Let's face it, Jay-Z is the bar in which we compare rappers to because he is the best. PERIOD

[thegradeschooldropout]

had this issue dope read 13 years later

 

[Peep Game]

I was 7 when 'Ready To Die' dropped. Boy that was something having that album then

You went from that to buying Paul Wall, MGK & Big Cynthia CDs. The hell happened Peep?

cot dammit GHIMS

 

[Mamba4life]

Let me start out by saying that I'm as old as snot rocks. How old you ask? Let's just say I graduated in 95............from college! Let me also acknowledge that music taste are entirely subjective. My opinion is worth no more or less than anyone else. I like Jay Z. I think he's a great artist who has had a fantastic career. That being said, I have never once in my life thought he was better than Tupac or Biggie.Not once. Pac is probably my favorite. Big is whisker behind. Rakim is up there. Nas, Jay, Em, would be in the next breath. I fully acknowledge my opinion could be based on where I was in life at the time. I was younger, so I was more impressionable. I'll tell it like I tell people when I'm talking about MJ and they're comparing him to modern artist. You will never see an pop star bigger than MJ was in 84. Likewise, you will never see a rap star bigger than Pac was in the early 90s. Pac was a star! Biggie was on his way. The only thing Jay Z is better than Pac and Big at is living

 

[SoleByThePound]

Way too many things to quote in here and I really don't have the time. All I want to say is if you didn't witness and absorb an artist while it was going on, you hold no weight in my book if you are trying to downplay said artist. Music; at least classic music is timeless and is just as good as it is today as it were the day it released. Taking that into account a great artist will paint a picture of the exact point in time of his or her creation. A perfect example is Hard To Earn by Gang Starr. That album is a still shot of Brooklyn in 93/94. If you were a resident of the Planet back then, which I was you would realize that. What I am getting at is if you were a child when illmatic or any other album released; your opinion holds absolutely no argument if critiquing an album you weren't even old enough to grasp.
 

 

[Master Zik]

This VA757VA cat is delusional. I like how Illmatic not going plat until years later means it was the same as RD when it dropped When it was regarded as damn classic and helped shape future hip hop albums for decades to come. After that all dude did do was restate falsehoods from Takeover Won't bother saying you're better than that but smarten up son.

 

[k3stacks]

Jay stans stay making ridiculous comments

 

[scoop0625]

I beleive that Jay-Z had the best career as a hip-hop artist. But, that does not necessarily that he is the best hip hop artist of all time. That title in my opinion goes to Nas in the lyric department. Jay-Z has made way more money than Nas and I believe that people think Jay-Z is better because of that. But Nas is way more creative lyrically and more versaltile. I feel that Jay-Z raps about the same thing (money, swag and women), I been tired of that. Nas goes deeper talking about what is going around this world which some of us do not know much of. Don't get me wrong, Nas will mention a lines about money and women here and there, but that is not his primarily focus.

 

[va757va]

This VA757VA cat is delusional. I like how Illmatic not going plat until years later means it was the same as RD when it dropped

When it was regarded as damn classic and helped shape future hip hop albums for decades to come. After that all dude did do was restate falsehoods from Takeover

Won't bother saying you're better than that but smarten up son.

lol..so ninja says RD wasnt an instant classic, then sites the fact that it took til the 2000s to go platinum as his basis....ok..good argument..

i use the SAME EXACT argument and im a stan, im delusional, im from va so i cant know rap 

 lol..or im under 20 (25 btw) so i dont know rap..lol..

dudes getting personal, tryna discredit me for my opinions..lol..

illmatic was regarded as a classic..that goes without saying...still doesnt cover up the fact ready to die sold 4.5 mil, illmatic sold 500k in that same year...one could legitimately argue cuban linx and ready to die did more to 'shape the future of decades to come' in 1994..

yall making it seem like illmatic dropped and it stopped the world...made everybody change their style to copy...was sold out left and right, was in every stereo you heard...that album dropped in 1994...it was ready to die...

now tell me im lying, or twisting facts or this or that..lol..

 

[jmcgill918]

Jay Z is arguably the best we've ever heard..PERIOD

 

[Peep Game]

 

[Bend_The_Knee]

Any word on Hov's next solo album? Or are we getting WTT 2 first?

