HOV!

Reporter asks the White House Press Secretary about Jay-Z's "Open Letter"

This is hilarious!!!

THROWBACK! Drop It Like It's Hot Remix - Snoop, Jay-Z, Skateboard P

Jay verse is sick.

Jay-Z, The Power of Our Voice

Shot out to Jigga for using his voice to do something I wish he would do more of publicly.

THROWBACK RAP: Roc The Mic

Still gotta bop and dance when this joint comes on.

It's the Last Day of Summer So It's Only Right...

"Dear Summer, I know you gon' miss me..."

Throwback! Bobby Blue Bland - Ain't No Love In The Heart of the City

I probably heard this before Kanye sampled and sped-up a snippet of this song but I'm sure the reason I like it so much now is because of that sample. Lots of times people complain about the use of samples and how it shows a lack of creativity from today's producers, but I actually think that the use of samples can help those of us who didn't grow up on the music get introduced to it and gain an appreciation for it. It just takes a little effort from the fans of this relatively new genre of music called hip-hop to go and do the research to find out where the samples come from and investigate the artists that created the originals.

And just in case you were under a rock from September 2001 until about February of 2002, here's the Kanye-produced "Heart of a City (Ain't No Love)" off Jay-Z's "Blueprint" album:

"September 11th Marks the Era Forever of a Revolutionary Jay Guevera"

Remember that quote from Jay-Z's "The Bounce" on the Blueprint 2?  I do. And every September 11 I think about 2 things:

1. The tragedy that took place on 9/11/2001
2. Jay-Z's Blueprint

Call me shallow or a Jay-Z Stan (ahem, @mclaw3) for that second thought but every time I speak with someone or a group of people about the day the towers were taken down and the inevitable "I was .... when it happened" comes up, I remember that I was at my student job for the Johns Hopkins University Accounts Payable office and someone turned on a TV after the first tower had been hit. I remember thinking "What type of idiot pilot ran into the tower?" Boy was I wrong! Then, when the second tower went down, everybody freaked out and eventually, they let everyone go home. I remember my cellphone not working and trying to call my mom, grandparents, and girlfriend at the time all to no avail.

But leading up to that day, there was a buzz surrounding something that had nothing to do with national security, terrorism, or tragedy. That was, the hip-hop "beef" between Jay-Z and Nas (and Mobb Deep too). Everyone that was a hip-hop/rap fan around that time had most likely heard two songs: 1) "H to the Izzo" (because Jay debuted it at an awards show earlier, that was an epic moment now that I think about it), and 2) "The Takeover". For hip-hop this was pretty much as big as it could get. Two of raps best and most respected artists ever were about to battle, and Jay had thrown the first punch on wax. This was either a great marketing strategy, real rivalry/jealousy, a fight for the top spot, or some weird and twisted combination of all of those things and more. 

Sidebar: Let it be noted that at the time Jay took that shot Nas wasn't putting much music out and he was also (I believe, Nas Stans) dealing with his ailing mother who had cancer.Jay basically took an unwarranted shot at a man who was going through some serious life issues. It was totally unnecessary. The shot at Mobb Deep (Prodigy specifically)? Well, that was probably warranted.

Back to this post however, once they let everyone leave the office and head home and after trying to contact my loved ones, what did I do? I went straight to the old Record & Tape Traders on Charles Street in Baltimore and purchased "The Blueprint". And that leads me to the following article that poses some a couple theories as to why, like me, 419,999 other people went out and bought Jay's album that week. 

Why Jay-Z's Music Still Mattered on 9/11 (Source: cnn.com)

This article poses that many people purchased this album amidst the chaos of 9/11 and the days that followed because:

• Young people not directly affected are more removed from tragedies like this.
• "Jay-Z's teen and early 20s fans, already hyped up about this release long beforehand, remained focused on their idol".

I don't disagree with either of those theories and I probably fall into the first category more so than the second. One thing I do know is that on that day, I took my lemon of a 1992 Ford Taurus on over to the record store, copped that Jay, and it became the soundtrack of September 11 for me. It also became known and accepted by most within hip-hop as a classic album. Now, 10 years removed from that day, I probably wouldn't make the same decision. But of all the things that DID happen that day, the one thing I know for sure that did not happen that day was an era of a revolutionary Jay-Z beginning. I'm still waiting on that one.

