Jay-Z might be the best rapper of his era. He’s more charismatic than Eminem, more fluent than 50 Cent—and at the moment he has the hip-hop world in a state of shock. Jay’s The Black Album, which came out near the end of 2003, will be his last, according to the Brooklyn native. Just 34, he says he is ready… return to article
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Reader Comments (16)Page 1 of 1 pages“Jay-Z might be the best rapper of his era.”
Or he might be the quintessential mediocre rapper of his era. Good riddance.
Posted by Ryan on Feb 24, 2004 at 5:22 PM Jay-Z’s style forgotten...as if. The (boring) bling in corporate hip hop isn’t going away, and neither is the diverse political messages within underground hip hop. Jay-Z simply is a case of someone incorporating skill with the boring bling, and I for one have no doubt another will rise. But I will be listening to the Sage Francis’s, the Buck 65s and the Aesop Rock’s of the hiphop world when it happens (I’m sorry, but J5 is overrated), rather than glued to a tv sessioning the same stuff over and over again.
Posted by Andy Roddick on Feb 24, 2004 at 5:50 PM Jay-Z blows. just not a very talented rapper. great production though.
Posted by Phil on Feb 24, 2004 at 10:30 PM I agree with all the posts. Jay-Z is nothing but an opportunist who wants to finish on top. No true musician can retire, dropping music to concentrate on a goddamn clothing line.
Posted by Ned on Feb 24, 2004 at 11:14 PM the posters got it right: jay z’s got tight production, but his style is nothing special. and his blingin, man, how can you even call that mind numbing brainwash “a message”?
why can’t a purportedly leftwing magazine let up on mainstream mediocrity (jay z? c’mon!) and instead write an intelligent article about intelligent underground hip hoppers (investigative journalists, if you need a hint, try jean grae, mr lif, binary star, styles of beyond, zion i, immortal technique...)
Posted by pumpkin on Feb 25, 2004 at 4:05 AM Jay-Z rocks, no-matter what hell they speak about him...JIGGA THAT NIGGA.
He proved that he treated the last (song) like the first and the first like the last.
Posted by Jeffrey on Feb 25, 2004 at 6:41 AM this writer is givin jay-z way too much credit for his lack of skill...all i have to say is where is the article about KRS-ONE??he’s been around forever and from day one has subject matter that spreads knowlege and light...but never gets any recognition. anyone can rap about fast whips, hoes and money...jayz, 50 cent, nelly, they’re all the same. quit giving them the spotlight and acknowledge those that are actually trying to uplift their people
Posted by Angel on Feb 26, 2004 at 12:08 AM jayz is an opportunist as well as a Whore to Fashion.
Posted by michael copple on Feb 26, 2004 at 3:40 PM Jay-Z was also one of the few high-profile rappers to come out against the war. He used his high visibility to put a song out with anti-war lyrics. Yeah, no big deal I suppose, but give him some credit - the Clear Channel stations here wouldn’t even play the anti-war verse of the song.
Plus, if any of you were at the Hip Hop Summit here in Chicago and heard Mos Def and Talib Kweli, some of their politics are just as much of a front as the money/cash/hoes peice is - they were hugely dissapointing. I appreciate what they bring to Hip Hop as performers in terms of politics - but as people, I lost respect for them when they said they had no responsibility to the larger community (and said they were working class).
Posted by Kate on Mar 1, 2004 at 10:28 AM Tight article man. We need to bring “real” Hip Hop back. there is a lot of it, but we are forced to stay on the underground because major labels are all about easy hooks and simple rhymes so people can sing along and feel like they can rap too, thus making for bigger record sales in the “I wish I could live like that” market. I only felt a few songs of his, but really, he was not that great of an emcee, and he was WAY too repetitive.
By the way, I too agree with the posters who say there should be more articles devoted to real emcees with subject matter relevant to positive action. Give us something about Aesop Rock, El-P, dead prez, Talib Kweli, PE, Under No Order, etc.
Posted by Vibe One on Mar 2, 2004 at 12:05 PM “do you fools listen to music or do you just skim thru it...”
