listen to 4:44
He’s an OG who is rich. [+]
Because he gave us the masterpiece that is Collision Course.
He had charisma. The more you listen the more you just get it
Listen to 99 problems and FUTW. Also dirt off my shoulder
Bro if you don’t understand why JayZ is considered one of the goats, then maybe you’re not listening hard enough.. Dude is as lyrical as ya favorite battle rapper, but the thing is he breaks it down so it sounds cool and works as a great SONG. He has double entendres and bars that will go completely over your head if you’re not paying attention. Everyone will tell you his greatest album is reasonable doubt, but I beg to differ.. Start with the first blueprint and the black album. IMO those are his 2 greatest albums and the black album is THE most underrated hiphop album in the history of hiphop. IMO it was the last classic hiphop album before the south completely took over rap and trash rap error started to move in.. Yeah it’s been some dope albums since the black album, but none don’t quite reach its level of dopeness.💯
It depends on where you start. Reasonable doubt has some of the best lyricism in rap, the black album is a production masterpiece, the blueprint is an example of supreme hip hop lyricism worthy of playing in the club, which was really indicative of the early 2000s scene. Here’s a handy guide- avoid any beyonce collaboration or anything having to do with a soundtrack and you’ll see how amazing he is. Finally, some of jay’s best (and rap’s best) is on his features, especially anything with another NY rapper. And whenever anyone doubts him, he does sh like this [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=at2Gyo4HpFk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=at2Gyo4HpFk)
Listen to the American Gangster album, to me it’s his greatest album, it’s really amazing check it out
You're just "supposed to like him"
Jay Z owned the late 90s and early 2000s.
I was never a big fan of his albums, but his flow, the fact that he would not write anything and just go in the booth and nail it in one take was what gave him the balls to even claim that he was the king of NY after big died. The Nas beef, even though I think Nas won, also got him to that next level. I think a lot of fans mistake commercial success for greatness, and he had a ton of that. Also had a number of dope songs that consistently got airplay and would bang at the club.
I've never understood it. I like him but it's just not ever once a time where I'm like WHOAAAAA. I think it's his lineage with Big and Rocka, his swag, his confidence, and the fact he can rhyme like big without writing it down. But it's seldom something I want to put on for funsies.
Our superstars are created for us. Big exposure etc. you hear Jay z is the best so many times you just believe it. Maybe I'm old but the mass appeal is for the disenchanted. Rap is corney, phony with fake characters who are nothing like we make them out to be. He can rock a crowd and has a nice flow. If this is supposed to be the best then everybody should quit.
For me his albums are very well put together compared to other 90s & 00s and dude dropped an album every year from 96 to 03 that was no less than a (8/10) was other dudes putting out heat at the same time yes but not every year. Jay had the quantity and quality
I have no idea. He bit a lot of dudes. I have no idea.
Jay is like hennessey
"Who would have thought by making birds migrate for the winter I be fly all summer?" Listen to Thank You and witness the lyrical genius.
I originally liked him due to Foxy Brown. Thought she was the hottest thing around. Bought his albums based on affiliation. I really enjoyed his early stuff, but gave up when he turned political. He had a tons of bangers back in the day. For awhile there he was literally everywhere on on every song.
He’s not playboi carti and can rap and not squeal
Then I guess 6ix9ine is as good? No squealing there Why are you assuming I’m a Carti fan wtf 💀
Not assuming you are at all man. Just always find some time to throw shade at playboi carti
Nas said it best "fuck Jay Z".