Amid all the Baby Hype, Here's a Reminder That Beyonce Probably Just Made $5 Million

Well, as long as the baby's born she'll make 5 million.

For those of you that forgot about the pre-nup Jay-Z and Beyonce signed, here's some of the most notable items:

• Jay-Z pays Beyonce $10 million if the marriage ends after two years, and $1 million a year for each further year she remains in the marriage, up to fifteen years.
• He promised to pay her an additional $5 million for each child she bears for him-for her loss of income during pregnancy and child-rearing years.
• Beyonce would be granted access to their private jet and a fleet of cars, which includes a $1 million 1959 Rolls Royce convertible

(Source: ATLNightspots.com)

Of course there's probably other minutiae in there we will never know about (and shouldn't, they should have some privacy) but with Beyonce's announcement on Sunday that she's pregnant, I'd just like to point out that not only is she pregnant but $5 million dollars richer. For a woman that wants to have kids, that's a hell of a deal.

Congrats to Jay-Z and Beyonce on the baby and I can't wait to hear the estimates of how much these magazines will offer them for the first pictures of the baby. I'm sure those numbers will be astronomical.

Sidebar: This makes that "you got baby money" line that Jay threw at Birdman just a little more hilarious. Baby doesn't have a billie but he might have $5 million ("baby money"). And "ni99as ain't got my lady money" is even funnier when you think that Beyonce is gonna make $5 million when the baby's born and it's $5 million from Jay himself. More on that little "tiff" (lol) between Jay, Birdman, and Lil Wayne here....

5 Reasons why Jay-Z Should & Should Not Respond to Lil Wayne

Welllllll, I guess we won't be seeing this anytime soon, lol

When Wayne's latest album (The Carter IV) leaked, it was quickly plastered all over the InterWeb that Wayne took a shot at Jay-Z on the song, "It's Good" (which is one of my favorite songs on the album). In the song, Wayne responded to a jab that Jay-Z took on "H.A.M." about Baby (wayne's "Daddy"/boss, smh) not having a billion dollars and rappers in general not having the money that Beyonce's has. On that song, Wayne responded by saying:

"Talk about baby money, I got your baby money.
Kidnap your b!tch keep that that how much you love your lady money
I know you fake nigga, press your brakes nigga.
I’ll take you out, that’s a date nigga.
I’m a grown ass blood, stop playing with me."

So apparently, Wayne is so upset that he's considering kidnapping Beyonce. Negro please! Fake threats aside, I took some time to consider why Jay-Z would respond to this diss and why he wouldn't. My thoughts are below.

5 Reasons Why He SHOULD NOT:

This is the easy part, lol.

Five: The Carter IV doesn't need any more free promotion

The Carter IV isn't all that (to me). About 5-7 good songs on there but it doesn't really need any more free promotion, especially not from someone whose opinion tends to mean a lot to the hip-hop fanbase.

Four: Watch the Throne is better than the Carter IV

If we let the works of music speak for themselves and ask the rappers to stop dissin, Watch the Throne impresses more than the Carter IV. No need for Jay to respond (though I assume he will on his own time via a song, probably on the next solo release much like he did to Beanie Sigel on "Why I Love You" off Watch the Throne) when his most recent release is the better of the two.

Three: Like my boy Laf said, when you take shots at someone that's really your idol (re: GAME), it shouldn't count

When it boils down to it all these young, talented, and confident rappers want to be like Jay-Z. Whether it's the fame, the money, the lady he has, or just plain ole' success at your craft, these younger rappers would be stupid not to want to be like Jay-Z in one of those ways. It's not a secret that Wayne looked-up to Jay-Z and so much so that he worked with Jay-Z on the Carter III. So taking shots at the throne might not mean much when you presumably had to convince him to do a song with you on your last album, lol.

Two: Wayne is a good rapper

Lil Wayne is not shabby by any means on the mic. Jay-Z would have reason to be a little nervous about battling Wayne. Not nervous like it's Eminem or anything but yet-and-still, just a little nervous. Wayne's proven that he's very adept at dropping solid punchlines and coming up with various other types of slick lyrics. I'm sure he'd rise to the challenge of Jay-Z and step his game up. He's got a lot more to gain from a battle than Jay-Z does. Which leads me to my number one reason...

