I'm going to try something here that isn't too different from the Wrestler of the Day threads. Instead of listing favorite albums or tracks, I'll post the bio given from AMG. I'll start with Jay-Z since there is significant population here that listens to rap. Love him or hate him, I'm sure there is no shortage of opinions on him and his work. If nothing else, criticize the biography...

 

Jay-Z reigned over the New York rap scene throughout the late '90s and early 2000s and steadily built up the Roc-a-Fella Records dynasty in the process. The Brooklyn rapper made his splash debut in 1996 and cranked out album after album and hit after hit throughout the decade and into the next. Jay-Z became so successful that Roc-a-Fella, the record label he began with Damon Dash, became a marketable brand itself, spawning a lucrative clothing line (Roca Wear); a deep roster of talented rappers (Beanie Sigel, Cam'ron, M.O.P.) and producers (Just Blaze, Kayne West); a number of arena-packing cross-country tours; and even big-budget Hollywood films (Paid in Full, State Property). While such success is amazing, Jay-Z's musical achievements outweigh the commercial achievements of his franchise. Every one of his albums sold millions, and his endless parade of singles made him omnipresent on urban radio and video. Moreover, he retained a strongly devoted fan base ? not only the suburban MTV crowd but also the street-level crowd as well ? and challenged whatever rivals attempted to oust him from atop the rap industry, most notably Nas. As a result of his unchecked power, Jay-Z and his Roc-a-Fella clique greatly influenced the rap industry and established many of the trends pervaded during the late '90s and early 2000s. He worked with only the hottest producers of the moment (Clark Kent, DJ Premier, Teddy Riley, Trackmasters, Erick Sermon, Timbaland, Swizz Beatz) and if they weren't hot at the time, they surely would be afterward (Neptunes, Kayne West, Just Blaze). He similarly collaborated with the hottest rappers in the industry, everyone from East Coast rappers like the Notorious B.I.G. ("Brooklyn's Finest"), Ja Rule ("Can I Get A..."), and DMX ("Cash, Money, Hoes"), to the best rappers from the Dirty South (Ludacris, Missy Elliott) and the West Coast (Snoop Dogg, Too Short).

 

Born and raised in the rough Marcy Projects of Brooklyn, NY, Jay-Z underwent some tough times after his father left his mother before the young rapper was even a teen. Without a man in the house, he became a self-supportive youth, turning to the streets, where he soon made a name for himself as a fledging rapper. Known as "Jazzy" in his neighborhood, he soon shortened his nickname to Jay-Z and did all he could to break into the rap game. Of course, as he vividly discusses in his lyrics, Jay-Z also became a street hustler at this time, doing what needed to be done to make money. For a while, he ran around with Jaz-O, aka Big Jaz, a small-time New York rapper with a record deal but few sales. From Jaz he learned how to navigate through the rap industry and what moves to make. He also participated in a forgotten group called Original Flavor for a short time. Jay-Z subsequently decided to make an untraditional decision and start his own label rather than sign with an established label like Jaz had done. Together with friends Damon Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke, he created Roc-a-Fella Records, a risky strategy for cutting out the middleman and making money for himself. Of course, he needed a quality distributor, and when he scored a deal with Priority Records (and then later Def Jam), Jay-Z finally had everything in place, including a debut album, Reasonable Doubt (1996).

 

Though Reasonable Doubt only reached number 23 on Billboard's album chart, Jay-Z's debut became an undisputed classic among fans, many of whom consider it his crowning achievement. Led by the hit single "Ain't No Nigga," a duet featuring Foxy Brown, Reasonable Doubt slowly spread through New York; some listeners were drawn in because of big names like DJ Premier and the Notorious B.I.G., others by the gangsta motifs very much in style at the time. By the end of its steady run, Reasonable Doubt generated three more charting singles ? "Can't Knock the Hustle," which featured Mary J. Blige on the hook; "Dead Presidents"; and "Feelin' It" ? and set the stage for Jay-Z's follow-up, In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 (1997).

