Thursday, April 1, 2010

Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt (1996)



Yes, I too used to like Jay-Z a WHOLE LOT. If you aint notice this Throwback Thursday is aimed at 1996. When Hip Hop was still Hip Hop and we had MCs who spit about reality and daily living, the struggles of The Inner and Outer cities, slavery, freedom, revolution.
In other words, WHEN HIP HOP WAS MOST CRUCIAL!




Reasonable Doubt is mines - as well as everybody else's - Favorite Jay-Z album EVER. Period. Jay-Z has not topped this album yet, Lyrically.
I am not about to break down this album song to song, Jay aint that damn important. I'm sure many of ya'll are aware of the whole Master Mason, Illuminati shit. Whether that's true or not, is not up for debate here, I will leave that up to your own system of belief.

Right off the bat on 22 2's Jay shows he is a Master Lyricist and this never ceases from start to end of the entire LP. This album also features the controversial Dead Presidents II... a song which samples the voice of fellow Veteran MC NaS, this song began an epic beef, one of the biggest in Hip Hop history second to the B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur beef. But, it was a beef that the public didn't understand until 2001, when Jay-z dropped Takeover, aimed at Prodigy and NaS. NaS answered back with Ether, almost ending the career of Jay-Z with a single blow!

Regrets is another gem besides the Biggie Smalls feature. Many of these tracks got me thru the days. I am sure many others can relate!

Hip Hop needed this album, that is the main reason I felt the need to post this. It's Throwback Thursday and respect is due where respect is due. Sure, new Jay-Z can NEVER touch this Jay and that we all know but COP THIS ALBUM if you been focused on new Jay.

CONCLUSION:
Lyrics= A
Production= A+
Replayability Level= 9.5
Overall= A
the only thing keeping this work from receiving an A+ is that sometimes the direction wasn't all too clear on this joint, one point he is uplifting the people, the next he mentions illuminati, and then the rest is Drugs, hoes and violence.




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