Our friend Jay-Z’s third and final appearance on this list is his debut album. The 1996 release featured some big name guest stars such as Memphis Bleek, Mary J. Blige, and fellow lister Notorious B.I.G. The album debuted at #23 on the Billboard 200, and spawned 4 singles.
Sara
Before we get started, I’d just like to get something off my chest. I’ve noticed in the past 250 albums that, in addition to blatant exclusion of women and minorities on this list, certain under-represented genres also seem to appear in clusters. Does Jay-Z really have the 252nd and 250th best albums of all-time, or were his best two albums just plopped here in the middle so a noteworthy hip-hop artist could be checked off the ‘make sure we don’t forget them or we’ll catch some fresh hell’ list by the makers? I know, conspiracy theorists are annoying, but those of you following along here (only two people) should really look at the list itself and I think you’ll have some ‘reasonable doubt’ as to the legitimacy of some of this. On the bright side, awesome to listen to what Jay Z refers to as his best album (and I agree) all the way through for the first time.
I gained a new favorite on this one, “Brooklyn’s Finest.” I it hard to believe that I haven’t heard this before, but I can’t recall already knowing it and it’s an awesome song. A collaboration with Notorious BIG, this awesome tune was intended as a friendly battle between the two heavyweights, with Jay Z asserting that he’s on Biggie’s level talent-wise, and Biggie shrugging it off.
You crazy, think your little bit of rhymes can play me?
I’m from Marcy, I’m varsity, chump, you’re JV
(Jigga) Jay-Z
[Notorious B.I.G.]
.. and Bigga baby!
My Bed-Stuy flow’s malicious, delicious
Fuck three wishes, made my road to riches
from 62’s, gem stars, my moms dishes
Gram choppin, police van dockin
D’s at my doors knockin
[Jay-Z]
What? Keep rockin
No more, Mister, Nice Guy, I twist your shit
the fuck back with them pistols, blazin
Hot like cajun
Hotter than even holdin work at the Days Inn
with New York plates outside
Get up outta there, fuck your ride
[Notorious B.I.G.]
Keep your hands high, shit gets steeper
Here comes the Grim Reaper, Frank Wright
Leave the keys to your In-tegra (That’s right)
Chill homie, the bitch in the Shoney’s told me
You’re holdin more drugs than a pharmacy, you ain’t harmin me
So pardon me, pass the safe, before I blaze the place
and here’s six shots just in case
Also LOVE ‘The Twos,’ mainly because the chorus is that of Tribe Called Quest’s timeless monster “Can I Kick It?” OK, well truthfully the chorus is sort of the only part of the song I like besides the beat, as the lyrics contain way too many n-words and gay slurs and references for me to give it a thumbs up. If he put some remotely appropriate rhymes over it, this one would be top 10 Jay Z songs in my book. This was recorded in 1996 and, in terms of social acceptability of gay slurs we were in a different stratosphere, and it shows several times throughout the album. It’s also relevant to note that, like Nas’ Illmatic, Reasonable Doubt is unquestionably almost entirely comprised of tales of drugs and crime by the young songwriter. So, the language, though disturbing, is pretty on par with the life Jay Z was living at the time.
Awesome album. Love Jay Z. Yeah, he’s all over the map personally, but just to wilder extremes than most of us. My take is that he’s a guy who’s made a lot of mistakes, knows he’s very lucky to be in the spot he’s in, especially considering said mistakes, and is trying to use his platform to make a positive impact on the world. Am I being to forgiving? Possibly. But the dude is super talented and I’m a fan. If he EVER hurts Beyonce again I take it all back.
Steve
This is a phenomenal album that I have been listening to for years. I’m going to have to thank my friend Tommy Mastrogiovanni next time I see him, because he definitely got me onto this album. Well since you are one of our two readers Heather, let him know for me.
This album starts with “Can’t Knock the Hustle.” This is amazing to me. My all time favorite Jay-Z song is the first track on his first album. Talk about starting off on the right foot. The song is practically perfect, from Pain in da Ass’s opening monologue to Mary J. Blige singing the chorus.
