Write Black at You

Jay-Z: The Journey of an Icon

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[29 September 2009]

We can debate this greatest rapper business from now until the end of time. Let's just say Jay-Z is the greatest hip-hop icon ever, and call it a day.

By Roland Laird

A few years ago some friends and I got into a barbershop-esque email discussion, the aim of which was to determine, once and for all, who was the greatest hip-hop MC of all time. No question that discussions like these take place daily on street corners, barbershops and blacktops throughout America. It’s also no question that these discussions never come to consensus. The best you can say is that MC’s like Rakim, KRS-One, Notorious B.I.G, Nas, Jay-Z and LL Cool J are typically on the list, along with the hottest rapper of the day.

As the conversation meandered on, one of my friends brought down the hammer and said,  “We can debate this greater rapper business from now until the end of time. Let’s just say Jay-Z is the greatest hip-hop icon ever, and here’s why: 1) Longevity 2) Rap Skills/Prolificiness 3) Street Credi4) Marketability and 5) Business Holdings. Do I need to break it down anymore?” He didn’t, but since not everyone is a hip-hop head like my friends and me, I will.

Longevity
Jay-Z has hovered around recorded hip-hop since 1989, but since his first album Reasonable Doubt was released in June of 1996, let’s say he’s been out front for nearly 14 years. Though there are a few rappers who have been around longer—most notably Will Smith, LL Cool J, Queen Latifah and KRS One-—14 years is a long time in hip-hop. Add to it that Jay-Z has recorded consistently for those 14 years so it’s safe to say that he definitely gets high marks for longevity.

Rap Skills/Prolificness
In “Ether” Nas’ classic battle tune against Jay-Z, he chastises Jay for being a flunky and a waterboy to Brooklyn rappers Jaz and the legendary Big Daddy Kane. Unfortunately, what Nas viewed as being a waterboy was actually a hip-hop apprenticeship. Like all the greats, Jay-Z paid his dues studying his craft from the ground up. In any field this is the best way to learn. If you were to listen to Jay-Z pre-1996, you’d hear a talented rapper still looking for his own distinct sound. For instance, in 1990 on Jaz’s “The Originator” video, Jay deployed a speed rap style that was effective but clearly not unique.

Four years later in 1994 when he recorded his first solo video “I Can’t Get With That”, Jay had slowed his flow down, but still made use of the wiggity wiggity, diggity diggity style of Das Efx. Still you could hear a much more unique style emerging.

By 1996 Jay had worked out the majority of his stylistic and song writing kinks. So when Reasonable Doubt was released that year, it was not your typical debut album. Instead it was a 15 song musical and lyrical tour de force that demonstrated that not only could Jay go toe-to-toe freestylin’ with Notorious B.I.G on “Brooklyn’s Finest”, but he could also wax intropsective about the guilt and emotional drain of drug dealing on “Can I Live” and “Regrets”.

To put the accomplishment of Reasonable Doubt in perspective, let me flash back to a conversation I had with a young record executive at Flavor Unit back in 1993. At the time we were both attending a breakout session at the “Black Music Expo”. During that session there was an opportunity for unsigned rappers to show their stuff. The best of the bunch was a young rapper from Asbury Park, New Jersey that went by the moniker of “Darkman”. By all accounts, this cat was bananas and had everybody in the crowd noddin’ and boppin to his flow.

After the session, I asked the exec what he thought about “Darkman”. His answer was as cogent as it was succinct, “He was nice as hell, but can he make songs? People don’t buy freestyles, they buy songs. The people that are the nicest with freestyles are usually the worst songwriters.”

This lesson about freestyling and songwriting was something that Jay-Z learned well during his apprenticeships with Jaz and Big Daddy Kane. Jaz was a great freestyler from Jay-Z’s Marcy Projects. The problem was his songs were not well structured, so his label had to take action.

What they did was have him write and performs songs like “Hawaian Sophie” that just weren’t representative of his persona or his skill set. On the other hand, while Jaz struggled, Big Daddy Kane flourished because he was able to write songs and was still able to throw in a freestyle from time to time. Jay-Z applied these lessons learned to Reasonable Doubt and it’s a big reason the album is viewed as a classic and has had such an impact on hip-hop.

Reasonable Doubt was so good that most rappers would have rested on their laurels and maybe come out with a couple of other albums that were solid but not great. Not Jay-Z. He continued to work on his skills and grow as an artist and never coasted. So in these past 14 years Jay-Z has produced 11 albums, and of those 11, only one- In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 has possibly been questionable.