One: For Jay, there's more risk than reward

There's a lot of risk involved here for Jay-Z. Fans have been wanting this for a minute now and I'm sure Jay-Z is aware of that. He's also smart enough to know that if he battles Wayne and is perceived to have lost, it will hurt him MUCH MORE than it would hurt Wayne if he lost. Besides, even if Jay-Z "wins" (winning/losing seems blurry sometimes), Wayne's gonna have his stans in tow regardless. So why take the risk of a "battle" if you're Jay. Respond once on your own terms and time and leave it there. Jay-Z is NOT gonna respond now and boost Wayne's album sales.

Honorable Mention: Beyonce is pregnant

Who cares about Lil Wayne when your wife is pregnant with your first child? Seriously.

5 Reasons Why He SHOULD:

Five: Because hip-hop is about competition and Jay-Z is supposed to be the best

With being the best and proclaiming the throne comes shots from any-and-everywhere and you've gotta defend the crown. On a basic level, Jay should want to defend himself. But we all know Jay-Z is more strategic than reactionary so he'll probably play chess and not checkers.

Four: This is what hip-hop needs

Jay-Z likes to talk about how hip-hop needs "events" yada-yada-yada. Watch the Throne was an "event" in a sense and this would be an even bigger event I would imagine. Wayne vs Jay-Z or Jay-Z vs Wayne, people, fans, and stans (on both sides) would love to see it. It'd be the most anticipated generational hip-hop battle since Nelly vs KRS-ONE (ha!)

Three: Didn't Jay-Z give Wayne the throne on the Carter III?

Last time I checked, on the Carter III, Jay gave Wayne a HUGE big-up when he said:

I'm right here in my chair (my chair)/With my crown and my dear
Queen B as I share mic time/With my heir/
Young Carter

If I were Jay-Z I might feel like Wayne is being just a little bit disrespectful now by throwing a shot his way.

Two: Jay-Z was right!!!

Wayne's upset because Jay dissed baby with the "you got Baby" money line and said that other rappers don't have his lady's money. Well, he's right lol. Baby doesn't NOT have a "billie" and most rappers don't even have HALF of Beyonce's money, lol. Not that it really matters at all but it's true. Wayne and Baby can probably compete with Beyonce more than other rappers and more than Jay would admit but still, the line is probably more true than false. And for the biggest reason Jay-Z should respond I give you this...

One: This!!!!!!!!!

The worst part about this picture in my opinion is that Wayne turned his head to the side. That's the most gay part about this whole thing. And from last night's MTV VMAs... Wayne's getting really colorful and eccentric with the wardrobe I see.

Mysterious "Watch The Throne" Email

Yesterday I received the following message in my inbox suggesting that I pre-order Jay-Z & Kanye's "Watch the Throne" album.

HUH?

The same album that had a single drop long long ago and then nothing!

The same album that Kanye ran off at the mouth about on New Year's Eve saying it was dropping "in one week"?

Now, I'm supposed to get this in my inbox and pre-order the album with no word about it from Jay or Kanye in months and no "second" single to listen to? Yeah right. I guess this was a true test of my Jay-Z/Kanye STAN status. I'm glad I failed. Apparently the album has a release date of August 2 which is less than a month away. We'll see. As for the pre-order, drop another single fellas and I might consider it.

Hip-Hop Ish: Best Debut Feature Verse of All The Times???

A week or so ago on Twitter, I mentioned that I thought Freeway's verse on "1-900-Hustler" off of Jay-Z's Dynasty album was the best debut feature verse (in my opinion). And by "debut feature verse" I mean a rapper whose debut verse was on someone else's song and they BBQ'd the verse (picture the verse from "Renegade" being Em's first verse you ever heard him on or Jay's "Free Mason" verse being his first joint you ever heard him on). I guess you could say my argument is confined to mainstream rap so all you hip-hop purists and back-packers and underground hip-hop heads that are gonna pull some random Cory Gunz verse out of your azz need not read any further.

In response to my tweet(s) about this, a friend replied that he mentioned it to his homeboy who said Snoop's verse on "Deep Cover" and AZ's on "Life's a Bitch" or Method Man on "Method Man" may have to be in the discussion as well. I also thought that DMX's verse on "24 Hours to Live" was a sick debut verse as well. And I have to add Lupe's verse on "Touch the Sky" in there to.

