by P-Body
What more can be said about Jay-Z. Dude has stood the test of time and still putting out quality of work. I know I shitted on Jay-Z a lot over the past few years but I do give him props even when I’m dissing him. I always say I expect better from him because the calibur emcee he is and the type of shit he released in the passed had me wrapped. I still remember that summer I was at the house with my siblings watching rap city and Jay-Z’s “Ain’t No Nigga”, featuring Foxy Brown, music video came on. I was feeling Jay-Z and I thought the song was different. Seeing Notorious B.I.G. making a cameo in the music video was big. But at that time I was so into Too $hort, Pac, Outkast, Ghetto Mafia, Kilo (ATL), Nas, Three 6 Mafia, and various other artist that was putting it down then so I still didn’t give Jay-Z a big chance.
Fast forward to 2013, many years down the road, and Jay-Z remains on top. He have the most number 1 albums and even beat Elvis. I can’t do anything but salute Jay-Z for his accomplishments. Like he told Notorious B.I.G. in the song “Young G’s”, “I’ll be multi before I die” and damn he was right. Biggie knew Jay-Z would be bigger just a shame Jay-Z didn’t get real big before Pac & Biggie passing so he could have really competed with them.
This album for me is game changing and it put things in perspective as a grown man. I’m still growing more as a man; my mind is different from when I was 18, 21, 25 and it’s still changing as we speak. Even though Jay-Z talk about money it’s the way he speak about it that make it different plus he speaks about his daughter Blue Ivy. This album is kinda personal I shall say for Jay-Z since this is his first time being a father besides the miscarriage he faced many years ago. He still pay homage to Notorious B.I.G. by using his vocal “Ugh” sample and even used some of his vocals from “My Downfall” featuring D.M.C. (Which is one of my favorite Biggie songs ever).
For him to be 43 going on 44, he still out spit most of the rappers that is out right now. These young boys need to step their game up if they want to compete with J-Hova. He came a long ways from the Marcy days from being a hypeman for Big Daddy Kane, to recording songs with Original Flavor, hanging around Biggie, being called out by 2Pac, to beefing with Mobb Deep & E-Money Bags at Hot 97, to stabbing Undeas for bootlegging the horrible Vol. 3 Life Times Of S. Carter, to marrying Beyonce, patching things up with Nas, to hanging out with the president, to owning NBA teams and so forth. Dude stay busy. He always been ahead of everybody in the game especially on the business tip. I can’t do nothing but tip my hat off to Jay-Z. I know I gave him a lot of shit but that’s because I miss the old Jay-Z but I know he isn’t the same person and he don’t hang around the same folks like he use to nor hang out in the same spots he use to hang out at. Enough with the rambling. I give this album a 4/5 stars. This album is really solid. I don’t think he is as potent lyrically like he once was but as far as the music game is today he is crushing most of the comp. You still have a few spitters like Nas, Raekwon, J. Cole and few others who are holding it down…. Jay-Z formula is second to none. You won’t ever see another artist like Jay-Z again. Jay-Z legacy is here to stay for centuries to come.
