“It’s Just Like That ‘Yo…” - Jay-Z’s “Hard Knock Life”
ARTIST WEEKS By TC on August 8, 2008 at 10:35 pm
But I did 5 mil, I ain’t been rhyming like Common since…
In all fairness, Shawn Carter has never resembled Rashid Lynn on the mic. True, both MCs are very adept in the art of mic wizardry, but when the Chicagoan was comfortable kicking rhymes about orange pineapple juice, Jay-Z was detailing his accounts of the drug game on records. One of the original D-Boys, as far as lyrics are concerned.
But in 1998, he be damned if he didn’t take his career to greater heights with his third album Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life. Hip-Hop had barely recovered from the tragedy that befell Pac and B.I.G. and Jay-Z set himself up to be the premier attraction by default. Say what you will about the album, but this is the project that made Jay-Z — as you know him today. The deal with Live Nation and marriage relationship with Beyoncé were all spawned because of this album. With Reasonable Doubt and In My Lifetime under his belt, the question wasn’t whether or not he had skills to allow his career to blossom, but if the music he made would allow his career to do so. Eventually, Vol. 2 became a landmark for albums that looked to incorporate a popular sound without going Pop.
See there were no shortages of the double entendres or wit that Jigga was known for (”Mr. Exxon/gassing ‘em with the wit and the charm…” he slyly quipped on the even slyer diss to Nas and Ma$e “Ride Or Die”) nor did he soften his content to get CDs placed in Wal-Marts (see: “A Week Ago”). The game is all about balance and options and Hard Knock Life had plenty. His peers who openly sneered at the bouncy “Can I Get…” must have been secretly jealous that didn’t think of the idea first. Screw the beat — him and Ja Rule were telling gold diggers “fuck you” while Amil held it down for the ladies. Yeah, the title track might have sampled Lil’ Orphan Annie but look no further than the title: “Ghetto Anthem.” True music from the street perspective. Is that not how Hip-Hop started?
But with an album this big, Jay couldn’t take all the credit. He just played the maestro and put everything in its proper perspective…
Think you can fuck with him…in ‘98?
The Players.
The guest appearances on Hard Knock Life take an almost compilation-like format. Usually albums like this are almost immediately disqualified from classic status, but if you look at the “whats whats,” Jigga still maintained control and allowed it to be his album. Just look at the futures of the co-stars. The word “pawn” is such an ugly word but with the exception of DMX, who was prodigy himself that year, no one really caught the wave that Hard Knock Life rode into megastardom. Imagine all the new Jay-Z fans who picked up the album to be greeted with a strictly Memphis Bleek intro and never checked for him again. Unfortunate circumstances caused Jay and his mentor Jaz-O to fall out a few years after the remade their “Originators” into something epic. Da Ranjahz impressively transcribed their living wills on wax for “If I Should Die,” never to hit it big again, and when Jay put the cap on his ghostwriting pen for the ladies, (see Foxy’s obviously ghostwritten “More arms than Green Bay/Brett Favre for ya” on “Paper Chase”) like Flava Flav’s recording career, their time was up. As he should have, Jigga kept the trump cards in his own hand. Need we dare mention the cast of “Reservoir Dogs???”
The Producers.
As for the beatmakers of the affair at hand, their luck was a little different. While everybody has their own on stable of rappers, the same can’t be said for production teams. And what better producers to eye than the ones who helped Jay-Z begin his reign on the top that was “longer than marathons”? Possibly the biggest winners from all this were Timbaland and Swizz Beatz. Both producers had previously achieved substantial commercial success, but within the jurisdictions of their own camps. Jay-Z reached out and Timbo supplied the VA bounce on “Nigga What, Nigga Who” and “Paper Chase” while Swizz wooed everyone with heat on “Money, Cash, Hoes” and the sequel to “Coming Of Age.” The result=they’ve made contributions to countless albums in music in general. Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life is the cause. I sat next to Kid Capri on a plane earlier this year and he was reminiscing about his Grammy accolade, a direct result from the beat he made on “It’s Like That.” And although he’s been incognito as of late, do the math on the royalties on “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)” and Eminem’s “Stan” and you probably wouldn’t work either if you were Mark The “45″ King.