 

[Master Zik]

This VA757VA cat is delusional. I like how Illmatic not going plat until years later means it was the same as RD when it dropped When it was regarded as damn classic and helped shape future hip hop albums for decades to come. After that all dude did do was restate falsehoods from Takeover Won't bother saying you're better than that but smarten up son.

lol..so ninja says RD wasnt an instant classic, then sites the fact that it took til the 2000s to go platinum as his basis....ok..good argument..

i use the SAME EXACT argument and im a stan, im delusional, im from va so i cant know rap 

 lol..or im under 20 (25 btw) so i dont know rap..lol..



dudes getting personal, tryna discredit me for my opinions..lol..



illmatic was regarded as a classic..that goes without saying...still doesnt cover up the fact ready to die sold 4.5 mil, illmatic sold 500k in that same year...one could legitimately argue cuban linx and ready to die did more to 'shape the future of decades to come' in 1994..



yall making it seem like illmatic dropped and it stopped the world...made everybody change their style to copy...was sold out left and right, was in every stereo you heard...that album dropped in 1994...it was ready to die...


now tell me im lying, or twisting facts or this or that..lol..

Sales aside. RD was not talked about amongst the several other classics that dropped the same year. Illmatic on the other hand was the bar none classic that year and was still better than albums years after.

I'm not arguing sales. Don't matter what went plat or gold when to me. You trying to put RD on the same level as Illmatic cuz neither immediately sold like crazy is dumb. That does not prove any of the delusional nonsense you said in your last post Nobody is getting personal. Phil pretty much broke it down for you already. Also it wasn't cuz you young or from VA so you don't know rap it's you were either too young or wasn't born and living in the wrong place so there's no way you could even spoke on what happened at the time of the album's release and that year in hip hop. You're not being objective at all if you disagree with that.

Jay Z is arguably the best we've ever heard..PERIOD

Heard doing what though?

 

[illphillip]

Do "arguably" and "PERIOD" even belong in the same sentence?

The darndest things y'all say.....

 

[Baby Face Nelson]

Do "arguably" and "PERIOD" even belong in the same sentence?

The darndest things y'all say.....

I think lil homie used "arguably" as an adverb to express his opinion or belief in a declarative statement, but the "PERIOD turns it into an exclamatory sentence 

 With sentence structure like that do you think they could possibly comphrend anything Nas is saying in his ryhmes??

 

[ill steelo]

I feel that Jay-Z raps about the same thing (money, swag and women), I been tired of that.

No Church in the Wild
New Day
Murder to Excellence
Welcome to the Jungle
Why I Love You
Made in America.

Literally 50% of his last album wasn't focused on those 3 things you mentioned.

 

[Master Zik]

I feel that Jay-Z raps about the same thing (money, swag and women), I been tired of that.

No Church in the Wild
New Day
Murder to Excellence
Welcome to the Jungle
Why I Love You
Made in America.

Literally 50% of his last album wasn't focused on those 3 things you mentioned.

It's a shame musically (and I mean this overall not just the songs you listed) they weren't as good as when he talks about the same tired stuff (MTE and WILY were great though). Same problem he had on KC.

Don't know why he finds a problem finding the best beats for when he actually chooses to talk about different subject matter. Plus imo it's too far from each other when he does talk about other things. To me if anything KC to AG is the perfect example of that, it's like he got scared and decided to do an album that was basically a best of content wise.

 

[antidope]

I feel that Jay-Z raps about the same thing (money, swag and women), I been tired of that.

For those that think Hov' fingers bling bling'n

Either haven't heard the album or they don't know english

They only know what the single is, and singled that out

To be the meaning of what he is about

And bein I'm about my business, not minglin much

Runnin my mouth, that **** kept lingerin

But no dummy, that's the **** I'm sprinklin

The album with to keep the registers ringing

 

[100027]

For those that think Hov' fingers bling bling'n
Either haven't heard the album or they don't know english
They only know what the single is, and singled that out
To be the meaning of what he is about
And bein I'm about my business, not minglin much
Runnin my mouth, that **** kept lingerin
But no dummy, that's the **** I'm sprinklin
The album with to keep the registers ringing

It's great how people quote claims Jay-Z makes as if they are bible verses like "Jay-Z said F the critics, so the critics are wrong I proved it."

Maybe you could post a verse that actually proves Scoop wrong instead of this one which doesn't.

 

[Peep Game]

I feel that Jay-Z raps about the same thing (money, swag and women), I been tired of that.

No Church in the Wild
New Day
Murder to Excellence
Welcome to the Jungle
Why I Love You
Made in America.

Literally 50% of his last album wasn't focused on those 3 things you mentioned.

It's a shame musically (and I mean this overall not just the songs you listed) they weren't as good as when he talks about the same tired stuff (MTE and WILY were great though). Same problem he had on KC.

