FEATURE:
A Buyer’s Guide
Part Eighty-Six: JAY-Z
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ON this outing of A Buyer’s Guide…
PHOTO CREDIT: Raven B. Varona
I wanted to celebrate and highlight the work of a Hip-Hop pioneer and godfather. The legendary JAY-Z is an artist who, since his 1996 debut (Reasonable Debut) has released some of the finest albums ever. He is a hugely inventive and inspirational artist who is part of one of the world’s greatest power couples (he is married to Beyoncé). Before recommending his four essential albums, an underrated gem, his latest studio album and a good book, I wanted to bring in some biography from AllMusic:
“From the projects to the throne, New York rapper, producer, and entrepreneur Jay-Z embodied the quintessential rags-to-riches dream, becoming one of the most successful MCs of his generation while creating an empire that made him one of the richest artists of the era. After debuting in the late '90s with Reasonable Doubt and In My Lifetime, Vol 1, he began a chart run that notched over a dozen number one albums spread over two decades, including the multi-platinum, Grammy-winning Vol. 2...Hard Knock Life (1999), the Blueprint series (2001, 2002, 2009), and The Black Album (2003). In addition to his solo work, Jay-Z also found mainstream crossover success with pop, R&B, and rock artists, notably collaborating with protege Rihanna on their Grammy-winning "Umbrella" (2008); alternative metal outfit Linkin Park on 2004's genre mash-up Collision Course; Alicia Keys on New York City's unofficial anthem, the chart-topping "Empire State of Mind" (2011); frequent foil Kanye West on Watch the Throne (2012); and wife Beyoncé on numerous hit singles, international tours, and the joint album Everything Is Love (2018). He also contributed the song "What It Feels Like" to the soundtrack of the Oscar-nominated 2021 drama Judas and The Black Messiah. In addition to rapping, Jay-Z has also served as a label head (Roc-A-Fella/Roc Nation/Def Jam), team owner (NBA's Brooklyn Nets), real-estate mogul, and fashion designer.
Born in 1969 and raised in the rough Marcy Projects of Brooklyn, New York, Jay-Z was raised by his mother and turned to the streets, where he made a name for himself as a fledging rapper and drug dealer. Known as "Jazzy" in his neighborhood, he soon shortened his nickname to Jay-Z and did all he could to break into the rap game. As he vividly discusses in his lyrics, Jay-Z also became a street hustler around this time, doing what needed to be done to make money. For a while, he ran around with rapper Jaz-O, aka Big Jaz. From Jaz he learned how to navigate the rap industry and what moves to make. He also participated in the group Original Flavor for a short time. Jay-Z subsequently decided to make an untraditional decision and start his own label rather than sign with an established one as Jaz had done. Together with friends Damon Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke, he created Roc-a-Fella Records. Once he found a reputable distributor, Priority Records (and later Def Jam), Jay-Z finally had everything in place, including a debut album, Reasonable Doubt (1996).
Though Reasonable Doubt reached only number 23 on the Billboard 200 chart, Jay-Z's debut eventually became recognized as an undisputed classic among fans, many of whom consider it his crowning achievement. Led by the hit single "Ain't No Nigga," a duet featuring Foxy Brown, Reasonable Doubt slowly spread through New York; some listeners were drawn in because of big names like DJ Premier and the Notorious B.I.G., others by the gangsta motifs very much in style at the time, still others by Jay-Z himself. By the end of its steady run, Reasonable Doubt generated three more charting singles -- "Can't Knock the Hustle," "Dead Presidents," and "Feelin' It" -- and set the stage for the follow-up, In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 (1997).
Peaking at number three on the Billboard 200, In My Lifetime sold much more strongly than its predecessor. The album boasted pop-crossover producers such as Puff Daddy and Teddy Riley, and singles such as "Sunshine" and "The City Is Mine" indeed showcased a newfound embrace of pop crossover. Yet there were still plenty of hard-hitting songs, such as "Streets Is Watching" and "Rap Game/Crack Game" to lace In My Lifetime with gangsta rap as well as pop crossover. Jay-Z's next album, Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life (1998), released a year after In My Lifetime, was laden with hit singles: "Can I Get A..." and "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" broke the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100, while "Cash, Money, Hoes" and "Nigga What, Nigga Who" also charted. Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life ended up winning a Grammy for Best Rap Album.