 

Much more commercially successful than its predecessor, In My Lifetime peaked at number three on the Billboard album chart, quite a substantial improvement over the modest units Reasonable Doubt had sold. The album boasted numerous marketable contributors such as Puff Daddy and Teddy Riley, which no doubt helped sales, yet Jay-Z's decision to move in a more accessible direction for much of the album, trading gangsta rap for pop-rap, increased his audience twofold. Singles such as "Sunshine" and "The City Is Mine" confirmed this move toward pop-rap, both songs featuring radio-ready pop hooks and little of the grim introspection that had characterized Reasonable Doubt. In My Lifetime still had some dramatic moments, such as "Streets Is Watching" and "Rap Game/Crack Game," yet these moments were few and greatly eclipsed by the pop-rap.

 

Jay-Z's next album, Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life (1998), released a year after In My Lifetime, furthered the shift from gangsta rap to pop-rap. Though Jay-Z himself showed few signs of lightening up, particularly on brash songs like "Cash, Money, Hoes," his producers crafted infectious hooks and trend-setting beats. Thus, songs like "Can I Get A..." and "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" sounded both distinct and unforgettable, garnering enormous amounts of airplay. Again, as he had done on In My Lifetime, Jay-Z exchanged the autobiographical slant of his debut for a sampler platter of radio-ready singles; and again, he reached more listeners than ever, topping the album chart and generating a remarkable six singles: the three aforementioned songs as well as "Jigga What?," "It's Alright," and "Money Ain't a Thang."

 

Like clockwork, Jay-Z returned a year later with another album, Vol. 3: Life and Times of S. Carter (1999), which sold a staggering number of units and generated multiple singles. Here Jay-Z collaborated with yet more big names (nearly one guest vocalist/rapper on every song, not to mention the roll call of in-demand producers) and his most overblown work yet resulted. Jay-Z scaled back a bit for Dynasty Roc la Familia (2000), his fifth album in as many years. The album showcased mostly Roc-a-Fella's in-house rappers: Beanie Sigel, Memphis Bleek, and Amil. Jay-Z also began working with several new producers: the Neptunes, Kayne West, and Just Blaze. The Neptunes-produced "I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)" became a particularly huge hit single this go round.

 

Jay-Z's next album, The Blueprint (2001), solidified his position atop the New York rap scene upon its release in September. Prior to the album's release, the rapper had caused a stir in New York following his headlining performance at Hot 97's Summer Jam 2001, where he debuted the song "Takeover." The song features a harsh verse ridiculing Prodigy of Mobb Deep, and Jay-Z accentuated his verbal assault (including the lines "You's a ballerina/I seen ya") by showcasing gigantic photos of an adolescent Prodigy in a dance outfit. The version of "Takeover" that later appeared on The Blueprint also included a verse dissing Nas as well as Prodigy. As expected, the song ignited a sparring match with Nas, whom responded with "Ether." Jay-Z accordingly returned with a comeback, "Super Ugly," where he rapped over the beats to Nas' "Get Ur Self A" on the first verse and Dr. Dre's "Bad Intentions" on the second. The back-and-forth bout created massive publicity for both Jay-Z and Nas.

 

In addition to "Takeover," The Blueprint also featured "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)," one of the year's biggest hit songs, and the album topped many year-end best-of charts. For the most part, Jay-Z performs alone on all of the album's songs except an Eminem collaboration, "Renegade." The lack of guest rappers made The Blueprint Jay-Z's most personal album since Reasonable Doubt. Consequently, many began comparing the two, calling The Blueprint Jay-Z's best album since Reasonable Doubt or even going so far as calling The Blueprint his best album yet. Jay-Z capitalized on the album's lasting success by issuing two versions of the single "Girls, Girls, Girls" and also the song "Jigga That N***a" as yet another single. Furthermore, he collaborated with the Roots for the Unplugged album (2001) and with R. Kelly for Best of Both Worlds (2002). He then went on to record, over the course of the year, 40 or so new tracks, 25 of which appeared on his next record, the double album The Blueprint?: The Gift & the Curse (2002). Though billed as a sequel, The Blueprint? was remarkably different from its predecessor. Where the first volume had been personal, considered, and focused, the second instead offered an unapologetically sprawling double-disc extravaganza showcasing remarkable scope. As usual, it spawned a stream of singles, led by his 2Pac cover "'03 Bonnie & Clyde" (with Beyonc? Knowles). He guested on Beyonc?'s summer 2003 classic "Crazy Love," as well as the Neptunes' video hit "Frontin'," but then announced his retirement after the release of one more album. That LP, The Black Album, was rush-released by Def Jam and soared to the top spot in the album charts.