Don't know why he finds a problem finding the best beats for when he actually chooses to talk about different subject matter. Plus imo it's too far from each other when he does talk about other things. To me if anything KC to AG is the perfect example of that, it's like he got scared and decided to do an album that was basically a best of content wise.

Mostly just quoting that for emphasis. But I forgot "Kanye doesn't make rap/hip hop beats, he makes arena music"

 

[antidope]

For those that think Hov' fingers bling bling'n
Either haven't heard the album or they don't know english
They only know what the single is, and singled that out
To be the meaning of what he is about
And bein I'm about my business, not minglin much
Runnin my mouth, that **** kept lingerin
But no dummy, that's the **** I'm sprinklin
The album with to keep the registers ringing

It's great how people quote claims Jay-Z makes as if they are bible verses like "Jay-Z said F the critics, so the critics are wrong I proved it."

Maybe you could post a verse that actually proves Scoop wrong instead of this one which doesn't.

You're seriously asking me to post a JAY-Z verse where he doesnt talk about money? Do you know how easily that would be? I thought it was more appropriate to post a verse that directly responds to the criticism he made. Relax bro

 

[HTownsOwn84]

Its funny this topic comes up at least once a year

ok my $.02

IMO I consider Jay-Z to be the best OVERALL

just like someone said before Jay=Jordan both are not the best in each category but OVERALL mind you I said OVERALL they are the best

 

[100027]

You're seriously asking me to post a JAY-Z verse where he doesnt talk about money? Do you know how easily that would be? I thought it was more appropriate to post a verse that directly responds to the criticism he made. Relax bro

I'm relaxed.  I just think it's a silly argument that comes up a lot in these threads, in particular with the "do you even listen to music.." verse or even worse the "would be Talib Kweli" verse, like if Jay rapped "I could sing like Beyonce if I wanted" people would post in here and say "Jay can sing just like Beyonce, he told me."

Personally I don't really think subject matter has a lot to do with what makes a great rapper, but yeah I think the better response would be to post his best verse that isn't money-centric if that's what you guys are debating.

 

[bigrockford]

First let me say Im glad age was brought into this. I figured thats what the problem was. I would bet my last dollar that most of the Jay stans are 25 and under. I respect Jay, don't get me wrong. But record sales do NOT make you the best and have nothing to do with it. Consider all genres of music before you make a dumb statement like that.

The whole 50 and Jay thing... Jay is a better lyricist than 50 in the fact of making catchy lines (thats what gets most of you). 50 is a better song maker, hands down. 50s first album was not GRODT. Power of the Dollar has better timeless content than most of Jays albums.

I keep hearing everybody say Jay is a better overall "rapper" than everyone else. Please let me know what "statistics" of his are better than Em's.... Please... I'll take Em's first 3 albums over a CD with every one of Jays actual good songs on it.

I also agree with the above post about Pac being thee best.. Who else you know got better with time?.... No one else...

 

[antidope]

First let me say Im glad age was brought into this. I figured thats what the problem was. I would bet my last dollar that most of the Jay stans are 25 and under. I respect Jay, don't get me wrong. But record sales do NOT make you the best and have nothing to do with it. Consider all genres of music before you make a dumb statement like that.

LOL at "Thats what the problem is". You have no idea how ignorant you sound. What about all the people in this thread who dont agree with JAY-Z being the best who are in the same age bracket? Do you know who keeps pushing the sales argument? Ninjahood who is 31 years old..... You really just reached for the stars with all of this.

The whole 50 and Jay thing... Jay is a better lyricist than 50 in the fact of making catchy lines (thats what gets most of you). 50 is a better song maker, hands down. 50s first album was not GRODT. Power of the Dollar has better timeless content than most of Jays albums.

Thanks for telling us. We had no idea that 50 had an album before GRODT, where can I find this "Power of the Dollar" album. Also thanks for telling us why we like JAY-Z, its not like we cant like him for any other reason. I'm glad I have people like you around to tell me how I think and feel.

I keep hearing everybody say Jay is a better overall "rapper" than everyone else. Please let me know what "statistics" of his are better than Em's.... Please... I'll take Em's first 3 albums over a CD with every one of Jays actual good songs on it.

Let me know what stats of Ems are better than JAYs.... Please..... This plus the second part of your last quote is just pure hate. Its crazy how people always come after me for my supposed lack of objectivity, but people make posts like this all the time. Its easy to tell by your tone that you're biased against the guy and are coming in here with the intention of discrediting him instead of making a rational argument.

 

[SoleByThePound]

Antidope you are the most sensitive Jay fan I've ever come across, online or off.