Like clockwork, Jay-Z returned a year later with another album, Vol. 3: Life and Times of S. Carter (1999), which topped the Billboard 200 and spawned two hits: "Big Pimpin'" and "Do It Again (Put Ya Hands Up)." The album was Jay-Z's most collaborative to date, featuring ten guest vocalists and a roll call of in-demand producers such as Dr. Dre and Timbaland. Jay-Z then scaled back a bit for Dynasty Roc la Familia (2000), his fifth album in as many years. The album showcased Roc-a-Fella's in-house rappers, such as Beanie Sigel, Memphis Bleek, and Freeway. On Dynasty Roc la Familia, Jay-Z also began working with a few new producers: the Neptunes, Kanye West, and Just Blaze. The Neptunes-produced "I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)" became a particularly huge hit single this go-round.
Jay-Z's next album, The Blueprint (2001), solidified his position atop the New York rap scene. Prior to its release, the rapper had caused a stir in New York following his headlining performance at Hot 97's Summer Jam 2001, where he debuted the song "Takeover."
The song features a harsh verse ridiculing Prodigy of Mobb Deep, and Jay-Z accentuated his verbal assault by showcasing gigantic photos of an adolescent Prodigy in a dance outfit. The version of "Takeover" that later appeared on The Blueprint includes a third verse, this one dissing Nas, who, in response to the Summer Jam performance, had called out Jay-Z, "the fake king of New York," in a freestyle known as "Stillmatic." As expected, "Takeover" ignited a sparring match with Nas, who responded with "Ether." Jay-Z accordingly returned with a comeback, "Super Ugly," where he rapped over the beats to Nas' "Get Ur Self A..." on the first verse and Dr. Dre's "Bad Intentions" on the second. The back-and-forth bout created massive publicity for both Jay-Z and Nas. In addition to "Takeover," The Blueprint also featured "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)," one of the year's biggest hit songs, and the album topped many year-end best-of charts.Jay-Z capitalized on the runaway success of The Blueprint with a number of follow-up projects. He collaborated with the Roots for the Unplugged album (2001) and with R. Kelly for Best of Both Worlds (2002). He then went on to record, over the course of the year, 40 or so new tracks, 25 of which appeared on his next record, the double album The Blueprint²: The Gift & the Curse (2002). Though billed as a sequel, The Blueprint² was considerably different from its predecessor. Whereas the first volume had been personal, considered, and focused, the second instead offered an unapologetically sprawling double-disc extravaganza showcasing remarkable scope. As usual, it spawned a stream of singles, led by his 2Pac cover "'03 Bonnie & Clyde," featuring his future wife Beyoncé. Furthermore, Jay-Z guested on a pair of summer 2003 hits: Beyoncé's chart-topping "Crazy in Love" and Pharrell Williams' Top Five hit "Frontin'."
It was then that Jay-Z announced his imminent retirement after the release of one more album. That LP, The Black Album (2003), was rush-released by Def Jam and soared to the top Billboard spot at the end of the year. It spawned a couple big hits -- "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" and "99 Problems" -- and inspired a popular mash-up bootleg, The Grey Album, by Danger Mouse. The subsequent year (2004) was a whirlwind for the retiring Jay-Z. He embarked on a farewell tour that was topped off by an extravagant Madison Square Garden performance documented on the Fade to Black DVD, and he also embarked on an arena tour with the embattled R. Kelly.
With his reputation bigger than ever, Jay-Z accepted an offer to assume the role of president at Def Jam. The seminal rap label was struggling and needed someone to guide it through a rocky transitional phase. Jay-Z accepted the challenge and took over the company begun by Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin roughly 20 years earlier. (As part of its deal with Jay-Z, Def Jam's parent company, Universal, bought Roc-a-Fella.) Considerable fanfare met the presidential inauguration, as Jay-Z became one of the few African-American major-label executives in the business. Numerous rappers owned or operated their own boutique labels, but none had ever risen to such major-label heights. The rapper-turned-president didn't take his job lightly, either, at least judging by his initial year at the helm. Within months of assuming his position, he fostered a string of newfound talents, including Young Jeezy and Rihanna.
In 2005, Jay-Z came out of retirement for the I Declare War concert in New York City. The ambitious show featured a parade of high-profile guest stars, including Diddy and Kanye West, and in a peacemaking move, Nas. With this longstanding beef squashed, Jay-Z announced he was coming out of retirement for good. He made it official when Kingdom Come (2006) hit shelves. Jay-Z kept firing with American Gangster (2007), inspired by the concurrent film of the same name. After he left Def Jam and established Roc Nation -- a label, music publisher, and talent agency through Live Nation -- he released a third installment in the Blueprint series, The Blueprint 3 (2009). Announced with the single "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)," the album featured productions from Kanye West and Timbaland, plus guest features for West, Rihanna, and Alicia Keys, the latter of whom appeared on "Empire State of Mind," one of the biggest hits of Jay-Z's career. At various points during the next two years, Jay-Z and West, joined by numerous associates, worked on Watch the Throne (2011). The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, supported by the smash hits "Otis" and "Niggas in Paris."