So when breaking down the greatest albums 1998, none can match Aquemini in terms of artistic brilliance, and Moment Of Truth and Soul Survivor remain some of the most respected. And even DMX sold as many records — but it took him two albums to do it. But when you consider accessibility and that “it” factor, you’ll see Jay-Z posted up next to a Bentley, in grandiose fashion, putting the game in a chokehold, one hit at a time.
Jay-Z - Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life
BONUS
Streets Is Watching Soundtrack
Posted in ARTIST WEEKS, MUSIC — Tags: 1998 Week, Hard Knock Life, Jay-z, Vol. 2
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59 Comments
Jigga set the trends and everyone followed suit. He was/is THE pre-eminent taste maker and his business deals only highlight it. He has grown and evolved, but this album is where he put it all together first.
btw…1st.
alotta people knock this album…
i say fuck them- this album knocks.
he really set it off with the tour too.
The tour was dope, the dvd of the tour was dope, the soundtrack of the dvd of the tour was… it was alright. People’s Court was on there though. lol
SIW OST was my joint.
SIW is where I finally got my homeboy to start checking for Jay. He saw the video for It’s Alright, and realized this dude can’t be touched on the m-i-c. He goes off on the Computer Love joint. I liked his jazz lounge vibe w/ Rell on Love For Free, too. I was still digging the mafioso gangster vibe from Reasonable Doubt and then he dropped this and I was officially sold. He’s still the man and my G.O.A.T. to this day.
i was pissed when they left that christion joint ‘midnight x-ta-c’ off the OST.
I didn’t like this album.
Listen to 98 freestyle and tell me who the real don dada on the m-i-c was that year…chea!
You mean the one w/ the Beastie Boys beat? It was on their album though.
Big L was nice w/ his, too. I still wish Jay had signed him to the Roc before he was murdered. I’ll never forget when Jay and Dame said they were trying to contact him to sign him. They were going to sign Cormega, too. Maybe it was for the best though. There were so many acts that never got to put out an album. Shit Dame’s still sitting on the DIrt McGirt album to this day.
that dirt mcgirt ‘osirus’ leaked a few yrs ago man.
I likeded the scenes with the butt-booty-nekkid girls in Streets Is Watching.
For real? I heard a couple joints, but I didn’t know the whole thing leaked.
I like the scene where they act out Friend or Foe and raid the dudes hotel room. That shit was gangsta.
I would’ve LOVED for Big L to have signed with The Roc and seen dude blow up.
Watching that movie was tedious and excruciating at times, though…it was like a ghetto hip-hop video musical…very cliche
Jay and Dame had shit on lock for a while. I was mad at first b/c he put the tracks that had already been out for a while at the end, but shit that turned out to be genius. Even if he didn’t have a hit from this record some people would’ve bought it strictly for Can I Get A, Money Ain’t A Thing, It’s Like That and It’s Alright.
I was just thinking the other day that Jay should put out a mixtape w/ him rapping over beats he passed up, or songs he gave away. Like Ghetto Superstar, Hand It Down (after he let Bleek get on this I knew he really was ready to retire), Bring Em Out (it was actually for Beans, but Jay should still rip it), Kick In the Door, any of the songs from Foxy’s first cd since he wrote all the lyrics anyways, any Bleek beat he didn’t already get on, Breathe, Still D.R.E. (there has to be a reference track somewhere of him on this).
And what’s up with a Lost Tapes album Jigga? There’s so many songs that never even leaked that are probably the shit. I still want the original version of Ignorant Shit w/o Dom Demarco screaming all over it, and the Rick Rubin joint that there was a snippet of in Fade to Black. Shit I remember looking on cdnow in high school the week before Vol. 2 dropped and seeing a totally different track listing. It still had some of the same songs, but I remember there being an Imaginary Players Pt. 2 listed.
