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Okay, I should totally be doing homework, but I said I was going to do that album review for Reasonable Doubt and I really wanna do it. And it turned out really long….
To be clear, the album being reviewed is Reasonable Doubt by Jay-Z, the first album he ever released.
Okay, so, to start off, I’ll simply say this – if you love good music and something that will make you think and you won’t wear out in the first couple of weeks you play it, you have got to cop this album. This is honestly one of the most impressive albums I have ever heard, for any genre of music.
Now, what many people complain about rap these days (including many rap listeners) is those artists these days never say anything other than garbage. Usually hip hop fans will use this moment to launch into a rant about how it isn’t like it used to be any more and then list off several albums considered classics by most people by now.
Even still, people dispute what exactly makes a good track. Some argue it should simply have a good message, others that it is music, so you should just feel good listening to it. Hip hop purists, like myself, tend to desire some level of lyrical talent.
Now, I first got into rap due to Eminem. His general style is complex rhyme scheme, meaning playing with the way words sound and getting different types of rhymes. So, I tend to want that as well in an artist, another great example being Big Pun. If you can’t bother to make at least one internal rhyme per line, you’re unlikely to get my attention (unless you like Run D. M. C. and basically got rap noticed in the first place). Jay isn’t exactly that type of rapper. While he can focus on rhyme scheme and there are songs which let off a list of similar rhymed words, he makes up for the lack in word play.
And that’s where RD (Reasonable Doubt) is a classic in that there’s so much going on, you find yourself finding flaws for split seconds because you forgot another reason why it was so great an album.
To break it down, first and foremost the album is amazing for the word play. There are a ton of clever metaphors and similes and allusions (a mediocre example would be “Like short sleeves, I bear arms”). When he’s not doing that, simply the things he says are insightful or clever. The one thing I love about this album more than anything is that it literally has these saying and things to know about life which are learned from the main character’s experiences. Beyond that, his flow is utterly fantastic. What Jay’ll do (which many other rappers these days have stopped doing) is he’ll insert emotion into what he’s saying, breaking up the usual straightforward rapping. Using this, he’s usually able to convey what he wants to say without straight-out stating it. There’ll be examples later.
The last thing that makes this album great is the production. There are some who say it wouldn’t be a classic if it didn’t have as good of production, but I don’t think so. I actually noticed the production last because I’m so used to the generally computer generated beats usually used for rap. Contrasting that, RD samples a lot of jazz and piano, trumpet, and string based music. If you’re like me, it may take a bit to get used to this. I remember I was bored with it at first, which I have to laugh and chide myself for now. Point being, I analyzed the lyrics before noticing the production and I thought they were impeccable standing on their own. Back to production, if you really listen, it’s really great sounding and gives a totally different feel to the album.
And that’s important – the album flows. It’s almost a loose concept album and everything seems to fit. The production help to set that mood of ’96 when the album first came out and for the story which it’s trying to tell.
And thus my final point before moving into the songs: the background of the album. Before rap, Jay-Z was hustling drugs for his community. For the most part, this is what the album is about. However, as can probably be told by the cover, the viewpoint is from a mafia king pin (hence why the specific genre for the album is Mafioso rap). And this makes another difference between its approach and other albums: it brings back that idea that raps should be narrative and telling a story. This isn’t meant to be all true, all real. We know part of it is, but this is a fictional tale. To quote Jay, “Its mostly backwards/Unless it happens to be as accurate as me/And everything said in song you happen to see/Then actually, believe half of what you see/None of what you hear even if its spat by me/And with that said, I will kill niggas dead/Cut niggas short, give you wheels for legs”.
Now, onto the album:
1. Can’t Knock the Hustle – 5 stars
The song opens with a heartbeat and then one of the dialogs from the beginning of the movie Scarface (“Ah…sí…okay, okay…big man, you wanna make some big bucks, huh, let’s see how tough you are. You know somethin’ ‘bout cocaine? ¡Diga me!” Tony Montana: “You kidding me or what, man?”). Some say this is annoying. I don’t think so. I think it’s totally fitting and not that long anyway. The song then opens with the actual music after the skit. Some say that Jay brags too much over the album and that can get annoying. While there are some points where it does become a bit ridiculous, I wouldn’t say so. It tends to make sense when he is bragging and for the most part when he shouldn’t, he doesn’t. This is one of those bragging times. To me it makes the most sense to open the album with this one because it basically brings you into the world he’s living at the start of this album. And while this is basically bravado, there’s more with the lyrics than that. For those who need rhyming, he has plenty:
Chrome socks beamin’
Through my peripheral, I see ya schemin’
Stop dreamin’, I leave your body steamin’
Niggas is fiendin’, what's the meanin’?