On January 7, 2012, Beyoncé gave birth to Blue Ivy Carter. Jay-Z quickly released "Glory," featuring his daughter as B.I.C.; she became the youngest person to appear on a Billboard-charting single. High-profile television a few months later announced Jay-Z's 12th solo album, Magna Carta...Holy Grail (2012). Released that July 4, it featured production from Timbaland and partner Jerome "J. Roc" Harmon, while the lead song involved Justin Timberlake, with whom Jay-Z toured that summer. During the next few years, Jay-Z was involved primarily with assorted business and philanthropic ventures, as well as the production of the documentary Time: The Kalief Browder Story. He appeared on a handful of tracks headlined by other artists, including Drake's "Pop Style" and DJ Khaled's "I Got the Keys." Further collaborations, such as his and Beyoncé's appearances on Khaled's "Shining," along with an induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame (as the first rap artist), and the addition of newborn twins to the Carter family, all preceded the album 4:44 (2017). His 13th full-length, the critically acclaimed, platinum-certified set debuted atop the Billboard 200 and was nominated for Album of the Year and Song of the Year (for single "The Story of O.J.") at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards in 2018. Later that year, he embarked on an international stadium tour with Beyonce dubbed On the Run II. To coincide with the trek, the pair released the surprise album Everything Is Love as the Carters. Including the Migos-assisted lead single "Apeshit" -- which was promoted with a music video shot at the Louvre -- Everything Is Love debuted at number two and featured production by Pharrell Williams, Mike Dean, Cool & Dre, Boi-1da, and more. In 2021, Jay-Z contributed the track "What It Feels Like" (featuring the late-Nipsey Hussle) to the soundtrack to the Oscar-nominated film Judas and The Black Messiah”.
To show what an incredible and consistent artist JAY-Z is, here are my suggestions regarding which albums you should buy. I have also highlighted a book that gives more information about a truly superb talent. If you are new to JAY-Z, I hope that the below provides you…
WITH some guidance.
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The Four Essential Albums
Reasonable Doubt
Release Date: 25th June, 1996
Labels: Roc-A-Fella/Priority
Producers: Shawn Carter (exec.)/Damon Dash (exec.)/Kareem ‘Biggs’ Burke (exec.)/Big Jaz/Sean Cane/Clark Kent/Dahoud/DJ Irv/DJ Premier/Knobody/Peter Panic/Ski
Standout Tracks: Dead Presidents II/Feelin' It (featuring Mecca)/Ain't No Nigga (featuring Foxy Brown)
Buy: https://www.discogs.com/sell/list?master_id=9258&ev=mb
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/3gHvsTdiiZWGxEg32lyLwk?si=NHaAsoEOTSSgu9U-mlE_eQ
Review:
“Before Jay-Z fashioned himself into hip-hop's most notorious capitalist, he was a street hustler from the projects who rapped about what he knew -- and was very, very good at it. Skeptics who've never cared for Jigga's crossover efforts should turn to his debut, Reasonable Doubt, as the deserving source of his legend. Reasonable Doubt is often compared to another New York landmark, Nas' Illmatic: A hungry young MC with a substantial underground buzz drops an instant classic of a debut, detailing his experiences on the streets with disarming honesty, and writing some of the most acrobatic rhymes heard in quite some time. (Plus, neither artist has since approached the street cred of his debut, The Blueprint notwithstanding.) Parts of the persona that Jay-Z would ride to superstardom are already in place: He's cocky bordering on arrogant, but playful and witty, and exudes an effortless, unaffected cool throughout. And even if he's rapping about rising to the top instead of being there, his material obsessions are already apparent. Jay-Z the hustler isn't too different from Jay-Z the rapper: Hustling is about living the high life and getting everything you can, not violence or tortured glamour or cheap thrills. In that sense, the album's defining cut might not be one of the better-known singles -- "Can't Knock the Hustle," "Dead Presidents II," "Feelin' It," or the Foxy Brown duet, "Ain't No Nigga." It just might be the brief "22 Two's," which not only demonstrates Jay-Z's extraordinary talent as a pure freestyle rapper, but also preaches a subtle message through its club hostess: Bad behavior gets in the way of making money. Perhaps that's why Jay-Z waxes reflective, not enthusiastic, about the darker side of the streets; songs like "D'Evils" and "Regrets" are some of the most personal and philosophical he's ever recorded. It's that depth that helps Reasonable Doubt rank as one of the finest albums of New York's hip-hop renaissance of the '90s” – AllMusic
