I was reading blogs today and I ran across a couple of blogs talking different things being overrated and what not. It inspired me to write something of my own because in hip-hop alot of cats are quick to say an album is this or that without any proof whatsoever to substantiate it. And cats are quick to throw around that word classic. I remember Jay said he made some wild number of classics (I think 3-4 and this is on the blueprint album) which is not true at all. I’ll give the guy 2 (reasonable doubt and blueprint).
The other day I was listening to In My Lifetime Vol. 1 and I thought to myself “wow, this may be the shittiest album in Jay’s catalogue although Vol. 2 is almost as equally awful” but for all those Jay-Z dickriders out there who are probably already pounding their keyboards because I’ve blasphemed against god i’ll run through the dirty diaper that is In My Lifetime Vol. 1.
1. Intro/A Million And One Questions/Rhyme No More-Props due. This shit is hot;classic
2. The City Is Mine-I never liked this song. I thought it was a bit premature given the fact Big just died earlier this year and that Jay wasn’t even close to being as hot as Nas at the time. Illmatic & It Was Written v. Reasonable & In My Life…Y’all know what it is.
3. I Know What Girls-Maybe the worst song of Jay’s career; complete throw away. I don’t think I’ve ever listened to this song all the way through.
4. Imaginary Player-Favorite track off of this album; classic track. Favorite line: ay dog what’s the difference between a 4.0 and a 4.6. About 30-40 grand cocksucker, beat it!
5. Streets Is Watching-Dope track.
(Here comes the steep decline).
6. Friend Or Foe 98-Not nearly as good as the original.
7. Lucky Me-Jay shows his spiritual side. From gangsta to pimp to conscientious. The different sides of Jay. I don’t diss dudes for being spiritual but going from clapping a foe to this. C’mon Jay.
8. (Always Be My) Sunshine-Ain’t No Nigga Pt. 2 just not good. Maybe this is around the time Jay was knocking down Fox. Either way this track was pretty weak.
9. Who You Wit II-Stock pimp track.
10. Face Off-Jay + Sauce Money + lame production. Instant skip.
11. Real Niggas-From “Lucky Me” to being an OG…Suspect. And I think Too Short is on this joint if I’m not mistaken.
12. Rap Game/Crack Game-Nice metaphor albeit a borrowed one. Thanks Nas and Outkast and countless others.
13. Where I’m From-Marcy Projects ode. Hot shit.
14. You Must Love Me-Jay gets his conscience back.
I’d say 4-5 out of 14 qualifies this as a shit sandwich. If you’re debating about Jay and someone calls this a classic you have either two choices: walk away instantly or bludgeon them w/the closest dull object. Jay fans are quick to make Hov infallible but as you can deduct from this compost pile of an album, he does have some weak points in his catalogue.
classic is a matter of opinion…so why not call an album you luv a classic.
1st bitch up your game
This blog=TRUE SHIT.
Well I disagree that it was absolute crap but it is true that Jay only has two classics and this was not a classic.
I haven’t heard this album in a few years but i remember it TO BE CLASSIC u’ve inspired me to listen to it again……BUT FAR FROM A WEEDPLATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My Top 10 Classic Albums. (In No Particular Order)
1. NaS - Illmatic
2. The Notorious BIG - Ready To Die
3. A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders
4. Wu-Tang Clan - Enta The Wu-Tang 36 Chambers
5. Chef Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
6. Dr. Dre - The Chronic
7. Snoop Doggy Dogg - Doggystyle
8. Blackmoon - Enta Da Stage
9. Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt
10 Mobb Deep - The Infamous
Is it me or wasn’t that the best era of hip hop. 1992-1996
Not saying anything bad about the Kane, G Rap, Rakim, KRS, Slick Rick Or Public Enemy Era. That Era Is Where All My Top Ten Classics Got There Inspiration From.
Honorable mentions of that era.
AZ - Doe Or Die
Big L - Lifestyles Ov Da Poor & Dangerous
Gangstarr - Daily Operation & Hard To Earn
Ghostface Killah - Ironman
Smif N’ Wessun - Dah Shinin’
If Ya Don’t Know About Some Of These Albums Go Cop Them Shits. You Are A Shameful Hip Hop Head.
Vol.1 is prolly the worst cd that jay has ever recorded. I mean puff ex-produced this lp. But in MY book it goes…
1 blueprint (classic)
2reasonable doubt(classic)
3black album(classic)
4vol 3
5kingdom come
6blueprint 2
7dynasty
8vol 2
9vol1
I agree that this was one of jay z’s worst albums but its not crap it had about 7-8 good songs on it. Blueprint 2 was worse than this.
Top 5 Albums
5. BIG Ready To Die
4. Wu-Tang 36 Chambers
3. Jay Z The Blueprint
2. Nas Illmatic
1 Jay Z Reasonable Doubt
It wasnt a classic, but there were a lot of hits on this joint, me and my boy were coming back from Hartford and listened to this cd. over and over and over again, there are enough jewels on this cd.. So I say that your comments on this being an overrated album is sought of a self fulfilled statement!!! Lucky me is hot just by itself,
not a classic but a hot album.