To put Jay’s prolificness in better perspective, let’s look at Jay’s closest rivals: LL Cool J and KRS One. LL Cool J’s first album Radio came out in 1985—11 years earlier than Reasonable Doubt. In 24 years, LL has released 12 studio albums—only one more than Jay. Meanwhile KRS One’s first album Criminal Minded was released in 1987. In 22 years, KRS has released 20 albums. An impressive feat, but though KRS releases album’s at a slightly higher rate than Jay, his albums haven’t had the same consistent quality level that Jay’s have.

Simply put, the combination of Jay-Z’s rap skills and prolificness are second to none.

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Comments

GREAT ARTICLE ,

Comment by chichi — September 29, 2009 @ 9:47 am

Not the greatest ever…but ONE of the greatest ever. As far as icons are concerned..there are several some not named in the article like Run DMC. That group broke down barriers that were once thought of as unbreakable. This was during a time period when nationwide black radio stations didn’t play Hip Hop. They did more with less than JayZ has with all the access in the world. JayZ like others during the internet age have all types of access that wasn’t afforded to cats like Run DMC, Will Smith, Cool J etc…but not to undermine his importance to the culture…he IS taking advantage of what is available to him and taking Hip Hop to places where it hasn’t gone b4. But those accomplishments just solidify him as ONE of the greats, not the greatest.

Comment by Dj Sci_Fi from Planet Earth — September 29, 2009 @ 11:14 am

wow. not even a mention of 2Pac or Wu-Tang.

Comment by gusto08 — September 29, 2009 @ 11:16 am

That was a terrible article! To even compare the accomplishments of Hip Hop Legends like LL Cool J and Russell “Rush” Simmons with Jay Z is absurd. Don’t get me wrong I think Jay Z is a good artist. But he was a frontier man for nothing in Hip Hop. He might be the hottest rap artist now because of articles like this that will persuade the masses that he is the hottest thing out there, but please explain to me how he can be better then two people that he clearly try’s to emulate. It’s apparent that when it comes to that certain swagger that all Hip Hop artists want, LL Cool J is the man that invented it. That certain balance between having the Ladies love you and the men fear you. The guy that all the other men want as there friend. Tell me one rapper that truly doesn’t fear a battle from LL and one rappers lady that hasn’t dreamed about him. (Jay Z included). As far as Jay to Russell well that is just stupid, There is and will always be one true Pioneer of Hip Hop. The man that Put hip Hop into mainstream, which put hip hop in white suburbia that crossed over to many cultures and countries and that is Russell Simmons. So before you compare a good rapper and a good business man to Great Hip Hop Legends think about it first!!! Respect the people that gave a future to Jay Z and all the other rappers that came up in the early nineties. These guys were hustling in the early and mid eighties to pave the way!!!!

Comment by GILBERT from Texas — September 29, 2009 @ 11:34 am

In response to some of the previous comments, I do think that this article gives utmost respect and props to the pioneers of hip hop even if they aren’t considered the greatest hip-hop icon.

Personally, I think it is way too soon to crown an icon (the true icon will only appear years after their death ... unless they’re Elvis who faded into obscurity and rose from his own ashes two or three times to show off that he is an icon to be remembered) and especially too soon to say that there is a “Greatest” icon. 

The aspects missing from this article, though, are those very things that distinguish the hip-hop scene from other scenes.  What has Jay-Z done for the B-Boy scene?  The Graffiti scene?  And where is the mention of what he added for producers (I mean, I would attribute Danger Mouse’s fame to Jay-Z’s Black Album and what DM did to it).  The unfortunate thing is that those other aspects of the hip-hop scene have fallen by the wayside as we all focus on the rappers ... yet there must be the underground hustlers out there showing off skills in more of these areas than just the rapping. 

When a “Greatest” is crowned, they will have a hand in the full spectrum of art that is Hip-Hop.  I don’t think we’ve seen it yet.  While the pioneers have definitely blazed paths that are important for the current performers, I would hesitate to call them the icons.  After all, to recall the example I used earlier, Elvis did not invent anything.  He stole it from just about everyone, but allowed the package to coalesce around him.  Similarly, we will see a hip-hop start emerge that will have the entire scene revolve around him.  Someone like Afrika Bambaataa, DJ Kool Herc ... only new and benefiting from the steps that the pioneers made for him/her (we can’t ignore females here either).