I'm leanin’ on any nigga intervenin’
With the sound of my money machine-in’
The track also displays the way Jay would use emotion and tweak his voice on the mic throughout the album. You totally can’t actually get it unless you listen to it, but an example would be when he’s describing his guns:
Shoppin’ sprees, coppin’ three
Deuce fever – IS's fully loaded, haha – yes
As for a message, it’s really the basic one that embodies this album: I’m doing this because there wasn’t another way out. But we’ll touch on that later. Nonetheless, it embodies the chorus by Mary:
I’m taking out this time
To give you a piece of my mind
Who do you think you are?
Maybe one day you’ll be a star
But until then, lately
I’m the one who’s crazy?
‘Cause that’s the way you making me feel
For the projects in ’96 – don’t judge how others get out, because it’s hard enough as it is. This is complimented by fitting lines from Jay in the last verse:
You ain't havin’ it? Good, me either
Let's – get together and make this whole world believe us, huh?
At my arraignment, screamin’
All us blacks got is sports and entertainment
Until we even
Thievin’, as long as I'm breathin’
Can't knock the way a nigga eatin’
With perfect production and Jay handling the beat with perfect swagger, it’s a great song which has more than enough going for it to not be labeled commercial.
2. Politics As Usual – 4 stars, maybe 5
This was one of those beats that took me a long time to get used to. Even still, the lyrics give a lot. After introducing you to the high life, Jay leads into the politics of everything he’s doing. Someone once said he was simply bragging again, but throughout the guy’s review, it became clear he wasn’t actually listening to the album well enough (as soon as he swept over D’evils so quickly, I knew he had no clue what he was reviewing). True, for the most part he kind of is (considering he is talking about the fact others want to knock him off his “throne”). Still, there are just great lines here where the emotion Jay’ll display sometimes does more than enough to get his message across:
…tryin’ to escape my trouble
Kids stop the greetin’ me; I'm talkin’ sweet to keys
Cursin’ the very God that bought this grief to be
Suckin’ me in like a vacuum – I remember
Tellin’ my family I'll be back soon – that was December
[you totally have to listen to the track to get this, but the way he simply does the line is perfect]
Ain't no stoppin’ the champagne from poppin’,
The drawers from droppin’, the law from watchin’ –
I hate ‘em…
I give the song 4 stars because the rhyming is decent and there is merit to the song. It’s not misplaced or feels out of place on the album. But compared to the rest of the stuff, it lacks. It could use more wordplay (though I think I’m just not getting a few. Part of the reason this album keeps revealing stuff over the years and you can’t possibly get it in one listen is because some of the wordplay and what he’s saying just goes over your head the first times around).
3. Brooklyn’s Finest – 5 stars
This one’s a duet with the Notorious B. I. G. (also known as Biggie Smalls). For those who are unfamiliar with rap, he basically put out what most consider two classic albums, before he died. Even when his first album had came out (which was before RD), it was already a hit. What does all this mean? It means that if Jay wanted to keep up, lyrically, he had to really try. For many rap fans, largely because Jay was good friends with Biggie and because Big was to die the next year, this track symbolizes a lot. And it really doesn’t disappoint. Some say this is the best rap duet ever, or one of the best. I’m not sure. Compared to the blatant talent Biggie displayed on Ready to Die, I think he didn’t do his all on here. Also, I think Jay kills Big on the track (though Smalls come close behind). It’s one of those things that hip hop heads will always convene together and fight over whenever discussing the song: you be the judge.
