Posts by: marc

Rap Genius Rewind: Jay-Z – Reasonable Doubt (1996)

January 23, 2012 1 comment

Long before his newborn became the youngest person to ever chart Billboard, before the legendary beef with Nas and before he introduced the world to Kanye West on his album The Blueprint, Jay-Z was a dope dealer from Marcy projects with the gift of gab.

Jay-Z’s introduction to the hip hop world (besides false start of the ill-fated Hawaiian Sophie) was Reasonable Doubt. I was only 9 when the LP dropped in 1996. Admittedly, my true introduction to Shawn Carter was Volume 2‘s ‘Hard Knock Life‘ (also on the Belly soundtrack), with it’s slick Annie sample and round-the-clock MTV play.

It wasn’t until I dug deeper that I discovered the artist at his finest. In the mid-90′s the mafiaso/gambino motif made popular by members of the Wu-Tang Clan was the hot shit in hip hop. Jay-Z came on the scene with fat cigars, the ill scarf game and the tilted brim, championing social causes like Cristal and Lexus use.

Reasonable Doubt is up in the elite hip hop rafters, sharing space with ubiquitous classic debuts like Nas’ Illmatic & B.I.G.’s Ready To Die. Songs like ‘Can’t Knock The Hustle,’ ‘Politics As Usual,’ ‘Dead Presidents II,’ ‘D’Evils’ and ‘Can I Live’ are required learning for any aspiring hip hop historian.

My favorite song of all here, however, is ‘Regrets.’ Over Peter Panic’s pedantic, laid-back beat Hov waxes stay far from timid, only make moves when your heart’s in it & live the phrase ‘sky’s the limit.’

Jay-Z – Regrets

Jay-Z – 22 Two’s Lyrics
Jay-Z – Can I Live Lyrics
Jay-Z – Can I Live II Lyrics
Jay-Z – Can’t Knock The Hustle Lyrics
Jay-Z – Cashmere Thoughts Lyrics
Jay-Z – Dead Presidents II Lyrics
Jay-Z – D’Evils Lyrics
Jay-Z – Ain’t No Nigga Lyrics
Jay-Z – Friend or Foe Lyrics
Jay-Z – Bring It On Lyrics
Jay-Z – Feelin’ It Lyrics
Jay-Z – Coming of Age Lyrics
Jay-Z – Brooklyn’s Finest Lyrics
Jay-Z – Politics As Usual Lyrics
Jay-Z – Regrets Lyrics

Click here to read Rap Genius’ full dissertation via Professor Same Old Shawn.

Young Jeezy – I Do ft. Jay-Z & Andre 3000

November 19, 2011 1 comment


I guess the streets are still anticipating Thug Motivation 103: Hustlerz Ambition. This is probably the most anticipated song on the tracklist, despite Andre 3000 & Jay-Z turning in increasingly mediocre guest verses this year (ughhhhhh – nice watch). Now with no tags, but still mediocre verses!

J. Cole – Mr. Nice Watch ft. Jay-Z

September 14, 2011 13 comments

J Cole New Watch

Download:J. Cole – Mr. Nice Watch ft. Jay-Z

Sing along with J. Cole – Mr. Nice Watch lyrics via Rap Genius.

J Cole - Mr New Watch

Well, he made good on his promise. J. Cole decided to tease everyone with arguably the most anticipated song off The Sideline Story: the obligatory and expected Jay-Z feature. Pretty smart move giving the people the one song they would have probably bought as a single off iTunes if they didn’t buy your album. But, it seems like a decent tactic: Get Interest and Buzz Back Up. Get People Talking About J. Cole Again.

I’ve been a critic of Cole for the last 4 months because I believe his marketing plan has been gahbage. Perfect time to have dropped an album would have been like a month or two after Friday Night Lights (Kind of how Wale’s 11.1.11 mixtape is a perfect teaser for his Ambition album). Plus, those Any Given Sunday offerings have been stale and trite. I want Jermaine to succeed. I really do. But hey… who am I kidding? You guys aren’t reading this. You came here and clicked the link above to listen to and download this jawn. Shit, half of you can’t even read, I’m sure. So let me set this up for the C-Section for those that are capable of original thought and opinion. What do you think of this track? Everything you expected? Did it cure your cancer? Did it make you a J Cole believer again? Do you want to go buy a new watch now? Cole World, All Cinders. CWTSS Drops Sept 27th aka “National Bauce Sauce Day.”

