HOVA

I know I am going to come off like a Hip-Hop snob, but I don't know how to feel about Jay-Z anymore. I will go ahead and start off by saying I use to be a very big Jay-Z fan. The first three albums I ever bought by myself going to the recored store and picking out music that I wanted at the young age of 11 was Puff Daddy and Family No Way Out, DMX Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood, and Jay-Z Vol. 2 Hard Knock Life. So don't get me wrong. I don't think that Jay-Z has fallen off since then or anything like that. But I just feel like he has gone a little too main stream for my taste. When all of DT Athens GA is bumping Empire State of Mind, I have a problem. First off there are bars called general beauregard's with rebel flags hanging and kids saying how much they hate the yankees, and not just the baseball team. They have never been to NYC and wouldn't like it there if they did go...and to top it all off they probably didn't know that was an Alicia Keys song before it was a Jay-Z song. But they still would sing that song at the top of their lungs "LETS HERE IT FOR NEW YORK!" I digress...It's just hard for me to think Jay-Z is at the top of the hip-hop game when sorority girls and frat boys say Jay-Z is their favorite rapper. I think the real issue, and it's with all art forms, once its become too popular it's just not as good...at least thats how I feel.

However, here are some examples when HOVA is still really good...

I put both of these songs on my new mixtape for the fall. Jigga kills this unknown track entitle I Know off the American Gangster album he put out. It's hard to tell what I like more about the song the Pharrell production and hook or Jay's verses...overall dope! This video is really good as well.


This second song really has nothing to do with Jay-Z other than Don Cannon sampling a line from the pervious song I Know to make the beat...It's fresh to death and I keep it on repeat all the time. Like Louboutins with red bottoms...


Here is a mash up of one of Jay-Z’s classics done with The Dap Kings, the 99 Problems (Prince of Ballard Remix). I like the old-school Motown sounds fused into the track. Check it out.

Jay-Z & The Dap Kings – 99 Problems (Prince of Ballard Remix) by Hypetrak