This is one of those examples of having to understand rap in order to enjoy the song. Generally, when a rapper freestyles, they try to say the cleverest stuff they can. Historically, that stuff tended to be violent (I’m reminded of Big L’s “I wouldn’t give a chick 10 cent to put cheese on a Whopper/They wanna know why I’m so fly/A girl ask me for a ring and I put one around her whole eye”. Violent and rather crude, but you can’t deny there’s some wordplay (granted, in this case, not that amazing wordplay)). In a freestyle, that makes sense. You’re making crap off the top of your head and you’re trying to amuse friends while you’re performing live at a party. Cool. It doesn’t work so well when you do that for an album. Unless your Eminem and your entire style is shock, it ruins the fluidity of the album, especially if you have introspective songs on there.
With this, it doesn’t. The two don’t break the mold by sticking to mafia and drug related violence. Plus, if you’re a king pin, wouldn’t it make sense you committed some crimes at some point? You may argue that it takes away the sincerity of Jay even still of not having much guilt for hurting others, but I suppose that’s the one point where you have to make an exception and acknowledge that we know they’re not being serious. We’re interested in the wordplay. Part of it also is analyzing the structure of the verses and rhyme schemes but unless you’ve listened to rap for some years, you’ll have a harder time picking that out. So if some of the verses make you wonder what the Hell is so amazing about them – that’s why:
…fuck fist fights and lame scuffles
Pillow case to your face, make the shell muffle
Shoot your daughter in the calf muscle
Fuck a tussle, nickel-plated
Sprinkle coke on the floor, make it drug related
-Biggie
Chill homie, the bitch in the Shownies told me
Your holding more drugs than a pharmacy
You ain't harmin’ me, so pardon me
Pass the safe before I blaze the place and here's six shots just in case
-Biggie
Brooklyn, represent – ya'll hit, ya fall
Ya crazy, think a little-bit of rhymes can play me?
I'm from Marcy – I'm varsity; chump, your JV
-Jay-Z
Made a fortune off Peru, extradite, china white hero’n
Nigga please, like short sleeves I bear arms
-Jay-Z
Also of note is Biggie and Tupac were feuding at the time. As an insult, Pac had said he had slept with Biggie’s wife. To play it off, Big made a joke of it:
Gotta go, Coolio mean it's gettin’ Too Hot
If Faith [Biggie’s wife] had twins, she'd probably have two Pacs
Get it? Tu-pac's…
There’s a nice piano loop for the beat. Catchy and great wordplay, great song. There’s a skit at the beginning from Carlito’s Way (Okay! I’m reloaded! You motherfuckers think you big time? Fuckin’ with Jay-Z, you goin’ down big time! Here come the pain!). However, this time, it sounds a little too fake. If they were to get it to sound more like the actual movie, it would have been better. Nonetheless, great song.
4. Dead Presidents II – 4 stars
The reason for the roman numeral 2 is because the single was released with the same beat but different lyrics. While both songs deal with money (the pictures on dollar bills are of presidents who have passed away – hence, dead presidents is money. Coined by rapper Rakim), the messages are different due to different lyrics.
For whatever reason, the beat of this song just annoys me. The song is good, but I always get tired of listening to it at first when it comes on. It’s a good beat – mostly piano and a voice sample of rapper Nas – but I never have really warmed up to it, for whatever reason. I give this four stars because while the lyrics are good, it’s just talking on money and not much we haven’t heard before. I think it’s good because it again specifies certain topics into individual songs, but it doesn’t entirely draw my interest. There are many others who would totally disagree with me, but, eh, it might grow on me. I totally didn’t see how amazing this album was (and even after that, how amazing certain songs were) the first times I listened to it.