Comment by Gabriel from US — September 29, 2009 @ 1:20 pm

Jay-z is absolutely hip-hops greatest icon. He has 11 consecutive number one albums which means he has remained relevant for a longer period of time then any other rapper. He also spent a period of time as the president of Def Jam, which can probably be considered hip-hop’s flagship label. People like LL Cool J and Russel Simmons definitely paved the way for Jay-Z but they never have approached long term iconic status that Hov now has. Also I’m sorry, but Jay-z destroys LL on the mic. Any LL material released in the last ten years has been corny as hell.

Comment by Peter — September 29, 2009 @ 3:42 pm

I get that he’s dope and he is one of the greatest icons in the culture but I’ll explain this…his business acumen is incredible but the same could be said for Russell (who did it 1st). Lyrical flow?? He’s having the same impact as Nas & BIG had on JayZ and others in the mid to late 90’s. Yes he more popular than they are only because (a) he’s still here making music(RIP BIG) (b) he has incredible access to things those other dudes(DMC, Herc, Bam etc) don’t. The playing field isn’t the same. Those pioneers started with no corporate backing, media exposure and major record deals what you and I have become to love. Jay is a product of that…yes he is great but as far as icons…he’s not the greatest. It’s kinda hard to have a “Greatest” when the generation gap and the analog/digital age separates cats like a KRS, Run Dmc etc… Yes JayZ is perhaps the greatest of his ERA but NOT all time. I say perhaps cause even though this guy wasn’t a top 5 emcee while he was alive, 2Pac has def. influenced a generation AFTER he passed. He became larger than life. In the defense of Will Smith-he not only opened the door for other hip hop artists to get on prime-time tv(no one did it before him), he also became one of biggest and most recognizable faces in the world. Hip-Hop opened that door for him. Also everyone has there moment where they’re no longer relevant. Just look at LL Cool J. He’s been here since 1985 and was Hip Hop’s 1st superstar. Women loved him, Dudes feared/respected him. He also had the clothing(FUBU), Movies/TV, Books etc…and still making hits until maybe 2004(his last hit). JayZ has had a lot of success and will go down as one of the greats but he hasn’t spearheaded anything that wasn’t done before him either.

Comment by Dj Sci_Fi from Planet Earth — September 29, 2009 @ 4:42 pm

Fantastic article, thorough and precise. I agree and for those who don’t you might want to read it again, especially those backing LL. Uncle L did a GREAT job in the early Def Jam years of bringing hip hop to the forefront, but he’s in love with movies and working out more than expanding his craft. His last 3 albums (if not more) are straight coasters (in the literal sense).

Comment by slims from TDot — September 29, 2009 @ 7:16 pm

— PopMatters sponsor —

Well I don’t want to turn this into a LL vs. J/Z (goat) debate, but let’s be honest and knowledgeable about our information. Please don’t say that LL was only there for the early yrs. I will say that his last three albums were not some of his better work. With that being said then the “Radio” single came out in 1984 and “The Definition” album came out in 2004! Do the math, that’s twenty yrs of great Hip Hop. Having hit after hit and redefining himself as the times and culture changed but always staying true to what he believes. LL Cool J is and always will be an icon in the rap industry. He laid the path of success for all artists to follow in becoming a true MC and having the pop success combined. LL did not have albums called “The Blueprint” LL Cool J was the Blueprint!!!!!

Comment by GILBERT from Texas — September 30, 2009 @ 10:36 am

I don’t believe the criteria for this article are relevant to hip-hop. The four pillars of hip-hop are: MCing, DJing, breaking, and graffiti. Street cred, marketability, business holdings, and even longevity are not true considerations. In fact, marketability and longevity are basically the same thing [can you have longevity with no marketability?], and street cred and business holdings are almost contradictory terms [can one really be the man and be the Man?].

Jay-Z may be a fine businessman, but in terms of historical hip-hop relevance, he can’t do much of anything outside of dribbling rhymes about girls, money, and being intoxicated. At best, he’s got one of the actual four pillars covered, and even that is arguable. Sure, he is technically a good rapper, but he’s one of thousands. He just happens to be the most popular as of 2009, likely a result of his good business sense, which has nothing to do with his worth as a musician.

If marketability, street cred, prolificness, longevity, and business holdings are the only standards of judgement for an MC, Mike Shinoda [Linkin Park] and Fred Durst would be rap legends. Hell, Chad Kroeger could be argued as the greatest rapper alive if he just spoke a couple verses [after all, Nickelback has consistently sold more albums than 50 Cent]. That’s ridiculous, and an insult to the founders of hip-hop.