I’m making short term goals, wonder whether foes
just put away the leathers and put ice on the gold
chilly with enough bail money to free a big Willy
high stakes, I got more at stake than Philly
shopping sprees, coping three, deuce fever I guess its fully loaded,
ah yes,
bouncing in the lex luger, tires smoke like Buddha
50 g’s to the crap shooter,
niggas can’t fade me
chrome socks beaming, through my peripheral I see ya scheming
stop dreamin’, I leave ya body steaming
niggas is feening, what’s the meaning
I’m leaning on any nigga intervening with the sound of my money machine-in
my cuff running over with hundreds
I’m one of the best niggas that done it
six digits and running,
y’all niggas don’t want it
I got the godfather flow, the don Juan Demarco
swear to god, don’t get it fucked up
[Chorus – Mary J. Blige]
taking out this time
to give you a piece of my mind
(cause you can’t knock the hustle)
but though you think you are
baby one day you’ll be a star
last seen out of state where I drop my slang
I’m deep in the south kicking up top game
bouncing on the highway switching 4 lanes
screaming through the sun roof money ain’t a thang
your worst fear confirmed,
me and my fam roll tight like the firm
getting down for life, that’s right, you better learn
why play with fire, burn
we get together like a choir
to acquire what we desire
we do dirt like worms
produce g’s like sperm
’til legs spread like germs
I got extensive hoes, with expensive clothes
and I sip wine, and spit vintage flows
but y’all don’t know……
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
cause you can’t knock the hustle
[Mary J. Blige:]
but until that day then
I’m the one whose crazy
cause that’s the way ya making me feel
(cause you can’t knock the hustle)
I’m just trying to get mine,
I don’t have the time
to knock the hustle for real
y’all niggas lunching, punching a clock
my function is lo make much ‘n’ lay back munching
sipping Remy on rocks, my crew
something to watch nothing to stop
un…
…stoppable
scheme on the ice, I gotta hide your crew
I gotta
let you niggas know the time like movado
my motto,
stack rocks like Colorado
bottle off the champagne, crystals by the bottle
it’s a damn shame what you’re not though (who?) me slick like a GATO fuckin’ Jay-Z
pops knew exactly what he did when he made me
tried to get a nut and he got a nut and what
straight banana’s
can a nigga, see me
got the US Open, advantage jigga
serve like sampras, play fake a rappers like a campus Le Tigre,
son you’re too eager
you ain’t having it? good, me either
lets get together and make this whole world believers
at my arraignment, screaming
all these blacks got is sports and entertainment, until we even
thieving, as long as I’m breathing
can’t knock the way a nigga eating
fuck you even
[Mary J. Blige:]
taking out this time
to give you a piece of my mind
but though you think you are
baby one day you’ll be a star
but until that day then
I’m the one whose crazy
cause that’s the way ya making me feel,
I’m just trying to get mine, I don’t have the time
to knock the hustle for real
I’m going to go in order, because track 2 is another long time favorite song of mine, “Politics as Usual.” The first two tracks on this album are among the best openings on any of the albums on this list. The song is about not getting sidetracked by success and just living your life.
