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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.
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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.
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Jay-Z’s adolescence coincided with the Reagan ’80s.
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His merging of thinking-man street raps with commercial hits paved the way for artists like Kendrick Lamar and J.
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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. 1” creeps into second place this week.If Jay-Z had his way back in 1996, this list would be too brief to warrant compiling. “4:44” steals the top spot from DJ Khaled’s “Grateful” and Calvin Harris’ “Funk Wav Bounces Vol. Kelly, “MTV Ultimate Mash-Ups Presents: Collision Course) with Linkin Park and “Watch the Throne” with Kayne West. RELATED: Jimmy Kimmel Pranks People On The Names Of Beyonce And JAY-Z’s New TwinsĮven his collaborative records have made the cut, like, “Unfinished Business” with R. The debut falls just behind Kendrick Lamar’s “DAMN.”, Drake’s “More Life” and Ed Sheeran’s “÷ (Divide)”.Ĭarter’s other number ones have continued consistently since his 1998 project “Vol. The album’s launch sold 262,000 units, earning it the fourth-largest week in sales of 2017 (so far). Jay (real name Shawn Carter) broke his own record for most number one albums by a solo artist, making “4:44” his 14th number one. RELATED: Beyonce Looks Flawless In Miniskirt For Date Night With JAY-Z After Revealing First Pic Of Rumi And Sir JAY-Z breaks his own Billboard record with new album “4:44”.Īfter he and wife Beyonce welcomed twins Sir Carter and Rumi last month, JAY-Z has another thing to celebrate, as “4:44” tops the Billboard Hot 200.