To be fair, I'm having a laugh regularly, seeing all those memes and gifs mocking the Jay-Z/Solange incident, it's funny really. But it's getting boring, and you can be ensured, this story will show up oftenly for the next Jaÿ-z's interviews and this, for years. The good point is, it made me wanna listen to « Reasonable doubt » once again ! And then i was like « A TBT on that album ? Erm... Everybody keeps talking about that one, when it's not about Illmatic... ». So, I'll focus on the one which definitely blown me away as a teen : «Life and times of S. Carter Vol. 3 ». You know, when this album got realeased, Lance « Un » Rivera got stabbed (So, now, I'm wondering... Would things have been different if Rivera was in an elevator at that time?!). So, that album sold 3 million copies which made Hova dissappointed, he wanted to do as good as he did with the Vol. 2 when he sold 5 millions (That must be the reason for the track « Anything » at the end of the album, I guess he thought doing chorus with kid's voices would sell that much everytime). Anyway, back in the dayz I couldn't afford to uy an album, especially in France as you had to add the transport fees to the album's price. So, I listened to it at the record store entirely, getting slapped on a good bunch of tracks. I mean, the first proper track is « so ghetto' produced by primo, you can't go wrong with that... « We all from the ghetto, only difference we go back », this kind of lines used to be stucked in my head... The flow, the dope grimey beat, the lyrics from a proper hustler, that was a good start...
The next track, which is supposed to be for the clubs, is « Do it again », with a beat from the Rockwilder. Man, I remember how big Rockwilder was big at the time... I remember, I found that track crazy, not only for their flows (Jay and Beanie Siegel kill it ; I never been a fan of Memphis Bleek), but being so gangsta for a track destined to the club... Dope... but there is a better one, which hit the clubs very properly : « Big pimpin » with Timbaland on the pad, and the U.G.K. Which we were already respecting for their classics. That beat was just the banger of the album, and even if it was for the clubs, you could have played it in your car with your friends, riding around. And even 15 years later, this track still can be played in a club, and you'll see all those chicks on the dance floor.
And man, The hidden track « Jigga my ni**** » produced by Swizz Beats was just the bomb. When you listen to it, you can see how in advance Jay-z was... When he does stuff like « Jay-z motherphuker from the the the roc », it's a technic which has been used a lot in the rap game, but years later... And the beat is just dope, and was ahead of his time as well... Actually, in my crew, I was the only one to really like Jay-z, but when this track was getting played, i can tell you everybody would agree to say Jay-z knows how to kill a beat.
The album officially ends up with « Anything », which is a good track even if « Hard knock life » was way better. Anyway, years later I was having incomes, and I finally copped that album... And I hope this TBT will make you wanna listen to the other tracks, and boycott that gossip Hip Hop movements....