Great rhyming and good vocab, there isn’t as much wordplay. However, once again, Jay demonstrates how emotion can say a lot for a song and we’ve seemed to forgotten that in rap (again, you have to listen to the track to hear the emotion, but it’s well done):
Factions from the other side would love to kill me
Spill three quarts of my blood into the street, let alone the heat
Fuck ‘em, they hate a nigga lovin’ his life
In all possible ways, know the Feds is buggin’ my life
Hospital days, reflectin’ when my man laid up
On the Uptown high block – he got his side sprayed up
I saw his life slippin’; this is a minor setback
“Yo, still in all we livin’, just dream about the get back”
That made him smile though his eyes said, "Pray for me"
I'll do you one better and slay these niggas faithfully
Murder is a tough thing to digest, it's a slow process
And I ain't got nothin’ but time
5. Feelin’ It – 5 stars
As you could probably tell by the title, this is a feel good song. But it does a remarkable job of it. The piano in the background sets a perfect mood right off the bat, along with Mecca’s great performance on the chorus:
I'm feelin’ it…
Fill the glass to the top with Moet
Feelin’ it…
Feel the Lex’ pushin’ up on the set
I'm feelin’ it…
Through the high that you get from the lie
Feelin’ it…
If you feel it, raise your L in the sky
The song gives me the imagery of drinking at some expensive restaurant in the city, despite (I believe) the music video’s depiction of Jay on a boat, but oh well. Feel good songs are always hard to go about because they help and certainly makes sense to represent some level of enjoyment in your life. However, they can never stand alone because then the content of your album becomes just partying, etc. Feelin’ It is on a level of its own. The song has spectacular rhyming while describing enjoying life (how can you not beat that??):
Even if it ain't sunny – hey, I ain't complainin’
I'm in the rain, doing a buck 40, hydroplanin’
What shorty? (Where you disappear to son?)
Maintainin’
Puttin’ myself in a position most of these rappers ain't in
I'm livin’ the ill streets blues, got you hunger painin’
Nothin’ to gain and a whole lot to lose, you still singin’
Fool
I'm thorough – in every borough my name be ringin’
Warmin’ it up for the perfect time to hit your brain in
I remember remarking to my brother, “Hydroplaning? Who rhymes something like that?” There even seems to be some criticism from just the over the top nature of the song (a precursor to the Jay that would end up criticizing the rap game and the ridiculous nature to which it has become?):
I’m ‘bout to hit these niggas wit’ some shit that’ll light they life up
If every nigga in your clique is rich, your clique is rugged
Nobody will fall ‘cause everyone would be each other’s crutches
I hope you fools choose to listen: I drop jewels, bust it
These are the rules I follow in my life, you gotta love it
Jiggy jigger lookin’ gully in the joint
If y'all niggas ain’t talkin’ ‘bout large money…what's the point?
I’m gonna say not. While that portion could be taken as sarcasm, it doesn’t make sense with the whole of the song. Also, Jay shows again the power of simply adding emotion to your voice:
What, y'all ain't heard that nigga, Jay, high?
The Cristals, they keep me wet like Baywatch
I keep it tight for all the nights my mama prayed I'd stop
Said she had dreams that snipers hit me with a fatal shot
Those nightmares ma…
Those dreams you say you got
Give me the chills, but these mils, well, they make me hot
Y'all feel me…
Enough to stop the illin’, right?
But at the same time, these dimes keep me feelin’ tight
I'm so confused…
O. K., I'm gettin’ weeded now
I know I contradicted myself
Look, I don't need that now…
It’s just once in a blue when there's nothin’ to do and
The tension gets too thick for my sober mind to cut through
I get to zonin’
Me and the chick on the island and we're bonin’
I free my mind, sometimes I hear myself moanin’
Take one more toke and I leave that weed alone man
It got me goin’
6. D’evils – 5 stars
I remember when I first saw this title, my immediate thought was, “How stupid.” At first I was reminded of Cruella de Vil. Then I figured Jay would just pronounce the word as devils. But he doesn’t. He uses it as the contraction it is (da evils=d’evils). Since he does this alone, the idea that these evils are in fact devils in the individual’s life pervades. I like this far more.
Again, this is production which is fantastic. The track samples a gospel record and lays out an absolutely haunting beat. For the chorus, Snoop Dogg and Prodigy are sampled, creating an even more haunting atmosphere:
[Snoop]: Dear, God, I wonder, can you save me?
[Prodigy]: Illuminati want my mind, soul, and my body
[Snoop]: Dear, God, I wonder, can you save me?
[Prodigy]: Secret society, tryin’ to keep they eye on me
[Snoop]: Dear, God, I wonder, can you save me?
[Prodigy]: Illuminati want my mind, soul, and my body
[Snoop]: Dear, God, I wonder, can you save me?
