Shawn Carter-the artist variously known as Jay-Z, Jigga, Jay-Hova, Hovito, Young ‘Hov, Young, S “Dot” Carter or simply Jay-is a lot smarter than you think.
You probably know he’s one of the best rappers but don’t really understand why. You probably think he only talks about “money, cash, and hoes,” but love his style anyway. You probably don’t see much substance, but still get down to his beats. Jay would probably respond to you, as he did on his landmark album The Blueprint, “Say that I’m foolish / I only talk about jewels / Do you fools listen to music / Or do you just skim through it?”
The great thing about Jay-Z is the subtlety of his brilliance-it takes work to discover every gem of wit or social commentary, and there’s certainly plenty of both.
He took over for his late friend and role model the Notorious B.I.G. as rap’s high-rollin’ storyteller of the streets. The Brooklyn-born crack dealer lives the good life without forgetting his roots. And Jay takes his role as ghetto ambassador seriously, stating on The Blueprint’s “The Ruler’s Back”: “I’m representin for the seat where Rosa Parks sat / Where Malcolm X was shot / Where Martin Luther was popped.”
Because of his rags-to-riches story, there are two completely distinct sides to his music. Contrasted against the upbeat anthems of sex and bling are the stark and touching chronicles of his life in the ghetto.
Nobody is more aware of this difference than Jay himself, and nobody more aptly describes it than he does on The Black Album’s “Public Service Announcement.” “I’m like Che Guevara with bling on, I’m complex.”
Some might wonder why he never chooses to display his depth on any of his singles, opting instead for clever yet relatively empty cuts like “Big Pimpin’” or “Excuse Me Miss.” Well, Jay has something to say about that too, on Black’s “Moment of Clarity”: “I dumb down for my audience and double my dollars / They criticize me for it but they all yell ‘Holla!’”
Jay has an unparalleled way of making a tragic, eye-opening point with a masterfully concise phrase or a poignant first-hand account of life in the ‘hood. And then there is, of course, the issue of Jay-Z’s supremacy in the rap game.
When many don’t give Jay the credit he deserves as an artist and poet, he gives himself enough to make up for it. Fortunately, he has wisely cooled down his boasting a small, but significant amount.
On The Blueprint’s “Hola Hovito” he controversially declared, “If I ain’t better than Big, I’m the closest one.” The Tupac faithful naturally took offense. Seeing how they’re both dead, it’s a touchy subject.
Now he humbly proclaims himself “the best rapper alive,” which is indeed hard to dispute. The only other rappers legitimately vying for the title are Nas, Eminem, and 50 Cent. Jay’s popularity, cultural impact, lyrical flow, wit, heart and experience put him slightly above the contenders.
The Black Album is supposedly Jay-Z’s last studio LP, and is certainly one of his best. He has talked of retirement as an MC for years. The question remains, though, whether he will be the Seinfeld of retirement-leaving the game when he’s on top and all eyes are on him-or the Michael Jordan-not being able to resist returning, still one of the greatest, but without the grand exit.
One thing’s for sure. Whatever you think about Jay-Z, he knows it, and he’ll use it to his advantage. As he says on “Can’t Knock the Hustle,” from his first album Reasonable Doubt, “Got the US Open / Advantage Jigga.”
