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“Filled with vivid storytelling of street hustling, drug trafficking, and Brooklyn bravado in both its lyrics and skits, Hova's debut studio album brought kingpin tall tales to popular culture without sacrificing any authenticity in its portrait of the criminal underworld.”
B-High talking about JayZ’s knowledge x perspective on the rap game while coming up.
“9 to 5 is how you survive, I ain’t tryna survive. I’m tryna live it to the limit & love it a lot”
A late bloomer in the rap game, a young JayZ still grinding in the underworld. The stories told on his debut album would grow from these experiences.
A late bloomer in the rap game, a young JayZ still grinding in the underworld. The stories told on his debut album would grow from these experiences.
JayZ explaining how these experiences effected his writing process.
After some convincing from DJ Clark Kent, JayZ puts more efforts into pursuing a rap career. Opening shows for one of raps pioneers, 80s legend, Big Daddy Kane & fellow Brooklyn MC, JazO. The now heavily scrutinized rapid, double time flow can be traced to these influences.
1989, “Had the cable with the anchor when Jaz made Sophie...”
JayZ makes an appearance on JazO’s “Hawaiian Sophie”.
JayZ makes an appearance on JazO’s “Hawaiian Sophie”.
1990, “The Originators” JazO x JayZ
* “Jigga What, Jigga Who (Originators 99)” would later appear on the Vol2: Hard Knock Life album as the sequel to this record.
* “Jigga What, Jigga Who (Originators 99)” would later appear on the Vol2: Hard Knock Life album as the sequel to this record.
1991, on the road with Big Daddy Kane.
In hindsight ppl slander this flow but peep the crowd reactions to the double time flow in the early 90s. The style was still fresh & considered cool.
In hindsight ppl slander this flow but peep the crowd reactions to the double time flow in the early 90s. The style was still fresh & considered cool.
1994, “Show & Prove” with Big Daddy Kane, Sauce Money, Shyheim, ODB.
JayZ would also appear on Original Flavor’s “Can I Get Open” in 94. The group was managed by Dame Dash.
JayZ would also appear on Original Flavor’s “Can I Get Open” in 94. The group was managed by Dame Dash.
1994-1995, After several failed attempts at landing a major record deal, through DJ Clark Kent, JayZ links with Dame Dash x Kareem Biggs Burke to launch their own record company, Rocafella Records. Together they secure a distribution deal with Freeze/Priority Records.
Dame Dash, Ski Beatz & Kevin Liles speaking on Rocafella records mentality.
1994, live in nyc, making noise on the underground rap scene
1994, “In My Lifetime (Original)” one of the earliest Rocafella releases. Sold out the trunk by JayZ, Dame, Biggs & the Rocafella crew. The Remix would later get an official release on the Streets is Watching movie soundtrack.
1995, JayZ’s 1st official press shoot x Dead Presidents pt1/ 5 Track Reasonable Doubt sampler vinyl. JayZ, Dame & the rest of the Rocafella team stocked NYC shelves with these vinyls.
S/O @AintNoJigga for posting pics of the A/B side vinyl.
S/O @AintNoJigga for posting pics of the A/B side vinyl.
1995, Freestyle over Mobb Deep’s Shook Ones x “Coming of Age”. One of Memphis Bleek’s earliest live performances.
1995, Big L x JayZ freestyle on the underground HipHop radio show, Stretch x Bobbito. Recorded at Columbia University in NYC.
Big L was in talks to sign with Rocafella Records prior to his death. RIP Big L
Big L was in talks to sign with Rocafella Records prior to his death. RIP Big L
February 1996, JayZ “officially” releases “Dead Presidents”, the 1st single off Reasonable Doubt. The song gains regular airplay on MTV & BET becoming JayZ’s 1st gold single (500k copies sold) by June 96.
Now famous photographer, Jonathan Mannion, who shoot the RD album cover, discussing what he saw in JayZ after hearing Dead Presidents1. & Ski Beatz explaining how Nas inspired him to produce the record. Mannion would go on to shoot album covers for DMX, Eminem & Kendrick Lamar.