To be honest, some of these verses may very well have not even been debut verses, just the first time I'd heard these guys on a track. But nevertheless for the purpose of this blogpost, I'll consider them debut verses. Check out all the songs mentioned after the jump and drop a comment with any songs you think should be added to this list of potential greatest debut feature verses ever.

Jay-Z feat Beanie Sigel, Memphis Bleek, and Freeway - 1-900-HUSTLER



Dr. Dre feat Snoop Dogg - Deep Cover



Nas feat AZ - Life's a Bitch



Wu Tang Clan - Method Man



Ma$e feat (Diddy's shyt talkin') The Lox, and DMX - 24 Hours to Live



Kanye West feat Lupe Fiasco - Touch the Sky



After listening to all these I gotta say it's definitely not Free's verse even though I like it a lot. I think it comes down to Lupe, Snoop, and AZ.

"I lost 30 mill so I spent another 30..."

... cuz unlike Hammer lame videos can't hurt me!


I swear I thought Hammer's old azz was gonna call Jay-Z a "jive turkey" before this thing was over. Hammer is now KING Hammer evidently.

I doubt Jay-Z responds to this directly but I'll bet he addresses it in a future verse without mentioning (KING) Hammer's name.

"I said that I'm amazin', not that I'm a Mason!"

My buddy Kev just sent me a link to this song and said it was supposed to be on the Kingdom Come album.


Chris Martin's "mooooooost kiiiings" line is kind of annoying but Jay goes on this joint.

"I showed you your first Tech on tour with Large Professor..." - Jay-Z

I guess this is what Jay was referring to:

"Main Source soon set off on tour, along with the UMCs and Jaz. One particular night of that tour came up recently in the very public catfight between Jay-Z (then Jaz’s hypeman) and Nas (who rolled with Main Source). During a show in Washington D.C. the sound system cut out, forcing the artists to do the same. The angry crowd rushed the stage and chased the rappers back unto their tour bus.

'We were figuring we were gonna have to knuckle down,' explains LP of the incident, which Jay has used to attack Nas. 'Jay came outta nowhere, reachin’ in his gym bag like, ‘Don’t even sweat these niggas. I got that.’ He didn’t show [Nas] the gun like, ‘I’m gonna shoot you,’ but we were all just like, ‘Whew!’' (Source: XXL Mag, 2002)

Never knew the story behind this one but always wondered. If you aren't familiar with the quote, it's from "The Takeover" (which has its own wikipedia page by the way lol).

Live Listen: Blueprint 3

I'm writing this as I listen to the Blueprint 3 for the first time. So take this with a grain of salt if you will as my opinion may change after a few more listens.

What We Talkin' About (feat. Luke Steele)

I'm feeling the beat and Hov's rapping like he's got some stuff to get off his chest to the haters. He's dropping some slick lines in there too which includes those barbs he was throwing at Dame and Jaz-Ho in those concert a capella rhymes. Not that this is one of them but I liked this line...

"You stuck on being hardcore, I chuck the deuce up!"

Hov went in on this shyt. If the beat to this song was like "What More Can I Say" people would probably love it a lot more than I think they will when they hear it.

Thank You

Heard this earlier today. I liked it. Let's see how I really feel though, lol. This joint also has a beat that I think could be better. Jay is on-point with the lyrics (which looks like it's going to be a theme, but that's not a surprise) but this beat leaves something to be desired. Maybe it's too simple for me. Maybe less will be more in a few more listens. Last verse on this song is killer.

D.O.A.

SKIP! I already know how I feel about this one. I like it better than the other "pre-Sept. 11" releases/leaks I've heard so far.

Run This Town

*Pictures Rihanna in the video while fast-forwarding to Yeezy's verse.*

Seriously though, Rihanna was looking OFFICIAL in the video. Much like the "Forever" verse, if you write down and read Yeezy's verse on this track you will see why I say he's been dropping some MAJOR verses lately.

Empire State of Mind (feat. Alicia Keys)

This was the first joint I listened to when I "found" the album earlier. I haven't listened to the album all the way through yet (obviously) but this is going to be one of my favorites if not my favorite. I already know. Beat is sick, Hov's verse is mean. Keys' does what she does...LET'S GO HOV!

