![]() Often compared against Reasonable Doubt, this effort was a return to form in Jay’s talk-rapping. Initially planned to include involvement from DJ Premier, Ski Beatz and Irv Gotti, the shape of the mysterious exit-album changed greatly with the burgeoning sound coming from Baseline and Roc The Mic Studios, courtesy of Just Blaze and Kanye West. Late 2003 was defined by Jay’s eighth solo LP, an album designed to be an a la carte walk-through of Jay’s many movements throughout the previous decade and change. It makes sense after all, when you consider the sonic range of Jay’s albums, and yet how he makes them cohesive.įew albums in Jay Z’s catalog are more definitive and cohesive than The Black Album. Is that what makes Jay so special? The same MC who is unafraid to deliver “Ignorant Shit” and maintain friendships with Presidents is the same guy who can channel all of his influences. This was the same album as “Big Pimpin’,” a time when Jay also made “Hey Papi” (all three Timbo tracks, mind you). 3’s “Some Like It (Hot),” Jay’s delivery rivaled a chopped-and-screwed flow. singles in years prior.įor one of the fastest rappers, Jay Z could also challenge then-kings Ma$e and Silkk The Shocker as one of the slowest. ![]() Similarly, with Atlanta-based impersario (oops, my bad, that’s impresario) Jermaine Dupri on “Money Ain’t A Thang.” From outside the projects with Kane to racing Ferraris and Porsches with JD, Jay brought his flow with him for five years, using it when necessary, and with synths and a chorus, making a radio hit when he was unable with Payday, Big Beat/Atlantic and Cold Chillin’/Warner Bros. “Nigga What, Nigga Who? (Originator 99)” lived up to its name eight years later, inviting “Big Jaz” (as he was then-known) to the track for a lyrical exhibition of speed and style. Balancing his signature inclusions from DJ Premier and Puffy’s Hitmen, Jigga enlisted Timabaland, whose beats had challenged the flows rappers brought to radio at the time, courtesy of Missy Elliott. 2…Hard Knock Life was a Brooklyn play on the growing popularity of Southern-production in Hip Hop. In a career that defies stagnation, Jay brought it full circle nearly five years later. From his sophomore album, “Where I’m From” feels less like rapping than it does rhyming-talking, the ultimate voice-over to a film you can imagine off of experience. In the mid-1990s, Jay Z helped trademark an effortless flow of narration. However, when you think of these type of MC’s, one artist that probably doesn’t come to mind, but should is Jay Z. Eminem, another Midwest artist, is one of the greats. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony or Twista & The Speedknot Mobstaz are undoubtedly choppers. ![]() However, becoming a fan of Tech N9ne, I learned that MC’s have been choppin’ for years.Ĭhoppin’ is a Midwestern slang-term for fast-rapping, that uses syllables and syncopated deliveries to accent the delivery. To me, choppin’ is usually something that comes to mind when I think about Large Professor, Buckwild and DJ Premier production. It wasn’t until the last three years that I heard the term “choppin’.” I knew the expression of “choppers” long before Diddy sent Young City and company out for cheesecakes. On the heels of Magna Carta Holy Grail and its conversation-monopolizing release, perhaps we spend too much time looking at what Jay says, and not how he says it. One of my favorite voices, on and off record, has found many different methods to provide his knowledge, wisdom, inspiration, and pencil-thin-truth-meet-fiction over the last 20-plus years. While it’s hard for me to compare things I love to things that I don’t, I can draw a parallel to Jay Z. What worked two years ago may have gone unseen last season, only to reappear at a critical juncture in the season ahead. Although not a fan (au contraire), I often marvel at the dynamic strategies of Bill Bellichick, Tom Brady, and the New England Patriots.įrom season-to-season, the three-time Super Bowl champions reinvent their offense, from run-game, to pass-game, in-the-pocket and out, with different strengths and characters emerging based on the resources they have in place. ![]() As another NFL season loads up, the sports news cycle is dominated by teams, offenses, depth charts and injury reports.
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