Choice Cut: Can't Knock the Hustle (featuring Mary J. Blige)
The Blueprint
Release Date: 11th September, 2001
Labels: Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam
Producers: Shawn Carter (exec.)/Damon Dash (exec.)/Kareem ‘Biggs’ Burke (exec./)Bink/Eminem/Just Blaze/Michael Jackson/The Trackmasters/Luis Resto/Kanye West/Timbaland
Standout Tracks: Izzo (H.O.V.A.)/Girls, Girls, Girls/Song Cry
Buy: https://www.discogs.com/sell/list?master_id=46989&ev=mb
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/69CmkikTHkGKdkrUZTtyWl?si=oZ3nmbeESziuvIpwDYQU6w
Review:
“Bouncing up means coming down, and he does for "Renegade," teaming with the world's other greatest MC to whine about the perils of being the world's greatest MCs and all. I shouldn't have to mention the brilliant rhymes, but (surprisingly, after a few bombs on the d12 album) it's almost ridiculous how good Eminem's beat is-- strings, synth and "Good Vibrations"-style theremin tones roll easy like 1987. After that, Jay puts focus in full on his rep, bigging up Reasonable Doubt more times than every other cut of his career combined. Jay's always been moving towards abolishing the hardcore production style that originally went with being gangsta, but the funny thing about this is how overwhelmingly post-gangsta he is-- the fruits of a thug life that was too long ago to dwell on.
"If I ain't better than B.I.G./ I'm the closest one," he says on "Hola Hovito," and that's an important clarification; when Puffy and Easy Mo Bee were laying pop beats under Biggie's real-life crime stories, the old school heads complained about how the rugged and rough aesthetic was on the way out. But "Juicy" shut the haters up by simply explaining that Biggie was pop only because he didn't need that dirty funk-rock life anymore. And so, while frat boys went buckwild for screeching thugs like Cypress Hill and Onyx who boasted of a running crime rate, Biggie had already gotten over it and just wanted to live his life in peace. But everyone knows what actually happened, and after his crime style finally caught up with him, the new generation of pop thug was ushered in. After Biggie's death, no one comes closer than Jay-Z” – Pitchfork
Choice Cut: Takeover
The Black Album
Release Date: 14th November, 2003
Labels: Roc-A-Fella/Island Def Jam
Producers: Shawn Carter (also exec.)/Damon Dash (exec.)/Kareem ‘Biggs’ Burke (exec.)/3H9th Wonder/Aqua/The Buchanans/Eminem/DJ Quik/Just Blaze/Kanye West/Luis Resto/The Neptunes/Rick Rubin/Timbaland
Standout Tracks: What More Can I Say/Change Clothes (featuring Pharrell Williams)/Dirt Off Your Shoulder
Buy: https://www.discogs.com/sell/list?master_id=47051&ev=mb
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/6vT81iUtDPLkfHDAwoRNpu?si=4RZKX6A0SJOB9W9ndXyWUA
Review:
“It's rare for a rapper to make a goodbye album -- generally the marketplace kicks you out of the game first. But Jay-Z is a rare rapper. The dominant figure of the post-Biggie and --Tupac era, he spit cool and witty with devastating flows, dropped classic albums, influenced MCs, changed pop culture and built a tall stack of dollars in the process.
Time will tell whether or not The Black Album is Jay-Z's final release, but it certainly is a goodbye album. He's settling scores and letting us deeper into his life than ever. He talks in depth about his parents, giving his mother, Gloria Carter, time to shine on the opening song, "December 4th." On the Eminem-produced "Moment of Clarity," he invokes the memory of his father, Adnes: "Pop died/Didn't cry/Didn't know him that well/Between him doin' heroin and me doin' crack sales." But by the end of the verse, he has forgiven his late father and says to him, "Save a place in heaven till the next time we meet forever."
The Black Album has a dream team of producers, including Kanye West ("Lucifer," "Encore"), Just Blaze ("December 4th"), the Neptunes ("Change Clothes," "Allure") and Timbaland, whose obese club-banger "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" easily wins the prize for best beat, with Rick Rubin's raucous, rock-drenched "99 Problems" a close second.