I'm in the zone right now. I'm also wishing a D.C./P.G. artist would make a track similar to this. No shots Wale.

"I made the Yankee hat more famous than a Yankee can"

"If Jeezy's paying LeBron I'm paying Dwayne Wade!"

This is gonna kill on HOT 97 "up top". WATCH!

Real as it Gets (feat. Jeezy)

I was excited to see that Jeezy was on the album so I've been looking forward to this track. Jeezy kicks this one off and doesn't sound horrible which is a WIN for him. When you think of Jeezy and Jay on a track you probably think "Lord I hope Jeezy don't sound too bad". If it was just Jeezy you take it for what it is as far as rhyming ability, but throw him on a track with someone like Hov and you just hope he doesn't sound so bad that you like the song less, lol. Sorry Jay (Jenkins). Jay's second verse is something serious.

Hov's the audio equivalent of braille. That's why the feel me..."

Overall, I like this joint.

On to the Next One (feat. Swizz Beats)

Off the title, I'm thinking this is a veiled diss toward Mashonda. Swizz, if you're like me as much as people say you look like me then you're better than that, lol. Let me listen first though before I draw that conclusion.

Swizz got the party vibe going....SHOWTIIIIME!

This.Shyt.Is.Gonna.Rock.In.MIAMITHISWEEKEND! LET'S GO! This joint just siced me!

"No I'm not a virgin, I use my cahonas"

"Ya'll should grow the eff up, come here let me coach you!"

"Meanwhile had Oprah chillin in the 'jects...MJ on cellphone, Obama on text...Ya'll should be worried bout what Imma do next!"

Off That (feat. Drake)

Heard this one already too. Not very impressed by this and I maintain that Jay did not want to take the chance that Drake would out-rhyme him if he let Drake have a verse. Did you notice Jay's absence from that "Forever" track? Too much young hunger on that track for him to take the risk of: 1) being out-down by Drake, Wayne, or Yeezy, or 2) letting Marshall get another killer verse off on a song with him. Especially w/the phrase "Em murdered you on your own ish" easily retrievable from our subconscious. Not that I believe Em murdered Jay-Z on that song because if you go back and listen to "Renegade", he really didn't. Anywho, I like the point Jay's trying to make in this song but I'm just not feeling the beat like that. 2 minutes in...SKIP! I'd rather take my chances and see what J. Cole does on the next joint.

A Star is Born (feat. J. Cole)

Only Jay-Z could get the top two freshmen in the game on his upcoming CD (Drake and J. Cole). Yes, I know who Kid Cudi is, WOMP! Ok, maybe Yeezy and Weezy could also get them, but you get the point.

What Jay is doing on this track is so effing SMART. Gotta respect this dude's intelligence. Second favorite track so far even before I hear J. Cole.

Hearing J. Cole come in on the last verse reminds me how Memphis Bleek used to sound. It was kinda eerie actually. Notice how I said "used to"?

Venus vs. Mars

Heard this already but want to hear it again. Shyt is dope! I can see a dope video coming for this one already. Starring Cassie because of the shaved hair line. Or better yet, starring the girl with the two bee stings. Let Kanye direct it and Amber Rose play the leading lady role. Jay doesn't even need to be in the video actually, just let the lyrics narrate.

Already Home (feat. Kid Cudi)

For the record, I think Kid Cudi is decent/alright. I'm not excited about him like I am about Drake and J. Cole though. My favorite Kid Cudi song is "Welcome to Heartbreak" which should tell you something considering it's Kanye's song and Cudi's just featured on it. "Day N Nite" is cool and I like it but it's not "Simba" or "Successful".

Anyway, I'm feeling the beat on this joint off the break. BUT, not really feeling Cudi's singing so much. Let's get past this pre-verse chorus and get to the raps already!

Ok, I'm feeling a little meh about this song now. I liked the beat at first but now it's kinda wearing thin. And the Cudi chorus isn't really helping.

"H-O-V, I got my own lane already!"

Ok, the last verse redeemed this one for me. Won't be on my list of favorites from the album though.

