The sound fit Jay just as well as one of Biggie’s oversized Coogi sweaters might have - there are hints of genius, but he was clearly still finding his voice and place in the art form.įrom 1998 through 2003, Jay was unstoppable. 1, which took more than a few cues from the flashy rap aesthetic that Puff Daddy had been proliferating through his Bad Boy label. He followed that with the inconsistent, overly polished In My Lifetime, Vol. He’d adopt a slower, more conversational pace for his 1996 masterpiece debut LP, Reasonable Doubt, a project that was self-released after his undeniable talent was denied by every major label he approached. Jay moved in and out of rapper circles in the late ’80s and early ’90s, popping up on songs with his mentor, Jaz-O, and Big Daddy Kane. But he continued to develop his craft, taking stock of hip-hop’s evolving aesthetics and mastering hyperspeed raps in the vein of East Coast rap duo Das EFX. But as an adolescent, he put his hobby on the backburner and crack sales on the front. He’d spend his time banging on the kitchen table at his 534 Flushing Avenue apartment, rhyming to the percussion he created. Jay-Z’s adolescence coincided with the Reagan ’80s. His merging of thinking-man street raps with commercial hits paved the way for artists like Kendrick Lamar and J. His catalogue contains some of the most potent imagery and lucid storytelling about poverty and the desperation that it breeds, all while dominating mainstream pop music, in a delicate tightrope act that almost no one else has ever been able to manage for the span of time that Jay has. And now, two decades (and two dozen solo LPs) later, Jay-Z has become one of music’s all-time most important voices. Def Jam, impressed with Roc-A-Fella’s early independent success, agreed to sign a joint venture with the young imprint on one condition: They needed seven albums from Jay. The skinny kid from Brooklyn’s Marcy Projects intended to drop just one album - a musical I was here statement - before partnering with a major label and falling back into a comfy executive role, becoming a vessel to launch hopeful Roc-A-Fella acts like Memphis Bleek and Christión into orbit.īut the industry had different plans. Jay-Z was allegedly inspired to make the album after watching the film of the same name, and the album focuses on similar themes as of the film.If Jay-Z had his way back in 1996, this list would be too brief to warrant compiling. It was well received by the public, selling over a million copies, but garnered some criticism from hip-hop fans in regards to Jay-Z's new 'mature' style.Ī year later he released the concept album "American Gangster". In 2006 he came back from retirement to release the album "Kingdom Come". In 2003, at the peak of his career, Jay-Z released what he claimed would be his last album, "The Black Album" to international acclaim. Jay-Z then steadily built on this success, releasing album after album and bringing through new artists on his label, as well as expanding into merchandising, clothing and other sources of revenue. The label's first single, 'Dead Presidents' was a big hit as was his debut album, "Reasonable Doubt". In 1996 he teamed up with and Kareem Burke to start a new label. This period gave him experiences which formed the basis for much of his later material.ĭuring this time he did keep his hand in the rap game, appearing on a track with and with the group, but it wasn't until the mid-90's that Jay-Z's focus really returned to hip-hop. When The Jaz's deal came to an end, Jay-Z reverted to hustling in the streets to make money. Click to release title to look at track list of the album #Īmerican Gangster Remix (The Soul Project)īorn: December 4, 1969, Brooklyn, New Yorkīrought up in Brooklyn's Marcy Projects, Jay-Z got his break in the music business in the late '80s when a fellow Marcy resident, The Jaz (later ), got a record deal and had Jay-Z guest on a few tracks.
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