Produced by Ski Beatz, the song samples “A Garden of Peace” by Lonnie Liston Smith & “Oh My God” by Tribe Called Quest.
Here’s Ski x JayZ breaking down the song’s production & creative process.
JayZ on the relationship between himself x the producers involved.
1996, Dead Presidents pt1.
1996, Reasonable Doubt tour.
Ppl will tell you JayZ was a “nobody” in 96 tho. Look at these crowd reactions. He was a major player on the underground scene. Just hadn’t blew up yet. Keep in mind, all of this was being done as an independent act.
Ppl will tell you JayZ was a “nobody” in 96 tho. Look at these crowd reactions. He was a major player on the underground scene. Just hadn’t blew up yet. Keep in mind, all of this was being done as an independent act.
Lil Cease of Jr Mafia explaining Biggie’s reaction to Dead Presidents in 96. “BIG thought Hov was nicer than him”
DJ Clark Kent, Biggie’s DJ, explaining how “Dead Presidents pt1” motivated BIG to add another verse to Who Shot Ya.
“JayZ’s the best MC I ever heard, BIG’s the best rapper I ever heard”
“JayZ’s the best MC I ever heard, BIG’s the best rapper I ever heard”
Biggs explaining JayZ’s reaction to Who Shot Ya. The record would motivate JayZ to write 3 songs that would make Reasonable Doubt. Highlighting how the competitiveness in both Brooklyn MCs fueled each other.
& Preemo on the disrespect the ROC faced early on from record execs
& Preemo on the disrespect the ROC faced early on from record execs
The success of Dead Presidents would land JayZ a guest host spot on Yo! MTV Raps on the Reasonable Doubt press run.
The original Reasonable Doubt tracklist under the working title “Heir To The Throne”. JayZ would later switch the album title, believing the original was a little too brazen.
1996, Stress Magazine cover during the Reasonable Doubt press run. 1 of JayZ’s earliest magazine covers.
JayZ x Foxy Brown performing the 2nd single off Reasonable Doubt, “Ain’t No N*gga” on Video Soul.
Peep the crowd reaction & involvement with the song. Backpackers will swear this is a bad song though.
Peep the crowd reaction & involvement with the song. Backpackers will swear this is a bad song though.
Reasonable Doubt listening party flyer & album promo.
JayZ x Notorious BIG “Brooklyn’s Finest”.
JayZ having previously finished the song, recording 3 verses, re wrote his verses, in 20mins, to make way for a BIG feature. DJ Clark Kent explaining how BK’s Finest came about.
x
Reasonable Doubt press photo shoot & final album track list.
“Can I Live pt2” was later added as the outro/ Bonus track on the 1998 album re-release by Def Jam to showcase Memphis Bleek.
“Can I Live pt2” was later added as the outro/ Bonus track on the 1998 album re-release by Def Jam to showcase Memphis Bleek.
“Can’t Knock The Hustle” featuring Mary J Blige.
1996 Reasonable Doubt tour. “22 Two’s” x “Get Money” freestyle.
DJ Premier on how bold JayZ was in 96 to speak on the west coast on “22 Two’s”.
June 25th, 1996, Reasonable Doubt releases to critical acclaim. The album moves 420k copies by the end of 1996. Impressive numbers for an independent release. Later going platinum in 2002. “Reasonable Doubt, CLASSIC, shoulda went triple”
Producers (Ski, Preemo, Clark, Irv, Knobody, Pete Panic) x Artist features (Biggie, Mary J, Foxy, Sauce Money, JazO, Memphis Bleek) that made the album.
“Bring It On”. JayZ’s verse is one of his career best. Tier1 lyricism.
JazO x Sauce Money appear on “Bring It On” after Nas x AZ fail to appear for the song’s recording sessions. Both MCs (Jaz x Sauce) fill in & deliver stellar verses pairing with JayZ to create one the best & most lyrical songs on the album.