Hate (feat. Kanye West)

I heard this one this morning and I was definitely feeling blahzay about it. Yeezy is still holding down his verses on these joints with Jay though, that's for sure. I like the idea of them going back-and-forth but not feeling the overall flow they're using. The whole "aaaayer" sound gets old. I'm glad the song is relatively short.

Reminder

Heard this one before and wished that Jay didn't waste the solid lyrics on this subpar Timbaland beat. This sounds like some shyt I could make on my casio joint at home (if I had one). Timbaland and Dr. Dre are both over-rated at this point if you ask me. Especially Dr. Dre. Sorry West-coasters and Dre loyalists. The Doctor is sounding more like a Nursing Assistant these days, with the exception of that beat he did for Em's Mariah Carey diss.

So Ambitious (feat. Pharrell)

Pharrell's singing already. FML! This guy and his friggin' singing! The beat is mean though Pharell, perhaps that's what you should stick to. And right when I'm vibing to the beat, Pharrell comes on singing again, GAWD!

I know I like the song overall but I don't necessarily like Pharrell's singing. I definitely like the message of the song and I'd imagine Pharrell's singing on this joint might grow on me. *MIGHT*

Young Forever (feat. Mr. Hudson)

As soon as the beat comes on I realize this song sounds exactly like I thought it would, some futuristic ish. This song is a perfect example of how I think Kanye has rubbed off on Jay-Z. The first time I heard about Mr. Hudson it was on Yeezy's blog. This beat sounds like a pre-"RoboCop" beat from Kanye's last CD. Seriously, put this track on 808s and Heartbreak and make it Kanye feat. Jay-Z and well, there you have it. That isn't to say I don't like the song because I think I do...I think.

OVERALL:
After my first listen I'd say the CD is decent/ok maybe even good. Jay's verses are sharp for the most part but the production value on this CD just isn't where I think it could be or where we're used to seeing it from Jay-Z. But now that I think about it he's been going in a different direction with his production since Kingdom Come (maybe even The Black Album). If Jay would have used Kanye, Swizz, 9th Wonder, and the J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League exclusively for production on this album I bet it would have been way better to me off the first listen. But what do I know other than what I'd like to hear?

And speaking of production value, that is a big part of why I think Rick Ross has the best album so far this year in mainstream hip-hop. His choice of beats and his lyrics are both solid. Jay has dope lyrics (better than solid, by far) but his selection of beats leaves a bit to be desired. Yes, I said that Officer Ricky's CD is better. At least in terms of the overall sound/flow of the CD.

But again, this is my first listen. Based off this you might not think Jay-Z is my favorite rapper ever and I think he's the G.O.A.T., but it's like Jay and 50 say, the bar is set higher for them. Wrong or right, that's definitely the case even though I could NOT give less of a shyt than I do about anything 50 Cent does musically at this point. Funny thing is that I'd argue the bar is set just as high for Kanye at this point but even with an AutoTune'd CD, he delivered.

Video: Jay-Z "Death of Autotune"

I haven't been a big fan of this song from the jump but I must say that I enjoy the video.

No-no-no Jay, please don't do it!!!

From the looks of things my favorite rapper of all the times is back on his Kingdom Come vibe. That is NOT a good sign for the upcoming Blueprint 3 album that's allegedly (shot out to BHill) going to drop sometime this year. With that said, make of this track what you wish...

Jay-Z - Money Goes



Don't you hate when you listen to an artist you like and afterward you're like: "It's not a bad song, but it's not a good song either."

These two are real pieces of work...

What's funny is that prior to the election (about a month or two away) I distinctly remember watching Dennis Miller on the Tonight Show being QUITE skeptical about Obama as the potential President and even taking a cheap shot at Michelle as well. Now he friggin' loves the guy. What a hypocritical douchebag!

And Bill O'Reilly's reputation precedes him at this point.

Regardless of what these two think most of us know that Black people have been echoing similar if not the exact same sentiments as Hov and Jay Jenkins for quite some time now. Albeit without the expletives in some cases I'm sure.

"My President is Black, but his house is all white!"

2:40 in Hov kills it with a chorus and 4 bars. I can only imagine how crazy LOVE was that night with Jay, Jeezy, TI, Akon, Beyonce, and God knows who else.

I can attest to the fact that D.C. was ON FIRE this weekend!


This has to be in FULL rotation on the radio by now, right?