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Life & Arts

Jay-Z leaves little doubt in his talent

Brooklyn rapper's 1996 album features sharp lyrics, wordplay

On the Record

Eli Jabbe

Reasonable Doubt, the last of the quartet of classic debut albums from mid-1990s New York solo artists (Nas, Biggie, AZ) is a classic. This 1996 debut from Jay-Z is also his best album. The marriage of advanced lyricism, versatile subject matter and excellent production make Reasonable Doubt a classic.

On "Can't Knock the Hustle," Jay-Z pays homage to his crew with the lyrics, "Your worst fear confirmed / Me and my fam roll tight like The Firm / Getting down for life, that's right, you better learn, why play with fire? / Burn, we get together like a choir to acquire what we desire. "Politics As Usual" features a nice beat with Caribbean steel drums and more impressive lyrics with, "You ain't seen money in your life / When it comes to this cheese y'all are like Three Blind Mice." The next track is a collaboration between Brooklyn's two best artists with the fittingly titled of "Brooklyn's Finest." 

This classic song has much lore. First of all, it was originally titled "New York's Finest" and included Nas and AZ, but because Nas didn't want to appear on the song (he and Jay-Z weren't exactly friends), AZ declined also, showing loyalty to his friend Nas. Also, this beat was intended for Jay-Z, but when Biggie heard it, the late, great legend demanded to be on the song, and the two legends rapped off the top of their head, as both continually declined offers from the other to use a pen and pad. Both definitely brought the best out of each other. I could quote every line but my favorite is Biggie's "Rolex and bracelets is frostbit; rings too / People around the way call me Igloo." 

"Dead Presidents II" is another song that I could quote in its entirety. The chorus features Nas' classic sample, "I'm out for dead (expletive) presidents to represent me." "Feelin' It" sounds more like a jazzy lounge-style song than hip-hop. On the DJ Premier-produced classic "D'Evils," Jay-Z explains, "I was thought to be a pleasant guy all my (expletive) life / So now I'm down for whatever, ain't nothing nice." 

"Bring It On" features a great DJ Premier beat with a violin loop and jazz sample, where Jay-Z explains, "Money makes the world go round / So I make songs to spin." "Regrets" features Jay-Z's most introspective lyrics, "As sure as this Earth is turning, souls are burning / In search of higher learning, turning in every direction, seeking direction." It also includes a message concerning not dwelling on any problems from the past with the lyrics, "My life's found, I've got to live for the right now / Time waits for no man, can't turn back the hands / Once it's too late, gotta learn to live with regrets / Never forget, in order to survive, gotta learn to live with regrets." 

The bottom line is that Reasonable Doubt changed music forever, and explaining how great the songs and lyrics are don't do it justice. You just have to hear it for yourself.

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