I can’t die, I can’t die, I can’t die…
Jay then proceeds to detail the grittier side of hustling. While we saw some of the pains beforehand, here they get full attention from an utterly sober Jay. It’s honestly ridiculous how much people criticize this track. It’s funny to hear how many self-evangelizing Christians need to stop to say that the song is promoting a life without God and is the Devils work (Devil, D’evil, ha, they’re clever). This isn’t a song that self glorifies and it’s not about celebrating violence and thievery. If anything, this song denounces it. I read somewhere online where someone said it made sense for this to go right after Feelin’ It; while that was celebration of life to an almost ridiculous extreme, this one is total self-reflection and criticizing the lifestyle that allows you to live in the first place (instead of being stuck in the projects with the possibility of going nowhere or dying from a stray bullet or gangs).
The first verse starts off with a simple introduction - This shit is wicked on these mean streets/None of my friends speak/We're all tryin' to win. But then it immediately notes the problem from that - But then again/Maybe it's for the best though/’Cause when they're seein' too much/You know they’re tryin’ to get you touched.
While some are quick to say this is the best song Jay has ever made, I tend to shy away from that. The wordplay isn’t as high as I’d like (though it’s higher than some) and, to make up for that, what he says isn’t always as creative as it could be. For example:
That’s right, it’s wicked
Fast life, I live it
Ain’t askin’ for forgiveness for my sins, ends
I break bread with the late heads
Picking their brains for angles on all the evils that the game’ll do
It gets dan-ger-ous
Money and power is chan-ging us
And now we're lethal, infected with d’Evils...
While that has to be said, it’s not all that creative except for the “picking their brains for angles on all the evils that the game’ll do”. That was a bit creative. It doesn’t destroy the song – I still gave the thing a 5. But it doesn’t qualify it for best song ever, I think. Still, there’s a lot to it. There is some great word play, such as:
Throughout my Junior High years, it was all friendly
But now this Higher Learning got the Remy in me
Liquor’s invaded my kidneys
Got me ready to lick off, mama forgive me
The higher learning obviously ties in to after Junior High. Higher Learning was also a movie involving a Neo Nazi named Remy. So Jay’s saying as he gets older he becomes more cruel. Then, using that Remy, he ties it into the alcohol drink.
Stop screamin’, you know the demon said it's best to die
And even if Jehovah Witness, bet he'll never testify
I totally didn’t get that one for so long. One on my favorite lines ever.
During the second verse of the song, Jay starts to detail the story of one of his childhood friends who ends up having a baby. Due to him being a threat, Jay “kidnaps” the baby’s mother and gives her money to get information out of her. There’s the clever wordplay with:
My hand around her collar, feeding her cheese
She said the taste of dollars was shitty so I fed her fifties
About his whereabouts, I wasn't convinced
So I kept feedin’ her money ‘til her “shit” started to make sense
Who could ever foresee, we used to stay up all night at slumber parties
Now I'm tryin’ to rock this bitch to sleep
There’s the obvious plays where collar conjures up the idea of possession, cheese (slang for money) allows for the “’taste’ of money”, and the connection of staying at slumber parties (where you sleep over) to now trying to make her get to sleep. But there’s also the play for sense, where you could think of it as “cents” since the very business he’s in is about getting money.
Also, Jay again displays that emotion with the last line about the young mother, which probably says more than any other thing could have. From guilt probably, for helping in the eventual death of her baby’s father (for money, no less), the girl is crying:
All the years, we were real close
Now I see his fears through her tears, know, she wishin’ we were still close
Don't cry, it is to be
In time, I’ll take away your miseries and make ‘em mine…d'Evils…
Amazing song. Definite 5 stars.