The albums is rather weak, but weed plate?? no.
streets is watching alone makes this good.
I think vol 3 is his worst, he was by far at his jiggiest.
Damn Ya’ll Niggas Love To Be On Hov’s Nut’s, Jay-z that, Jay-z this, Get off Jay-z’s dick
Man, Reasonable Doubt was a classic. How’s Jay-Z gonna follow up an album like that? Well unfortunately, in ‘96 that album went double wood, so Jay made sure that his next one would sell. You know what that means right? That’s right. Sacrifice of artistic integrity in order to sell! In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 was the first step in Jay-Z selling the fuck out. When you hear the first song, it immediately sounds like Reasonable Doubt II. That Puerto Rican dude does the opening prologue then that phat DJ Premier beat comes in and Hov spits fire. What’s this? Primo flips the beat backwards and Jay-Z STILL spitting hot rhymes?? YES!!! But, all of that comes crashing down when you here the wack “I Know What Girls Like”, a song that should’ve been on Mase’s album. The rhymes are typical Jay-Z rhymes. They’re good, but his lyrics are dumbed down a little bit. The production is like this; Primo is sick, Ski is sick, Jaz is sick, the dude that did “Imaginary Player” is sick, the usually sick Buckwild cooks up a corny beat and the rest are…ehhhh. Before I wrap up this review, I want to say that “Sunshine” is what got me into Jay-Z in the first place and I still like the song. Yeah, I said it. I would recommend this to Jay-Z fans, but I’m a Jay-Z fan and I didn’t love this one. Anyone else shouldn’t waste their time. Damn, if I wasn’t an impressionable lil’ kid back when this came out, I’d probably hate Jay-Z right now.
Song Quality: 5/10 (TOO MAINSTREAM!)
Lyrics: 8/10 (Jay can still spit)
Beats: 7.5/10 (good and bad beats)
Favorites:
Intro/A Million and One Questions/Rhyme No More
The City Is Mine
Imaginary Player
Streets Is Watching
Friend or Foe ‘98
(Always Be My) Sunshine
Rap Game/Crack Game
Where I’m From
Least favorites:
I Know What Girls Like (stupid Bad Boy)
Real Niggaz (I don’t like Too Short)
real niggaz was ill.
and face off was dope for that era..
but yeah i know what girls like is easily his worst song..
ayyo y’all quick 2 forget bout pacs makaveli album which is without a doubt an instannt classic. bbetter than jay z ’s blueprint.
my top clssics:
2pac - makaveli the Don Killuminati
nas - illmatic
wu tang - enter the 36 chambers
raekwon - only biult 4 cuban linx
nas - stillmatic
2pac - all eyez on me
biggie - life after death
dr dre - the chronic
krs one - criminal minded
biggie - ready to die
not in order by the way. makaveli has everything innit. brginning to end every track is a banger and it aint no commercial bullshit. just str8 westcoast gangsta rap. also he destroys all his enemies on the album. i mean against all odds is without a doiubt the best track on the album da realist shit he ever wrote. me and my girlfriend one oif the most intelligent song written by him bout his gat betta then nas’ i gave u power. white manz world ex[plainng the situation of black people. a true revolutionary poet.
I thought Jay was overrated anyway. Hawaiian Sopie & Kingdom Come. That’s all I like from dude. I respect his hustle tho.
SINCE WE’RE ON THE SUBJECT ON OVERRATED…IN MY OPINION BIG L IS OVERRATED. I NEVER REALLY LIKED ANYTHING HE DID BUT FOR SOME REASON DUDE’S ARE ALWAYS PRAISING HIM AS ONE OF THE GREATEST..GO FIGURE. I WILL ADMIT JAY HAS HAD SOME SHITTY SONGS I WON’T LIE BUT THE ONE THING PEOPLE HAVE TO GIVE HIM CREDIT FOR IS ADJUSTING WITH THE TIMES. YOU CAN GO THROUGH ANY SONG HE HAS UP TO DATE AND IT FITS WITH THE STUFF GOING ON HENCE THE REASON HE’S BEEN SO CONSISTENT WITH HIS ALBUMS. TO SAY ALL OF HIS STUFF WAS CLASSIC MATERIAL WOULD BE AN OVERSTATEMENT BUT HE UNLIKE COUNTLESS OTHERS IS CONSISTENT AND UNTIL SOMEONE ELSE COMES ALONG AND DOES WHAT HE DID..THEY HAVE NO ROOM TO TALK.
Volume 1 was straight trash. The synopsis is pretty much correct. Even though, to Jay’s credit, he has since admitted that this was his worst album and he was still grieving BIG’s loss (that’s debatable. It seems like he knew that opened the door for him. On “City is Mine” it sounds like he is rejoicing). I remember borrowing this from my man and the only joints I listened to more than once were “Imaginary Player” and “A Million/Rhyme No More.” “Friend or Foe ‘98″ is memorable only for “Bwoy you know who you a f*ck wit.” Other than that, “I break weed up on it.”