Thanks for that dude, I'm a big fan of Jay's. A BIG fan.

I hate BIG Jay-Z fans and Sun knows this.

 

I find him horribly overrated as an emcee and lyricist. I think he's easy to identify with, charismatic and his sometimes above-average lyrics help to convey this which I think is responsible for his popularity. But man, he's got a massive amount of dick-riders who believe everything he does is platinum and that he deserves the name Jayhova the God MC. HA.

 

He is the only rapper, however, since The Notorious B.I.G. (and now 50 Cent) to be able to make radio-friendly and club-specific songs and yet make harder edged fare to maintain his underground street credibility amongst the hardcore heads and not have either side really turn on him for doing both.

 

Reasonable Doubt (I think, the least successful as far as sales but content-wise best album) is still my favorite album of his and "Where I'm From" (which is on Vol. 2) my favorite song.

 

I remember people shitting all over the In My Lifetime Vol.1 album with those "Sunshine" and "The City is Mine" songs. Vol. 2 is when the mainstream finally caught on when he put out that wack-ass and annoying "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" shit with the Annie sample. Admittedly, when I first copped the CD, I sorta liked it but once radio got a hold of it...you know the rest. I played "Money, Cash, Hoes" and it's remix on The Corruptor soundtrack for the rest of that summer.

 

Surprisingly, the album I probably dig the most after Reasonable Doubt is Vol. 3. I wasn't in the States to gauge just how popular this was amongst casual fans but I know that when I go through my Jay albums, this is the one that has the most amount of songs that I can listen to. The "Hova Song" intros and outros are hot, Premier laced him with "So Ghetto", he KILLED clubs with "Do It Again (Put Ya Hands Up)", I personally like "Dope Man" and the MTV News updates as he's on trial comparing his music to drugs. Even the songs that I would normally consider corny like the Swizz Beatz-produced "The Things That You Do" featuring Mariah Carey and "S. Carter" featuring Amil satisfied me. I had the "Big Pimpin'" single and I swear to God I played the B-Side "There's Been a Murder" more than the A-side.

 

The Blueprint, to me, is only notable for really bringing Kanye West and Just Blaze to the forefront as bankable, money, go-to producers. Without their tracks, The Blueprint would've been another average album, which Jay seems to put out every other album but with those two manning the boards, it just had a different feel than any other Jay album before. You can't listen to songs like "Song Cry" and "Never Change" and tell me you've heard Hov like that any other time. The "Girls, Girls, Girls" remix is WAY better than the original. Eminem provided the beat for "Renegade" and I think clearly silenced all the people who think that Jay can hang with Em lyrically. But the two don't sound right on the track together; they lack a cohesiveness and chemistry that should have made this song special, possibly historic. Em sounded more at home with Lil Jon, Fat Joe and Ma$e than he did here. Hell, Fabolous and his boy Paul Cain RIPPED this beat ten times better and go back and forth over it way more naturally than Shawn Carter and Marshall Mathers ever could have.

 

Long before The Blueprint was even due out, though, I remember Jay performing the Kanye-produced "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" at the BET Awards. Generally, as we all know, industry crowds are really reluctant to show any enthusiasm or get into live performances during awards shows. Not that night. And usually, to get into a performance, you have to KNOW the song...that's kinda the fun, right? To sing along? Jay came out and did a few classics but when he launched into IZZO, by the second verse everyone was on their feet. FOR A SONG THEY HADN'T EVEN HEARD BEFORE. I remember the clips of other artists and people on the street singing the hook playing on big screens behind him (I specifically remember Destiny's Child and more specifically Beyonce') thinking, "I don't know what this song is, but he's got a HUGE hit on his hands."

 

He released that Unplugged album in an attempt to put a dent in Nas' Stillmatic sales. Even though it only has three, maybe four songs I like on it, the Best of Both Worlds CD stays in my car. The Blueprint 2 was garbage and I don't recall listening to it more than twice.

Well, following a post like that is a little intimidating since I don't really have a lot to say. Anyway, I wouldn't call myself a "big" Jay-Z fan. Actually, I'm not really a big listener of rap. That being said, I do like several Jay-Z songs. Of course, most of them were singles.

 

Still, he's OK in my books. I don't like him as much as Scarface, 8Ball or the Wu-Tang Clan but he's decent enough.