7. 22 Two’s – 5 stars
Some hate the fact this is almost like a skit. I like it and it gives the album more of the feel that we’re living through this guy’s life. Basically, Jay’s at some nightclub and the hostess happens to notice Jay sitting down. She promptly notes that she had listened to his demo tape for RD and thought it was phat; being so, she tells him to come up and give a freestyle. The first verse is a play off of two, to, and too. While this is a freestyle and a lot of bragging ends up going into it, he does tend to spit a lot of actual truths, saying:
To all my brothers, it ain’t too late to come together
‘Cause too much black and too much love equal forever
And even when being defiant to those who criticize, he still gives the other side of the story:
Listen:
Too many bitches wanna be ladies
So if you a ho, I’mma call you a ho
Too many bitches is shady
Too many these ladies give these niggas too many chances
Too many brothers wanna be lovers – don’t know what romance is
For the hook (and the beat, actually), Jay uses A Tribe Called Quest’s Can I Kick it? Personally, I like the tribute to the older rap group. After the first verse, Jay leads into the second. Here’s where I have my one issue with the song. Jay uses the word faggot, though considering it is a freestyle and I’ve heard far worse for other ones, I could let it slide. It’s the only one of the album. All in all, the Big L line was probably more offensive and I had no problem with that. And it was 1996; can’t expect it to be progressive. In any case, through the rest of the verse, there’s good wordplay, such as:
I dip, speak quicker than you ever seen
Administer pain next the minister screamin’ your name
At your wake as I peak in – look in your casket,
Feelin’ sarcastic: “Look at him – still sleepin’”
The rhyming is good as well. The song ends with the hostess talking up Jay, considering he was starting his own record label to put out his record, something that wasn’t often done back then. Towards the end, the hostess stops and notices she smells weed. She immediately demands to cut the music and begins to lecture the group “that’s why our people don’t have anything: because we don’t know how to go in places and act properly”. A person there quickly responds, “Shut the fuck up!” The hostess, however, demands to know who it is and has the individual removed. For a genre that is supposed to be so incredibly rooted in misogyny, this is striking contrast, presenting a strong woman who is not robbed of her strength and treated with respect. This is part of the reason this album acts as such a strong album as well – there are these messages of building each other up, so long as you listen.
8. Can I Live – 5 stars
You’ve gotten to the point of the album where it’s just 5 stars after 5 stars. This track is just magnificent, however it is one of those which, if it weren’t for the production, it may not have been as good as it is. It starts in with slow piano, periodically dropping in trumpet blasts, during which Jay gives an classic intro:
“We invite you to – something epic, you know? Where we hustle out of a sense of hopelessness, sort of a desperation – through that desperation, we become addicted; sort of like the fiends we accustomed to serving. But we feel we have nothing to lose…so we offer you – well, we offer our lives. What do you bring to the table?”
At this point, you should be utterly astonished and asking, “What?” You’re selling me drugs and then have the audacity to say I should give something back to you? I owe you?? Leastwise, that was my reaction. While Jay has bragged about what he’s gained from the money from this, he’s never touched on his clientele, so to speak, before. But as you listen to the song, you start to see more.
While I'm watchin’ every nigga watchin’ me closely,
My shit is butter for the bread: they wanna toast me
I keep my head, both of them where they supposed to be
Hoes'll get you sidetracked, then clapped from closed feet
I don't sleep; I'm tired, I feel wired like codeine; these days
A brother gotta admire from four fiends away
By the way, that’s a great line: “…these days/A brother gotta admire from four fiends away”. So anyway, okay, it’s hard for you Jay, great, we get it. But then the emotion starts to shift:
My pain, wish it was quick to see
From sellin’ ‘caine ‘til brains was fried to a fricassee
Can't lie: at the time it never bothered me
At the bar gettin’ my thug on properly
My squad and me, lack of respect for authority
Laughin’ hard; happy to be escapin’ poverty, however brief
And you realize he knows what he’s doing. He gets it. He isn’t dumb. But what other choice does he have? Poor schools and he’s from the projects. There’s barely a way out. So he results to other stuff. To use other quotes:
Forgettin’ all I ever knew, convenient amnesia
I suggest you call my lawyer – I know the procedure…
Lock my body, can't trap my mind
Easily explain why we adapt to crime
I'd rather die enormous than live dormant, that's how we on it
And there it all is: I’d rather die enormous than live dormant. So if I’m confined to these little rooms where people could be shot and I’m crammed with a ton of other people as well and that’s the bottom of it all – well, then, I’m gonna take the chance to get a little bit more.
