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It’s beyond doubt that if not the most “it” emcee, Jigga is one of the “it” rappers today. Many youngsters in today’s Hip Hop may not understand the hype behind Jay Z, but older heads who have been loyal to the Kulture since 1990 all have a similar narrative that involves rap legends. Tha Fugees, Nas, MC Lyte, The Notorious BIG and Tupac Shakur. Back when Snoop Dogg was Snoop Doggy Dogg, and the West Side Connection, Chino XL, Ice Cube and Scarface were chart-toppers, Jay Z aka J’Hova arrived with a crisp, business-like and marketable swagger to strip the crown with his Rocafella imprint.
Hip Hop had always been tainted as a Kulture that glorifies drug dealing, flamboyance, violence, homophobia and misogyny.”
Like every successful Hip Hop musician, he would be prone to judgments. How to remain real to the plight of the African American motivated inner-city community without selling out to the Caucasian impelled corporate industry? How to establish a triumphant legacy internationally regardless of melee in street wars, while Hip Hop critics look for ways to taint his brand of music?
Hip Hop had always been tainted as a Kulture that glorifies drug dealing, wasteful flamboyance, brutal violence, homophobia, and misogyny. Rap music is supposed to be an art form which artists utilize to recount the menaces in their often victimized and economically deprived lives. It is a ticket for artists to evade a life of psychological inferiority, poverty, and death from street gangs or police brutality. It is a way to shed light on injustice etc. This has been stubbornly ignored by the bigots who reject it.
Jay Z successfully proved the bigots wrong, outsold his counterparts by millions, topped every chart worldwide and won the respect of millions of fans around the globe. He swept the Destiny’s Child lead singer Beyonce’ Knowles off her feet and went to war with some of the most superior opponents anyone could go against in the Hip Hop circuit and win! He was smart to avoid pitfalls and squashed beef that were meant to ensnare his fall from prominence.
He swept the Destiny’s Child lead singer Beyonce’ Knowles off her feet…”
From Ma$e to Diddy to Snoop. From Ludacris to Nelly, Eminem to Dr. Dre, Lil Wayne to Nicki Minaj and Baby to Young Jeezy, Jay hung in until it became indisputably clear that he is the King of Hip Hop! Some even go as far as saying he embodies Hip Hop itself, charging that after his farewell “Black Album.”
He returned from retirement to save the dying genre from being turned into a freak show. From Co-CEO of Rocafella Records to president of Def Jam, Jay Z went on to amass the most wealth than any rapper in history and tie with the Beatles in the amount of number one albums to debut on the Billboard charts. Many have come to respect his business moves.
Now, anyone who does not think I’m a Jay Z fan would be foolish. My blog about the “Death Of Autotune” may have been misunderstood by some of my readers but I was merely defending auto-tune as a recording technique and not a simple gimmick that could go out of style because of a song that condemned it.
As it turned out, I was right because auto-tune is still very much in play as top-selling artists like Keri Hilson, Lil Wayne, Drake, Will I am, Mariah Carey, Kanye West and even the Queen of R&B, Mary J Blige are among a sea of artists who have boldly continued to use. And it in chart-topping hits after Jay Z dropped the “Death of Autotune.”
His musical legacy was already stamped in before his follow up classic, The Dynasty.”
Jay splashed on the scene with “Reasonable Doubt.” Many did not quite understand at the time. It became clear by “In My Life Time volume 1” that critics were not going to be giving ‘Jigga’ a free pass. “In My Life Time volume 2” did amazing numbers, so did 3. Jay-Z’s musical legacy was already stamped in before he follows up classic, “The Dynasty.”
No one knew what September 11, 2001, would bring. “The Blueprint” was released on the day terrorists attacked New York, and I don’t know about anyone else, but that album was iconic during that time. I think “The Blueprint” gave the streets something to hold on to, during that difficult time.
Every artist’s worst nightmare is to work hard to create your work only for it to be stolen. For that reason alone I totally disagree with leaking albums. I’ve always gone out and bought the original album after hearing the leaked version on the internet. Just because, if for some reason leaking albums was a way to sabotage Hip Hop artists, I don’t want to play a part in it.
The Blueprint 3 is yet another classic that ushers Hiphoppas in to a new era. The lyrics are developed, the production is cutting edge and the buzz is crazy!!!”
Again, Jay Z always handles his situations with class. He recently sat with Oprah (who had openly expressed a lack of support for Hip Hop) in a lengthy interview “O Magazine” where he talked about the streets and how he came out of it. He talked about what made him come back to his old neighborhood when so many who made it out, never came back.
The Blueprint 3 is yet another classic that usher Hiphoppas into a new era of Hip Hop. The lyrics are developed, the production is cutting edge, and the buzz is crazy!! Can’t wait to peel off the CD wrapper and read the inlay while I listen to the joint. BLUEPRINT 3 already has a slot in my CD Changer. *
Greetings! This is my first comment here so I just wanted to give a quick shout out and say I truly enjoy reading through your blog posts. Can you recommend any other blogs/websites/forums that cover the same subjects? Thanks for your time!
You could definitely see your enthusiasm within the paintings you write. The world hopes for more passionate writers like you who are not afraid to mention how they believe. All the time follow your heart.
I remember that moment