These are the type of street truths that have garnered Roc-A-Fella Record's Jay-Z the multitudes of devout fan's that he has. They're strong, They're hard hitting and they're real.
As Hip-Hop enters yet another era of dimension, Jay-Z is emerging as the leading "Don" of the Rap game.He modestly explains his lyrical motivation as something that just comes to him. "It's just there," he says. "I don't write songs, they just form. I could be riding around, I'll think of a particular topic, rehearse it and immediately come up with the entire song." His penchant for knockin' out flavorful joints first became apparent when he burst onto the scene on "The Originators" with his man, Jaz, in 1990. Possessing a rapid-fire delivery combined with relevant and intriguing lyrics, his buzz soon spread when he went on to collaborate with Original Flavor on the notable "Can I Get Open?"
Reflecting on those days of scrambling and actively seeking a deal, Jay-Z notes his change in perspective introduced me to this whole thing as a business. And through seeing all the things that happened to him, I learned a lot. After going to a couple of A & R people, I soon realized that they couldn't understand where I was coming from, but I knew there was an audience of people who understood and really felt what I was going through."
Fate and the streets would lead Jay within the circle of young Harlem music entrepreneur Damon Dash, where an immediate alliance was made, and Roc-A-Fella Records was Born. "From all my experiences with Jaz, I felt that we could put together our own company. With Damon and our third partner Biggs, we thought we would be unstoppable with such a tight unit." The talent-heavy label is currently churning out hits with the hot R&B duo Christion, as well as honing a host of other young acts.
With the release of his stellar 1996 Gold debut entitled Reasonable Doubt, Jay-Z was soon to become a household name driven by the smash singles "Cant't knock the Hustle," "Feelin' it" and the Gold single "Ain't No N***" featuring rap diva Foxy Brown. Although Reasonable Doubt has been heralded as a certified classic by fans and critics alike, the humble Brooklyn MC is very quick to place his successful debut in its proper perspective. " I view the first album as an introduction," he explains. "Not to take away from it's success in any way, it was my first album and wasn't as intricate as this album, where I really took it there." In discussing this sophomore release, titled after his 1995 underground single, Jay-Z notes, "I was really concerned with finding a way to fully express where my head is at. I've experienced a lot within the last year, which I tried to bring to life on the album." These experiences include running a profitable record company, dealing withthe hectic schedule of life as an artist and other outside events that include the untimely passing of his Brooklyn partner in rhyme,The Notorious B.I.G., whom Jay has collaborated with on many occasions.
On In My Lifetime Vol.1 , Jay-Z, aka Jigga does succed his goals of bringing his life experiences to life through his rhymes. On "Rap Game/Crack Game," Jay-Z examines his move from street husstler to corporate CEO. "Coming from the street to a corporate business can be fustrating ," he ponders. "Although it is somewhat similar, there are a different set ot rules. I Worked through the frustratioon of the album, which served as an outlet for me."
The album feature collaboration with some of the greatest talents of the time. The hot leadoff single entitled"Sunshine," pairs Jay-A with his longtime Hip-Hop female counterpart Foxy Brown, as well as an appearance Foxy Brown, as well as an appearance by R&B superstar Babyface. Other appearances include Puff Daddy and Lil' Kim on "I Know What Girls Like," Too Short on "Real N****," Blackstreet featuring Tedy Riley on "The City is Mine," Trackmasterz on "Face Off," DJ Premier on bothe "Million & One Questions" and "Rhyme No Mo," as well as a host of others who contribted their talents to the project to enhance Jigga's second coming.
Commenting on the extensive list of appearances on the album, Jay-Z revealed the reasoning behind the all-star supporting cast. "Honestly, I went to them for selfish reasons," he gives up with a slight laugh. "Each artist fit the emotion or mood of the particular song. When I was making 'Sunshine', I was thinking who else could it be? With the mutual respect we have for one another it waas easy to make things happen with Foxy and Face." One of the album's most hard hitting jams is the emotional finale entitled "you Must Love me." In this song, Jay-Z meticulously details various personal and family trials and tribulations, events that his eyes and heart have experienced throughout the years. He admits that, "for that song, I couldn't just simply record it. i had to have some meetings within the family to talk about it to see how they felt before it was made."
I goes without saying that his family and the public are "feeling" Jay-Z. With a brief pause, he assertively states, "I want to be perceived as the thinker that I am. I do a lot of reflecting in my music about things I've observed, places I've been and things I've seen." Judging from the success of his debut album, the success of his company and the anticipation for In My Lifetime Vol.1, Jay-Z will no doubt come out on top in all regards.