And suddenly that intro makes a little more sense. It’s representative of what he’s feeling. In a twisted way, if can begin to feel like the crack addicts and whatnot owe you something; after all, you’re risking your life every day, under constant pressure to keep it all together – dang, what are you doing? And while it isn’t right, that’s what this stuff can start doing to you. Which brings us to our spectacular chorus: Jay doesn’t even bother saying much of anything. It’s a simple trumpet fanfare and Jay asking, “Can I live?”. It’s absolutely great and moving.
For me the wordplay is okay. Others I’ve talked to seem to think it absolutely genius, but I think I’ve heard better from Jay. He’s an example of the wordplay on the song:
My mind is infested with sick thoughts that circle
Like a Lexus: if driven wrong, it’s sure to hurt you
Dual level like duplexes
That’s the mediocre stuff. Some of it’s good on here (like the “four fiends away” line), but it isn’t constant. The song makes up for it though in content, how it says that content, and the emotion delivered. I would actually be welcome to hear arguments that this is one of his best songs written, but anyway.
The streets school us to spend our money foolish,
Bond with jewelers, and watch for intruders
I stepped it up another level – meditated like a Buddhist
Recruited lieutenants with ludicrous dreams of gettin’ cream
Let's do this
It gets te-di-ous
So I keep one eye open like
C-B-S
Ya see me stressed, right?
9. Ain’t No Nigga – 3 stars
Originally I would have given this one or two stars. Were this a later Jay, I would have thought this a commercial song and him trying to dump down for his audiences. However, you could make argument for it. The song deals with infidelity. It isn’t sexist, I would argue, because after Jay drops his verses about women, Foxy Brown then does hers with her own commentary about men. The lyrics do have merit, having good word play and being witty. My major problem is the chorus:
Ain’t no nigga like the one I got
No one can fuck you better
Sleeps around but he gives me a lot
Okay, that might be harder justifying. Jay does mention that he does this track so that others back from where he lived that he knew could relate, he did it for them. It shows. The chorus kind of destroys the very powerful message in 22 Two’s and the entire thing doesn’t make much sense in the scheme of the album.
Can’t Knock the Hustle – song about the life he’s living now
Politics as Usual – politics of hustling
Brooklyn’s Finest – talks about the crimes he commits during the course of his hustling (psh, kinda; in a sense)
Dead Presidents II – discusses the money he’s making from this
Feelin’ It – enjoying the fruits of his labors
D’evils – reflects upon the evil he’s done due to this life he’s living
22 Two’s – takes a look at his personal life (at a bar) and shows he’s actually going to leave this game
Can I Live – demonstrates the toll this life can take on you
Ain’t No Nigga – talks about cheating on men and women…how is this at all related?
Lyrically, it’s not a bad song. As Jay said, a fun girl-guy call back and forth. But the hook really throws it off and makes it somewhat misogynist, the beat (sorry Jaz) isn’t that impressive, and it just doesn’t fit in with the grand scheme of things. 3 stars because the lyrics are creative and good wordplay, but the song should have been cut.
10. Friend or Foe – 5 stars
This a really short one (one minute and 49 seconds), but Jay makes up for it in what he demonstrates. It’s basically Jay dealing with a rival who was trying to take him out. He catches the guy before anything happens and kind of talks him down. I think Jay was simply demonstrating how impeccable his flow could be over a beat. Generally, a good MC will match with the beat, landing the words he rhymes on the drum taps (I actually think Jay does some reverse thing where he lands his rhymes between the drum taps). In any case, for the less polished rapper, this makes applying emotion and straying from this rigid pattern difficult. Jay seamlessly does it on this track. You’ve just gotta listen to it.
11. Coming of Age – 4 stars
This was another one of those beats that took a while to get used to. This song is basically Jay taking under his wing another person to teach the ropes to hustling. The song probably would have been better placed more towards the beginning, before all the realization of the horrid things he’s doing and to give some sense of time to the album, but oh well. The most marking about this track is the total contrast between Jay and Memphis Bleek (the younger “apprentice”). While Jay is cool, smooth, and handles the mic well, Bleek sounds young (I think he was actually 16 or something when he recorded it) and yells a lot, showing an eagerness and impatience. His flow seems more crude, too, as he tries to jam a ton of rhyme into one line at one point. Don’t know if it was intended, but the resulting contrast is good. Not much to say about this one. Logically, was needed topic-wise and it’s fun to listen to. No complaints
12. Cashmere Thoughts – 3 stars
I’m not sure when it started, but it kind of became a staple for rap artists to do a song about being a pimp, despite the fact that they may never have been one before. Again, this ruins the flow and concept of the album and once again kills the message on 22 Two’s. And this is sad, because the lyrics are pretty decent once again. I actually like the beat for this one. Again, should have been dropped, but three stars because there’s merit to the song. Heh, just don’t take it literally.