Everybody Wang Chung Tonight.
My first experiences with Jigga. He’s the king.
it’s like that was aight. but this was the album that made flossing cool. before that, some emcees could floss, other couldn’t. but this was the joint that had that ashy to classy hustler aesthetic from start to finish.
yeah, its a toss up for best scene in SIW…
i like when they run up on dude an ‘friend or foe’ comes on….then again i like when they set dude up in the club an ‘we dont love these hoooooooooooooes’ is on…
No one noticed the caption?
“But I did 5 mil, I ain’t be rhyming like Common since…”
Made me think of “Hollywood Shuffle”
“I ain’t be got no weapon!”
Aside from that *FIXED, great read. “Get Rich Or Die Trying” is 50’s “Hard Knock Life”. It’s like “Hard Knock Life” got knocked up & moved back to the projects to give birth to “GRODT”.
Or maybe not.
I’m tired.
“Big L was nice w/ his, too. I still wish Jay had signed him to the Roc before he was murdered.”
L’s mom said she found the Rocafella contract, unsigned, in L’s room after he was killed.
I’m still looking for a CDQ/No DJ version of the unreleased “Reach The Top.”
L’s mom said she found the Rocafella contract, unsigned, in L’s room after he was killed.
that’s sad.
By the way, the best song on this album is the title of this article. When any Jay-Z doubters/haters perk up, I throw that track their way.
“Impregnate the world when I cum through your speakers/fuck hot, my records got the fever”
Pure lyrical cooked cocaine from front to back, this is Jay at his finest. I think it was originally meant for Kid Capri’s Soundtrack To The Streets album (another 1998 release), but obviously it was too good to leave off Hard Knock Life.
“Girls and guns…all I want…”
“L’s mom said she found the Rocafella contract, unsigned, in L’s room after he was killed.”
^ for real?
man.
that’s sad….
I can’t think of any street-level/underground artists, at that time, living or dead, that deserved to go that next level more than him….I hate the fact that his life was cut short before he had a chance to really shine
That’s actually from a Lord Finesse interview. He was talkin about L and the direction his career was going. But yea, dude was gettin ready to make it happen with the Roc and his Flamboyant label.
Never did understand why this album didn’t get any love; I can remember going to the tunnel and hearing back to back songs from this album getting the crowd hyper and hyper. The place exploded when they threw on money, cash, hoes
L’s mom said she found the Rocafella contract, unsigned, in L’s room after he was killed.
wow. never heard that b4.
he woulda blown heavy. maybe bigger than jay. one of th emost talented rappers ever, done up in front of a subway. what a shame.
sometimes, i just hate people.
you heard how Pun felt like he was responsible for L’s death, cuz he was supposed to pick him up tht day and he forgot….
crazy world…word to jeezy.
osirus mixtape:
http://rapidshare.com/files/118847696/Ol_Dirty_Bastard_-_Osirus_Mixtape.rar
osirus album
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=1YGTZUWN
Nah..had no idea Pun and L were cool like that.
@E
Good looks on the Dirt McGirt. I can’t believe this slipped past me. I thought I had everything Roc-A-Fella related. Maybe now I do.
A yall just click my name for everything Big L.
Those ODB’s are the same thing. I’ve had that for a while, but thats not the real album. I seriously think Dame is still holding onto it. Here’s a few of the songs that have leaked over the years:
ODB feat. Fat Joe & Curtains - Burnin’ Up http://sharebee.com/56d4a792
ODB feat. Black Rob - High in the Clouds http://sharebee.com/2cd2df14
ODB feat. Macy Gray - Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (can’t find the version w/ Method Man right now) http://sharebee.com/4200de95
ODB feat. Ludacris - Coochie http://sharebee.com/80644bf1
There was also one I had w/ Young Chris but I can’t find it, and it’s shitty quality anyway. None of these are on the Osirus Mixtape/Album.