Given one last chance to make an impact, Jay-Z has come up with one of the better albums of his career, though perhaps a shade lesser than his very best, Reasonable Doubt and The Blueprint. Still, we've witnessed not merely a Hall of Fame career but one of the top-shelf greatest of all time, up there with Rakim, Big, Pac and Nas. And like every great rapper, Jay-Z has never been afraid to tell us he's Number One. On "What More Can I Say," he rhymes, "Pound for pound I'm the best to ever come around here/Excluding nobody." He could be right” – Rolling Stone
Choice Cut: 99 Problems
American Gangster
Release Date: 6th November, 2007
Labels: Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam
Producers: Shawn Carter (exec.)/Antonio ‘L.A.’ Reid (exec.)/Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs with The Hitmen (also assoc.)/Bigg D/Chris Flame/Idris ‘Driis’ Elba/Jermaine Dupri/Just Blaze/Skyz Muzik/The Neptunes/No I.D./Toomp/Mario Winans
Standout Tracks: American Dreamin'/I Know/Say Hello
Buy: https://www.discogs.com/sell/list?master_id=47134&ev=mb
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/6JlAOzNEYuPBZHf1iTs5kT?si=jKd9J-RQTVCGsw0zr6GbxA
Review:
“With his criminally overhyped, thuddingly anticlimactic comeback album, Kingdom Come, Jay-Z offered listeners insight into the surprisingly dull life of a thirtysomething hip-hop mogul with nothing to prove and nothing much to say. The album's disappointing sales suggested that fans found the view from the boardroom infinitely less compelling than the street-corner perspective of Jay-Z's early work. On American Gangster, the hustler-turned-executive finds inspiration in the Ridley Scott film of the same name, the lush atmosphere of '70s soul, and the bracing grit of blaxploitation.
American Gangster stumbles a bit in its Diddy-dominated first half, but it locks into a slinky retro nighttime groove with "I Know," which breathes new life into the heroin-seduction song with one of Pharrell's mile-wide space-disco grooves. And the album sustains that groove until the final track. Meanwhile, "Blue Magic" ruthlessly deconstructs the Neptunes' sound until all that's left is organ vamping, spare percussion, and vintage Jay-Z braggadocio. On the similarly minimalist "Success," Jay-Z and Nas reaffirm their potent chemistry over No I.D.'s sleazy funk. Gangster makes explicit the implicit subtext of so much street rap: that studio gangstas are generally more influenced by the contents of their DVD collections than their personal memories. Judging by this surprisingly strong return to form, Jay-Z might want to consider spending less time in the office and more time at the movies” – The A.V. Club
Choice Cut: Roc Boys (And the Winner Is)...
The Underrated Gem
Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life
Release Date: 29th September, 1998
Labels: Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam
Producers: Shawn Carter (exec.)/Damon Dash (also exec.)/Kareem ‘Biggs’ Burke (exec.)/Irv Gotti/Kid Capri/J-Runnah/Jermaine Dupri/Rockwilder/Lil' Rob/Mahogany/The 45 King/DJ Premier/Erick Sermon/Stevie J/Swizz Beatz/Timbaland/Darold ‘POP’ Trotter
Standout Tracks: Nigga What, Nigga Who (Originator 99) (featuring Big Jaz)/Money, Cash, Hoes (featuring DMX)/Can I Get A... (featuring Ja Rule and Amil)
Buy: https://www.discogs.com/sell/list?master_id=46840&ev=mb
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/3j1xCJdBMCl6wYQXurz2tb?si=Nz8o9-P1S_SzT7iZY-pRhw
Review:
“After recording with underground legends such as the Jaz, Original Flavor, Mic Geronimo and Big Daddy Kane, rapper Jay-Z got his big break with the Foxy Brown duet "Ain't No Nigga" on the "Nutty Professor" soundtrack. This radio and club hit set the stage for the Brooklyn rapper's debut album, 1996's "Reasonable Doubt." Rife with vivid images detailing the saga of a highbrow criminal, the collection was embraced by a New York audience thirsty for its own version of gangster hip-hop.
Jay-Z's biggest asset is his ability to relay the most intricate nuances of life--especially a life saturated with drugs, guns and disposable women. He seemingly reinvented these topics on last year's "In My Lifetime, Vol. 1" and the soundtrack for this year's "Streets Is Watching," a direct-to-video movie in which Jay-Z was the star.