13. Bring it On – 5 stars
This one starts off with these guys talking while playing pool. I think they start to make fun of one of the guys and it ends with just, somewhat obnoxious laughter. The beat again takes a while to get used to, but the lyrics are great. I’ve always taken it, based off the beginning, that it’s about guys making fun of Jay and his business during hustling, which then kind of turns into a show off with Jay, Jaz-O, and Sauce Money showing they shouldn’t be messed around with…through rapping. Okay, so it’s a bit of a stretch, but the concept at least stays intact. I like the song because it does have this sort of gritty feel. Even the beginning where one of them is just talking, the word play is crude:
Hey, yo, Jay – word up
These motherfuckers is fucking talking that comeback shit like they cooking crack
Shit, I ain’t fronting – all I want my pockets green like Slim change, you know what I’m saying?
Front to roll back like rubbers, motherfucker
For real…with no trace of AIDS
We keep our pockets fully blown, Roc-a-Fella click
However, throughout the song, the wordplay is very clever and they say a lot of truth on the album. I personally think Jay got totally murdered on here (and it’s never good to be out-rapped on your own album), but we benefit from excellent verses from Jaz and Sauce Money. A lot of the references you’re unlikely to get the first time around (I still don’t get all of them), so it may take a while before you get all of it.
East coast hostess hostile colossal,
Money flarin’ like nostrils for drug dealin’ apostles
-Sauce Money
Great rhyming.
Said we was garbage, so fuck college
Street knowledge amazin’ to scholars when we coin phrases for dollars
-Sauce Money
That really says it all. Dead presidents is rather well known slang, yet was coined by rap. Above, for the last example I gave for Can I Live, Jay says dreams of getting cream. This term was originated with the Wu-Tang Clan song C. R. E. A. M. (Cash Rolls Everything Around Me). Since then, the term can be used for money, though it’s used less. Anyway, Sauce’s bar really says it all.
I'm into cheddick with facial credit
Pure platinum fetish for cheddars
Spread letters you move you're deadish
I make moves that remove pebbles out of shoes
You suck pistol like pipe with the Cristal
John Stockton couldn't assist you
-Jaz-O
Again, just crazy rhyming.
14. Regrets – 5 stars
Perfect song to close the album out with. The title denotes it all. Jay’s got a ton of regrets over what he’s doing. The first verse simply talks about nearly getting caught one time. While Jay normally doesn’t focus on many details and isn’t that much of a storyteller, he does for this verse, quite nicely. The second chorus gives us this haunting view of parents encouraging their children, quite nicely:
You used to hold me, told me that I was the best
Anything in this world I want I could possess
All that made me want is all that I could get at
In order to survive, gotta learn to live with regrets…
For the second verse, Jay notes the damage he’s doing to his own family by hustling.
My moms cryin’ cause her insides are dyin’
Her son tryin’ her patience, keep her heart racin’
A million beats a minute
I know I push you to your limit, but it’s this game, love
I’m caught up all in it
They make it so you can’t prevent it
Never give it, you gotta take it
Can’t fake it, I keep it authentic
My hand got this pistol, shakin’
‘Cause I sense danger like Camp Crystal Lake and
Don’t wanna shoot him, but I got him trapped within this infrared dot
‘Bout to hot him and hit rock bottom
No answers to these trick questions
The last one is this ingenious one where he remembers a friend of his who has passed away. As he recalls to the friend what has happened during his “absence”, he finally notes at the end:
Anyway, I ain’t tryin’ to hear it
I think I’m touched
This whole verse I been talkin’ to your spirit
A little too much…
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