You know how we do, Roc-a-Fella… forever… You can catch me
skatin through your town puttin it down y’all relatin
No waitin I’ll make your block infrared hot I’m like Satan
Y’all feel a nigga’s struggle, y’all think a nigga love to
hustle behind the wheel, tryin to escape my trouble
kids stop they greetin me, I’m talkin sweet to keys
Cursin the very God, that bought this wreath to be
My life is, based on sacrifices, jewels like ices
and fools that think I slip, you fuck around
you get your guys hit, they built me to be filthy
on some I-do-or-die shit, for real
The price of leather’s got me, deeper than ever and
just think, with this here, I’m tryin to feel made nig-ga
Politics as us-ual… I took my
Frito to Tito in the district, blessed me with some
VS somethins I can live with, stop frontin
And for the dough I raise, gotta get shit appraised
No disrespect to you, make sure you word is true
I’m takin wages down in Vegas just in case Tyson
have a major night off, that’s clean money, the tax write-off
You ain’t seen money in your life, when it
comes to this cheese y’all like Three Blind Mice
A smokin bro, who pump Willie Ike spokes
The furthest you Chiles been is the Pocanos
My portfolio reads: leads to Don Corleone, nigga please
Ten year feleon, heavy on the wrist, our face used
with the diamond blooded Jesus and blind your face
youse for life… sharight, Jigga, I keep it tight nig-ga
Politics as us-ual…
You feel my triumph never, feel my pain I’m lyin
Low in the leather Zion, the best that’s ever came
The game changes like, my mind just ain’t right
We ‘gwan get this dough, I guess it ain’t your night
Suckin me in like a vacumn, I remember
tellin my family I’ll be back soon, that was December
Eighty-five and, Jay-Z rise ten years later
got me wise still can’t break my underworld ties
I wear black a lot, in the Ac’, act a lot
Got matchin VCR’s, a huge Magnavox
to nitch, green like spinach pop wines that’s vintage
It’s a lot of big money in my sentence
Hittin towards a mil’, lip a, written I kill like that
chick faked me one-two cat, yeah, I do dat
Ain’t no stoppin the champagne from poppin
the drawers from droppin, the law from watchin, I hate em
Politics as us-ual
I can’t not mention “Can I Live.” The beat gets you pumped, and Jay-Z’s flow is so god-damned smooth. I actually found an essay about why this indisputably the greatest rap song of all time when I was researching this album. While I don’t know about that, I think it definitely belongs in the discussion.
We invite you to, somethin epic y’all know?
Where we hustle out of a sense of hopelessness
Sort of a desperation
Through that desperation, we ‘come addicted
Sorta like the fiends we accustomed to servin
But we feel we have nothin to lose
So we offer you, well, we offer our lives,
What do you bring to the table?
While I’m watchin every nigga watchin 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 clapped from close feet
I don’t sleep, I’m tired, I feel wired like codeine, these days
A brother gotta admire me from four fiends away
My pain wish it was quick to see, from sellin ‘caine
Til brains was fried to a fricaisse, can’t lie
At the time it never bothered me, at the bar
Gettin my thug on properly, my squad and me
Lack of respect for authority, laughin hard
Happy to be escapin poverty, however brief
I know this game got valleys and peaks, expectation
For dips, for 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 gettin the mic
Forgettin 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 speakin in codes since I sense you peekin
The NSX rental, don’t be fooled my game is mental
We both ride our town dog, what you tryin 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, sippin margaritas
Ge-ge-geyeahhh, can I live?
Can I live?
My mind is infested, with sick thoughts that circle
Like a Lexus, if driven wrong it’s sure to hurt you
Dual level like duplexes, in unity, my crew and me
Commit atrocities like we got immunity
You guessed it, manifest it intangible goods
Platinum Rolexed it, we don’t lease
We buy the whole car, as you should
My confederation, dead a nation, EXPLODE
On detonation, overload the mind of a said patient
When it boils to steam, it comes to it
We all fiends gotta do it, even righteous minds go through this
True this, the streets school us to spend our money foolish
Bond with jewelers and, watch for intruders
I stepped it up another level, meditated like a buddhist
Recruited lieutenants with ludicrous, dreams of
Gettin cream let’s do this, it gets te-di-ous
So I keep one eye open like, C-B-S, ya see me
Stressed right? Can I live?
Can I live?
Can I live?
Can I live?
Ha-hah, Roc-A-Fella y’all
I could go on about every track on this album. What a great way to start the second half of this list, especially considering how poorly the first half ended. In my opinion this album should be MUCH higher on this list, Sean Carter kind of got shafted here.
I Would Rock 500 Albums 