Despite failed negotiations for The Firm to sign with Rocafella, AZ (along w/ BIG) appear in the DP1 video. This scene, along w/ “BK’s Finest” would spark the tension between 2pac & JayZ. With Pac delivering the “Fuck JayZ” line later used on the “Ether” JayZ diss track from Nas.
“Can I Live”. Said to be the last song JayZ put pen to paper to actually write down lyrics.
“D’Evils”. Widely regarded as one of JayZ’s best song.
DJ Premier on crowd reactions, 20+ yrs later, to “D’Evils” x “Friend or Foe”.
“Feelin It” music video.
“Coming of Age” was written by JayZ. He had to chase Memphis Bleek down to make him record the track. Bleek was distracted by the streets x girls.
“Cashmere Thoughts” was originally a collab w/ Sauce x JazO meant to be 3 Pimps spitting Pimp Talk. JayZ just added 2 verses.
“Cashmere Thoughts” was originally a collab w/ Sauce x JazO meant to be 3 Pimps spitting Pimp Talk. JayZ just added 2 verses.
“Politics As Usual”
+ Biggs discussing why Reasonable Doubt was deeper than just glorifying the street life & Rocafella’s impact on the industry as a whole.
+ Biggs discussing why Reasonable Doubt was deeper than just glorifying the street life & Rocafella’s impact on the industry as a whole.
“Regrets”. Drawing everything to a close in a display of vulnerability previously lacking in the mafia, hustler rap lane.
“although rappers had alluded to hustling before, Jay-Z "talks about what it can do to a person's inner peace, and what it can do to their mind".
“although rappers had alluded to hustling before, Jay-Z "talks about what it can do to a person's inner peace, and what it can do to their mind".
“A complete thought executed x delivered perfectly...”
Jonathan Mannion, Ski & Emory Jones on what the album means x embodied.
Jonathan Mannion, Ski & Emory Jones on what the album means x embodied.
Biggs x Preemo on when they knew Reasonable Doubt was a classic.
Initially receiving 4 mics from The Source magazine, the publication would later award the album 5mics.
Initially receiving 4 mics from The Source magazine, the publication would later award the album 5mics.
JayZ discussing why he’s focused on the business side during the Reasonable Doubt album press run in 96.
JayZ, on why more rappers should focus on the business end.
“Operation takeover corporate”
a breakdown of how it all started from Reasonable Doubt.
“Rocafella y’all”
a breakdown of how it all started from Reasonable Doubt.
“Rocafella y’all”
PushaT on Reasonable Doubt.
PushaT on Illmatic vs Reasonable Doubt from a hustler’s point of view.
Skyzoo paying homage to Reasonable Doubt.
Impactful 20+ years later.
Impactful 20+ years later.
https://www.vibe.com/featured/jay-z-legacy-44-interviews-cover-story
“The album showed real duality in the hustler story in rap which, in my opinion, had never been done in a way that JAY-Z did. Just highly introspective, clear, reflective, and classic...”
“The album showed real duality in the hustler story in rap which, in my opinion, had never been done in a way that JAY-Z did. Just highly introspective, clear, reflective, and classic...”
“A God to these Dope Boyz, how could you not be a Hov fan?”
Vice goes into prisons to hear what Reasonable Doubt meant to some hustlers. https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/mvkjxq/convicts-talk-about-why-jay-zs-reasonable-doubt-is-still-every-hustlers-favorite-album
Vice goes into prisons to hear what Reasonable Doubt meant to some hustlers. https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/mvkjxq/convicts-talk-about-why-jay-zs-reasonable-doubt-is-still-every-hustlers-favorite-album
End of Thread.
Hope y’all enjoyed it & learned some new info about the album, Rocafella Records & JayZ’s career beginnings.
Hope y’all enjoyed it & learned some new info about the album, Rocafella Records & JayZ’s career beginnings.