Those ODB’s are the same thing. I’ve had that for a while, but thats not the real album. I seriously think Dame is still holding onto it. Here’s a few of the songs that have leaked over the years:
ODB feat. Fat Joe & Curtains - Burnin’ Up http://sharebee.com/56d4a792
ODB feat. Macy Gray - Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (can’t find the version w/ Method Man right now) http://sharebee.com/4200de95
ODB feat. Ludacris - Coochie http://sharebee.com/80644bf1
There was also one I had w/ Young Chris but I can’t find it, and it’s shitty quality anyway. None of these are on the Osirus Mixtape/Album.
“Big L was nice w/ his, too. I still wish Jay had signed him to the Roc before he was murdered.”
I think the fact that Jay didn’t put Big L on any of his albums must have been done intentionally. Big L put Jay-Z on “the graveyard” before he dropped and he never got on a song but cats like Ja Rule and amil, wtf…. Yo he had to be intimidated, anything I’ve heard them together on Big L outshines, Jay can hold his own but L’s a beast. He had to drop damn near 4 albums that were all commercially more successful before he started feeling confident about having Big L on a song…. shit’s lame
Jay-z, who else ?
http://videos.onsmash.com/v/CLDmbQBXwc8MXq4E Singapore Kane “Don’t takit Prsonal Ft Big Shug”
I know someone asked for the FMF Vol 1 a while back… I’ll post in inna few
@WyteMike
Yeah Jay was definitely intimidated. He should’ve had L on Reasonable Doubt, but he choose Biggie as guy he could outshine, which he did IMO on Brooklyn’s Finest
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?8mxyboeyae2
FMF V.1
@ AmpGeez - Ha ha…that cracks me up…I totally thought so too…batty, batty, batty
Jigga what…G.O.A.T….Jigga who…Jay to the Z baby
This is the album that he figured out his formula for commercial success as well, ever since then it’s been hit after hit
I knew that Pun was meant to pick up Big L that day. He always used to talk about it. But I had no clue dude had the Roc contract sitting in his room. Damn. That’s foul.
Even if Pun picked him up that day, L would have probably still met the same fate. He was being hunted as revenge for beef his brother had. Dude that killed him was on a mission. R.I.P. Big L!
The thing that made dude a special MC is because everyone knew he was nothing like what he put in his rhymes. Basically, he was straight up lying, but his word play was so supreme that no one cared.
As for HKL, this is the album that made Jay-Z a superstar, and it may have something to do with this being his first album on DefJam. But it started with SIW killing the summer. Then “Can I Get A” dropped on the “Rush Hour” soundtrack and went number one. Then he dropped “HKL” and everyone thought he was crazy because “Can I…” was still killing the charts. But it went number one as well. The rest is history.
Not his best album… but this shit was still dope to me.
Co-sign Wit-E
A lot of dudes said this album was soft.
Fuck that, it was bangin’ since day one.
“and it may have something to do with this being his first album on DefJam. ”
Nah, Vol. 1 dropped on Def Jam, kid.
@ Scott
I thought Vol. 1 was the his first released through Def Jam?
That ODB is called A Son Unique. A few of the tracks came out on various Roc mixtapes. i.e. Danger Zone, Don’t Hurt Me, Dirty & Grimey & Intoxicated w/ Macy Gray & Method Man.
my bad on postin the fake osirus album. i have the official version in my stack somewhere. i will find it an rip/upload it for u.
jay at his apex. what an album!
Good looks on the correction, fellas.
Thanks Wit-E.
@ kool kuiet
I wouldn’t say it’s him at his tippy top. I believe Jay-Z fever topped out w/ The Blueprint and the whole Summer Jam and Nas beef. Shit was bonkers at that time, and Blueprint is certified by even most Nas stans. I still can’t get over the bonus tracks at the end of that album. Then you had the left overs that popped up. He was in his best zone at that time. Between the beat selection, and the lyrics he might never top it.
Damn, great post.
This album came out when id just started 7th grade. Its also what got the ball rolling as far as my love for this culture.