That was Jay’s response, in the Blueprints “Renegade"- a song he did with Eminem, to charges of being simply a token bling bling rapper. He also addressed this misperception and internal struggle on the Black Album saying, he would probably be lyrically, Talib Kweli. And I agree, you can not like his style and how its manifest in this corporate world, but you can’t deny his talent. I can’t respect that argument at all. He has a wit that deserves attention and hopefully will parlay that into something wonderful as he evolves. He was so on point for doing the anti-war song and I think we’d all be suprised by just exactly whats going on in his head. The game needs change - even Jay knows that, but don’t expect the big music industrial complex to give you what you need...you gotta get that yourself.
Stay Thorough!!
Posted by Erin on Mar 2, 2004 at 12:50 PM Great article, good posts -
Thank you for mentioning Jurassic 5 - along with Ozomatli they actually trying to make a positive difference among all the mediocre shit that we’ve been exposed to. Over the last 5 or 10 years hip-hop has reached a new low - or maybe I notive it more because my little girl is getting older. . .
It’s too bad that MTV and the big hip-hop acts would rather teach our daughters that it’s cool to be a hoe and get tipsy in the club then give it up to a radnom stranger at the afterparty. None of those punk asses [yeah MTV, I’m talking to you] knows how to “keep it real” anymore - just a bunch of opportunistic punks catering to the lowest common denominator.
Thank you for doing articles on hip-hop. Anyone with kids knows what a big influence the culture is on our kids and our future. I used to love drinking the 40oz. St. Ides ($1.39 specials baby) but I didn’t encourage my baby sister to drink that shit.
In the same vein: it’s true that sex and partying is cool for responsible adults - but they are selling that image to 11 and 13-year olds and that’s what the kids want to be.
So rappers: if you make millions selling to that kid demographic, then damn straight you owe them and have a responsibility - at the very least - not to damage or hurt them. The era of no personal responsibility is over. Punk MC’s take note.
Posted by Ed Mellon on Mar 5, 2004 at 3:55 PM Great article, good posts -
Thank you for mentioning Jurassic 5 - along with Ozomatli they actually trying to make a positive difference among all the mediocre shit that we’ve been exposed to. Over the last 5 or 10 years hip-hop has reached a new low - or maybe I notive it more because my little girl is getting older. . .
It’s too bad that MTV and the big hip-hop acts would rather teach our daughters that it’s cool to be a hoe and get tipsy in the club then give it up to a radnom stranger at the afterparty. None of those punk asses [yeah MTV, I’m talking to you] knows how to “keep it real” anymore - just a bunch of opportunistic punks catering to the lowest common denominator.
Thank you for doing articles on hip-hop. Anyone with kids knows what a big influence the culture is on our kids and our future. I used to love drinking the 40oz. St. Ides ($1.39 specials baby) but I didn’t encourage my baby sister to drink that shit.
In the same vein: it’s true that sex and partying is cool for responsible adults - but they are selling that image to 11 and 13-year olds and that’s what the kids want to be.
So rappers: if you make millions selling to that kid demographic, then damn straight you owe them and have a responsibility - at the very least - not to damage or hurt them. The era of no personal responsibility is over. Punk MC’s take note.
Posted by Ed Mellon on Mar 5, 2004 at 3:55 PM First off, who are you to say that Jurassic 5, Common, Talib Kweli, Black Star, (artists who truely understand hiphop as an art and a voice for those who HAVE no voice) are “plain and simple, out of fashion”. Im sorry, but, go back to writing articles for J-14 or Teen Vogue, cuz thats as commercial as it gets. As for Jay-Z, just another commercial sell-out adding to the disease that is (Affluenza?)consumerism and exploitation of woman who struggle to have a voice in a society which lends a deaf ear to those who deserve to be heard. Oh, and about Jay-z’s Legacy? Well the only legacy here is one of the worst writers on hiphop I have ever seen.
Erin (posted below), Im sorry, but, Jay-z is a direct example of where “The game needs change”. As for Kevin Canfield, maybe your better off leaving hiphop for those who know it best, the fans.
Posted by Leo evon on Mar 8, 2004 at 6:32 PM Jay Z was and is one of the greatest rappers hip hop has ever seen. Regardless of his political stance on current issues his flow and lyrics were at a point unnattainable by many emcees.
Tupac Shakur and Nas had a social conscience, Big L flowed unlike any other and Jay Z lyrically slaughtered some amazing beats (Dead Presidents II, to the more recent My 1st Song).
Give him credit where credits due…
Posted by SoloMan on Mar 17, 2004 at 4:32 PM Page 1 of 1 pages -
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