![]() "To tell the story of the pain without telling the story of the rewards-the money, the girls, the excitement-is a different kind of evasion."įrom the song "December 4th": "And it's nobody fault I made the decisions I made/ This is the life I chose or rather the life that chose me/ If you can't respect that your whole perspective is wack/ Maybe you'll love me when I fade to black." "To tell the story of the kid with the gun without telling the story of why he has it is to tell a kind of lie," Jay writes. Jay never excuses his choices, just presents them as fact. To your children, Jay is a sort of urban sociological poet, documenting a life on the streets that seems worlds away from where you are likely bringing them up. Hmm… he sold drugs to get out of the ghetto until he realized he could make millions by glorifying drug dealing in rap music?That's a simplistic and ignorant viewpoint, and irrefutable proof to your kids that you just don't get Jay, and therefore you don't get "it," so stay away from that argument, you uptight, conservative fool. "Guys my age, fed up with watching their moms struggle on a single income, were paying utility bills with the money from hustling," Jay writes.įrom the song "Young, Gifted and Black": "Grew up thinking life ain't fair/ How can I get a real job/ China white right there/ Right in front of my sight like here, yeah/ There's your ticket out the ghetto/ Take flight right here." They were forgotten about by the government, abused by the police, abandoned by the health-care system, and left to starve in the projects. ![]() Another recurring theme in Jay's raps is understanding the impact of culture, and from his point-of-view a lot of kids who came of age during the '80s crack epidemic had to turn to hustling to survive. So… he was a crack dealer?Yes, but the story's not cut and dry. But as Jay writes, "three months after we had our first conversation in 20 years, he died."įrom the song "Moment of Clarity": Listen close you hear what I'm about/ Nigga feel my truths/ When Pop died/ Didn't cry/ Didn't know him that well/ Between him doing heroin/ And me doing crack sales." The rapper overcame his resentment toward his father and they eventually reconciled later in life. Hova's (that's Jay, remember?) dad left when he was young, leaving the family in a struggle for survival in the projects, which forced Jay into an early life hustling drugs. The Lox, Beanie Sigel and Sauce Money)ġ-900-Hustler (ft.You mentioned his mom, but what about his dad? What's the story there?The relationship between Jay and his father is a recurring narrative in the rapper's lyrics. Memphis Bleek & Beanie Sigel)Ĭoming of Age (Da Sequel ft. The feelings you got from songs like “Where I’m From,” “D’Evils,” “1-900-Hustler” and “You Don’t Know.” Not included: #1 singles you’ve heard a million times, lazy one-take flows, lyrics about inventing the button-down shirt, songs dissing rappers who would later be signed to Jay-Z’s label, and songs produced by Eminem.Ĭrew Love (ft. He sounds like he’s coasting along, so I wanted to go back and pull out a bunch of his music that made you bob your head, marvel at his flow, puff out your chest, or even raise the little hairs on the back of your neck. Since Jay “retired” and came back, his music hasn’t sounded as urgent or hungry to me. Here are a bunch of my favorite Jay-Z songs, mostly album cuts with a few freestyles and secret joints thrown in for good measure.
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