Words By David D.

Ten years ago, who would have thought that VH1, not MTV or BET, would be the epicenter for some of the most compelling documentaries on Hip-Hop?

Well, that seems to be the case, as VH1 is churning out fascinating looks into pivotal moments in Hip-Hop.

Classic Albums Reasonable Doubt

Just a couple of days ago, I Amazon’ed “Classic Album: Reasonable Doubt” and have since developed a newfound love for the amazing album. The documentary takes a microscope and truly delves into the making of Reasonable Doubt from the viewpoint of the producers, collaborators, famous fans, and Jay himself.

Too often we see Jay as the businessman, entertainer, ex-drup dealer, etc. However, this feature allows us to see Jay-Z the MC; the man who constructs images and metaphors in a way few can even imagine. Nine of the albums songs are deconstructed (literally, as producers strip the beat down to their samples and create the song again before our eyes) and put back together with Jigga as your guide. It’s really fun to see Jay nod his head and become fascinated again at his own work.

Some of the best moments come when Jay and the song’s producers sit next to each other and just talk about the mental processes involved in each line. The two contributors are just asked to listen to each song and discuss the most poignant moments. Quite frankly, there were some metaphors I missed that Jay really made a little clearer for me.

There is also some vintage footage of Jay-Z performing in hole in the wall clubs. It’s almost unbelievable to play this footage and then watch Fade to Black. The change in crowds over the course of only ten years is amazing.

The highlight of the DVD for me is the in-depth look into my favorite Jay-Z song, “D’Evils.” We start by looking at Premo’s masterful method of transforming the song from gospel into one of the most haunting songs on the album. This religious background only adds to the religious undertones of the album and chilling final lines. Then Jay, almost giddy at the song’s lyricism, explains the vast metaphorical strands touched on and maintained throughout the verses. The insight into this song is worth the price of the DVD on its own.

The documentary is not perfect, though. There are a few minor qualms. The first is the fact that “Brooklyn’s Finest” is not given as much time and insight as I would have liked. Granted, a major collaborator is absent, but I would love to see more discussion about the two MC’s interaction. There’s inexplicably more time given to Clark Kent’s hook on the song. My final complaint comes from some of the comments made by New Jack City writer, Barry Michael Cooper. Obviously he never heard of Raekwon and Only Built For Cuban Linx as he credits Jay-Z for starting a lot of things Rae and Ghost had already covered by the time Reasonable Doubt came out (cerebral portrayal of the gangster, emotional tales of inner conflict, etc.).

These problems do not at all deter “Classic Album: Reasonable Doubt” from being a phenomenal look into the creation of one of Hip-Hop’s most pivotal albums.