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- 3 min
- Christopher R. Weingarten,Elias Leight,Mosi Reeves,Al Shipley,Jason Newman,Christina Lee,David Drake,Maura Johnston,Dan Hyman
- "Where I'm From" (1997) Producer Ron “Amen-Ra” Lawrence was record-hunting in 1996 when he found soul singer Yvonne Fair’s “Let Your Hair Down” and tried, as he tells Rolling Stone, “giving it a sinister soundtrack feel.”
- "Dead Presidents II" (1996) Released in February 1996, the original “Dead Presidents” found Jay-Z twisting lyrics about fake thugs “scared to throw your toast,” and spouting claims about “representing infinity with presidencies,” all in a deftly loquacious style that bore the hallmarks of peak Mafioso rap.
- "Big Pimpin'" feat. UGK (2000) When the Mariah Carey-stamped single “Things That U Do” failed to pick up on the charts in its first two months as a single off Jay’s Vol.
- "99 Problems" (2004) Jay-Z paid Rick Rubin a visit to “recapture that feeling I had when I was a kid,” as he explained in documentary Fade to Black. What came out of that session did have vintage heavy metal riffery reminiscent of Rubin’s Eighties work with LL Cool J and Beastie Boys, but lyrically it was a blistering, modern-day critique, taking aim at those who demonize him as a black man and rapper.
- "Heart of the City (Ain't No Love)" (2001) "First the Fat Boys break up, now every day I wake up/Somebody got a problem with Hov" is one hell of an opening line, and the start of Jay-Z's best song, on which he laments the haters predicting his eventual downfall.
- "Big Pimpin'" (feat. UGK) (1999) At the height of the 1990s territorial rap wars, cross-geographic collaborations were rare. So when Jay-Z teamed up with Texas-born legends UGK for this song, it felt groundbreaking.
- "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" (1998) Sampling is part and parcel of the rap genre, so it takes a lot to surprise fans. But this 1998 single caught everyone off guard with its usage of the classic Annie show tune, a major departure from the usual jazz/soul/pop songs producers interpolated.
- "99 Problems" (2003) Rick Rubin was one of the dominant producers of the early rap scene, but he had largely left the genre behind when Jay-Z connected with him in 2003.
Aug 31, 2023 · Jay-Z’s 20 best tracks – ranked! Jay-Z in New York, 2000. Photograph: Anthony Barboza/Getty Images. Twenty-five years after his biggest-selling album Vol 2… Hard Knock Life, we appraise...
- 4 min
- Alexis Petridis
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Jun 24, 2021 · The Ringer’s 100 Best Jay-Z Songs, Ranked. In honor of the 25th anniversary of ‘Reasonable Doubt,’ we’re counting down the best of Hov’s best, from his days with Jaz-O to the present ...
- The Ringer Staff
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- Jay-Z, "Girls, Girls, Girls" Chart Peak: 17, Peak Date: Dec. 12, 2001. With “Girls, Girls, Girls,” Hova introduces the world to his female encounters “across the globe.”
- Usher feat. Jay-Z, "Hot Tottie" Chart Peak: 21, Peak Date: Oct. 30, 2010. Usher taps King Hov for “Hot Tottie,” whose title is a variation of the cold-weather-favorite alcoholic beverage hot toddy.
- Jay-Z and Kanye West feat. Otis Redding, "Otis" Chart Peak: 12, Peak Date: Aug. 13, 2011. Otis Redding’s “Try a Little Tenderness” is sampled throughout Jay and Ye’s track named after the legendary blues singer.
- Jay-Z, "Show Me What You Got" Jay-Z reminds us of what he’s got in the first single off Kingdom Come, which dropped three years after his previous solo studio album.
Dec 6, 2019 · All 285 Jay-Z Songs, Ranked From Worst to Best. All-time classics, unfortunate clunkers, and more. By John Kennedy. Illustration by: Jaya Nicely/Vulture. If Jay-Z had his way back in...
Mar 20, 2018 · The 100 Best Jay-Z Songs | Complex. From crossover anthems like “Big Pimpin’” to ruthless diss tracks like “The Takeover,” Jay-Z has more great songs than he has problems.We sifted...