In honor of Lion King being re-released in 3D on Friday and Grown Simba dropping this track today, I invite you to visit or revisit the definitive J Cole as Simba/Lion King Allegory post:

“Can’t Wait To Be King: If J. Cole Really Were Simba“
Jay-Z as Rafiki

BREAKING NEWS: Beyonce Is Pregnant

August 28, 2011 No comments yet

Now I’m not one for celebrity gossip… if you can believe that while reading this post on a music blog that loves to report on what people in the rap game are up to. BUT this is pretty newsworthy. Beyonce made the announcement at the VMA’s earlier today. Yvette Noel-Schure, a rep for Beyonce, told Lifeline Live this afternoon that she is “happy to confirm” the pregnancy. It will be the first child for both Beyonce, who is 29, and her husband, some famous rapper whose name escapes me. But on the real, this will be the first child for Beyonce and Jay-Z, and I have a feeling it is going to be one of the most talented people ever born. Is it safe to say this is “Destiny’s child?” In other news, I haven’t gotten any funnier this month. Leave a comment, what should the baby be named? Will it sing? Rap? Play instruments? Famous athlete? Producer? Have no musical talent whatsoever? Other?

Jay Z Pregnancy Nod

Jay Z Kanye Preganancy Push VMA

Drake & Jadakiss Want No Part in Lil’ Wayne & Jay-Z Beef

August 27, 2011 3 comments

By now, I’m sure most of you have heard the jab Weezy threw at Hov on his new track “It’s Good” off that lukewarm Tha Carter IV. Drake and Jada, who were both featured on the song, have recently come out saying that they don’t want anything to do with the situation. Furthermore, both emcees claim they had no prior knowledge of the shots Wayne was going to throw at Jay and simply recorded their respective verses over the instrumental they were sent. Drake explained this to MTV (Up top) while Kiss took to Twitter to clear the air (Down bottom).

Now I’ll buy this excuse from Jada, but you mean to tell me Drake had NO idea Wayne was gonna throw a shot in there? I’m sure he was in the studio or on Skype snigglin’ while Weezy was recording his verse

Jay-Z & Kanye West – Watch The Throne (REVIEW)

August 10, 2011 16 comments


iTunes the Throne

There’s an excerpt from the closing monologue of Kanye West’s debut LP The College Dropout that candidly displays the dichotomous, paternal rapport that Jay-Z holds with Mr. West. On “Last Call”, Kanye reflects:

I got to meet Jay-Z and he said, “Oh you a real soulful dude”
And he, uh, played the song
Cause he already spit his verse by the time I got to the studio
You know how he do it, one take. And he said
“Tell me what you think of this.”
And I heard it, and I was thinking like
‘Man, I really wanted more like of the simple type Jay-Z’
I ain’t want like the, the more introspective, complicated [Jay-Z]
In my personal opinion. So he asked me, “What you think of it?”
And I was like, “Man that shit tight,”
You know what I’m sayin’, man what I’mma tell him?

Over seven years has passed since that particular iteration of that memory was recounted. But, hindsight is certainly 20/20, and considering the shifted dynamic in our current social and musical climate, which one of these two is really bringing the dominant influence here? And, possibly more important thereof, which one of these two do you think is asking the other “Tell me what you think of this” nowadays?

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Jay-Z & Kanye West – Watch The Throne (Snippets + Lyrics)

August 7, 2011 No comments yet

Jay-Z & Kanye West’s collaborative LP Watch The Throne drops tomorrow, but Ticketmaster has unleashed snippets to hold us over. And the good people at RapGenius.com have already thrown up the lyrics. Check out an early analysis of the Watch The Throne lyrics using the links below.

Jay-Z & Kanye West “Watch The Throne” Tourdates

July 25, 2011 No comments yet


Jay-Z & Kanye West ft Otis Redding – Otis
Jay-Z & Kanye West – That’s My Bitch

Things are becoming very real in music land. Jay-Z & Kanye’s “Watch The Throne” album is finally coming out August 1st (preorder now). If you missed the Watch The Throne Documentary give that a look to get further amped. Hit the jump to see the tour dates. I’d love to catch one of the shows at Staples in LA. The Throne. Watch it.

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Jay-Z & Kanye West – Watch The Throne (Documentary)

July 22, 2011 3 comments

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My advice for this is get to it quick. Universal is not playin’ around with their money (having promptly erased this from Youtube a mere hour after it was posted). In the meantime, enjoy about 10 minutes of director Robert Lopuski’s (Paper Tigers) footage of Jay and Ye exposing the musings, inspirations, and various locations that inspired thier upcoming collaboration LP.

Watch The Throne in stores August 5th. Digitally, August 1st.

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