I’d take Immortal Technique over Jay-Z any day. Sure, IT’s highly politicized subject matter has a shorter shelf-life than booty and booze anthems, and his marketability and business holdings are next to nil, but at least he’s got both MCing and Afrika Bambaataa’s fifth pillar, knowledge [i.e. the kind of social conscience that made Public Enemy, KRS-One, and the likes so relevant, those who produced music by and for the people, not just for the image].

Nothin’ but love for LL, Run-DMC, Paris, Jungle Brothers, Gang Starr, Arrested Development, Black Sheep, Del Tha Funky Homosapien, A Tribe Called Quest, Fu-Schnickens, The Pharcyde, and Cypress Hill.

Comment by Alan Ranta from Vancouver, BC — October 1, 2009 @ 11:50 am

Obviously you have not listened to much Jay-Z my friend.. IT definitely has interesting subject matter, but in terms of flow and lyrical complexity HOV destroys him.

Comment by Peter — October 1, 2009 @ 12:12 pm

I was big into Jay-Z for a few years there [The Dynasty through The Black Album]. I still have a Big Pimpin’ money clip, regrettably. I see more to rap than flow, though, since everyone signed to a label has at least a passable flow, and no one is close to the lyrical complexity of Busdriver, Gift Of Gab, or even MF Doom, but none of those guys are ever mentioned in any “greatest MCs” discussion.

Comment by Alan Ranta from Vancouver, BC — October 1, 2009 @ 12:56 pm

I agree that the aforementioned dudes all have complex lyrics, and that most people signed to a label have a passable flow. I guess what it comes down to for me though is when you look at Jay’s catalog he has more heaters then anyone because he has stayed consistently ill over an extended period of time. He’s made at least two or three classic albums and many other good ones, which I don’t think you can say about too many other people. Also what Jay does with mixing up his rhyme schemes and wordplay is truly genius. That said I’m down with all of the people you’ve talked about, Madvillainy is for sure one of my favorite hip-hop albums of all time.

Comment by Peter — October 1, 2009 @ 1:27 pm

Definitely! It’s a matter of a persons’ opinion and a specific point of view. I personally like the article and the case the writer made for his opinion on Jay-Z’s iconic status, but I also like the comments from some of the knowledgeable bloggers reputing the article, which make me that much more knowledgeable on some things I didn’t know or just didn’t know how to put together when discussing some of the points of views I have, not supporting all of what Jay-Z does & stands for and not knowing how to express them; Like the fact that he is no innovator in the Hip-Hop community, everything he has done has been done by others at a less fortunate time or better yet an infant state in the Hip-Hop game (Far less acceptance stage of the culture 80’s), he just happened to be at the right place at the right time (More acceptable stage of the culture - Digital age of the 90’s) and knew what to do with the opportunity given to him by life, ex. B.I.G. & Tupac’s death, while they were alive Jay-Z was virtually a nobody to popular culture & probably would have remained a 2nd class citizen in Hip-Hop if they were alive today; but like I said B.I.G. & Tupac are not here today and nobody truly knows what everyone’s place in Hip Hop would have been today, and at the time Nas’ introvert & conflicting personality showed he was not cut out to take the roll that Jay-Z relished, as the self acclaimed King of Hip-Hop, although Nas lyrically was and still is quite capable. Jay-Z did & still is doing a good job with his far superior lyrical skills than most in the game and his acute business sense too is above most, Jay-Z knows where the money is and so he keeps giving the majority percent of Hip-Hop’s community (Youngin’s) what they want, lots of party music, still talking about jewelry, drinking, pimping, etc.; but to me, I think, that will be his place in Hip Hop’s history, when you look back 20, 30, 40 years from now, he will be viewed in my eyes, as well as, many others of the more conscious Hip-Hop fans, as the Elvis Presley of Hip Hop (No innovator, but truly popular & iconic in his own right) & others like Tupac, Nas, Public Enemy, NWA, Mos Def, Common, Black Thought, as the Bob Dylan’s & John Lennon’s with by far, more social, political, meaningful concepts in their musical catalog. To me personally, I’d much rather be regarded as a John Lennon, Bob Dylan, than an Elvis Presley in the grand scheme of things called LIFE!  One Love!

Comment by RA aka CHI from New York, NY — October 5, 2009 @ 12:11 pm

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