"Vol. 2--A Hard Knock Life," which entered the national sales chart this week at No. 1, reconfirms Jay-Z's status as a superior wordsmith. Following the current rap record trend of featuring a multitude of guest stars, 13 of the 14 tracks feature at least one other voice. Still, Jay-Z emerges as the hero of this hard-hitting, lyrically intense opus” – Los Angeles Times
Choice Cut: Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)
The Latest Album
4:44
Release Date: 30th June, 2017
Label: Roc Nation
Producers: Jay-Z (exec.)/No I.D. (co-exec.)/Dominic Maker/James Blake
Standout Tracks: The Story of O.J./4:44/Bam (featuring Damian Marley)
Buy: https://www.discogs.com/sell/list?master_id=1206473&ev=mb
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/7GoZNNb7Yl74fpk8Z6I2cv?si=LYlr3hbYRmecYTa-rfrDvg
Review:
“This is Jay-Z’s mea culpa. When Beyoncé called out her husband on Lemonade in 2016, revealing how the man born Shawn Carter had been tomcatting around with “Becky with the good hair” while his missus was stuck at home changing baby Blue Ivy’s nappies, he did the sensible thing and kept out of sight. A year later (and with Beyoncé reported to have given birth to twins), on an album released exclusively on the Tidal streaming service he part-owns, he has done what unfaithful partners have been doing since time immemorial: slunk back with his tail between his legs.
“I don’t deserve you,” he wails on the title track, before apologising for myriad crimes, mostly involving other women. Then, with the air of a man coming to terms with what he has done on the morning after, he asks himself: “You did what with who? What good is a ménage à trois when you have a soulmate? You risked that for Blue?” He over-eggs the pudding when he promises to be emotionally available at all times, always there for her from now on, cross his heart and hope to die, but you have to admire the intensity of feeling.
Beyoncé deigns to lend her hubby a few backing vocals on Family Feud as he offers more apologies, making clear he knows which side his bread is buttered by stating: “Leave me alone, Becky.” On Kill Jay-Z he goes into full ego-meltdown mode, begging forgiveness for shooting his brother when he was 12, and selling drugs to people he loved, before confessing: “You egged Solange on, knowing all along all you had to say was you was wrong”, a reference to a filmed incident of Beyoncé’s sister Solange Knowles attacking Jay-Z in a lift. Rap is in large part based on braggadocio, yet here a giant of hip-hop culture is engaging in the kind of self-flagellation more commonly associated with tormented singer-songwriters.
When he isn’t donning the hair shirt, Jay-Z is rapping about familiar subjects of race and money, set for the most part to a melodic, mellow blend of subdued beats, Nina Simone, Donny Hathaway and gospel samples, and cut-up piano and orchestral parts. “OJ like, ‘I’m not black, I’m OJ’ . . . OK,” he raps in characteristically breathy fashion on The Story of OJ, offering a series of black stereotypes before concluding they are all “still nigga”, then moving on to a quick primer on the basics of property and art investment. “We stuck in La La Land. Even if we win, we gonna lose,” he raps on Moonlight, a reference to the mostly white La La Land, mistakenly announced as the Oscar winner for best picture when the real winner was the African-American drama Moonlight, firing up a racial debate in the process. Legacy, which uses Donny Hathaway’s Someday We’ll All Be Free, looks at Jay-Z’s position as a successful black man and what that will mean for his family and the culture at large” – The Times
Choice Cut: Family Feud (featuring Beyoncé)
The JAY-Z Book
Empire State Of Mind (Revised): How Jay Z Went from Street Corner to Corner Office Revised Edition
Author: Zack O'malley Greenburg
Publication Date: 22nd September, 2015
Publisher: Portfolio
Reviews:
“Fascinating, well-done biography of one of the most extraordinary entrepreneurs of our era.
--Steve Forbes
Greenburg has become one of the rare reporters to bring dignified coverage of the hip-hop business into the mainstream. Empire State of Mind is a pure product of Greenburg's care and insight, an exploration of hip-hop's most enigmatic mogul.
--Dan Charnas, author of The Big Payback: The History of the Business of Hip-Hop
Greenburg follows the money and key pieces of the Jay Z puzzle in this insightful, savvy read. This book is like a GPS leading us through the modern urban realityof how Jay Z's empire was built.
--Fab 5 Freddy, artist, hip-hop pioneer, and former host of Yo! MTV Raps
A superb guide for your career, even if you are looking to be an investment banker or grocery store manager instead of a hip-hop legend.
--CNN.com”.