I ain't got a problem this with....
And what's all the chit chat about? The line "It's no Biggie...I'm just the King now"
First let me say I don't claim to know what Jay is talking about but all those people saying hes wack or disrespectful to BIG and all that nonsense....c'mon now. It's 2010 people stop losing sleep over people you don't know. I'm going to say this cause I feel people just like to talk negative for no reason. And you can stay on your negative tip and call me a groupie, say I'm on Jay's jock whatever. This is Hip Hop. From day one your rhymes has always been about repping your town/crew and bigging yourself up (no pun intended). Its a highly competitive landscape where the best lyrical skills take the "throne".
BIG has been called The King of NY simply because well, he self appointed himself the King of NY by being called the Black Frank White (If you don't get that reference you have no business commenting on this). His untimely death also propelled him to be one of the Greatest of all time. Now please before you get your panties in a bunch I am in NO WAY discrediting Big and his skills. That man was talented and ahead of his time. I respect everything he has done and think that almost every verse he laid on a track and every song is so intricate and well done that had he lived I bet no one could even touch him.
But the reality is that he died over 12 years ago. His place in history is already cemented. You will always have great "leaders," great "kings," but no one holds it forever. I'm sure if you ask people in today's generation they would say Lebron or Kobe is better than Jordan. Federer is better than Agassi or Sampras. Time passes, the greats and heros of yesterday get replaced. Its natural evolution.
Now getting back to Jay. So I am going to break this down from the view point of all the babblers that feel he disrespected BIG and is calling himself the King. If you look at his body of work from his early raps Jay has never been one to downplay his abilities or make himself look like he doesn't deserve to be counted as one of the best that's ever picked up a mic (Check the first verse of Can't Knock The Hustle). If anything the one thing he never self proclaimed was the King of NY title because that was sacred ground held by the fallen Biggie. Yet a bunch of newcomers or even solid rappers like Nas can easily say it and claim it. Yet no one says shit because they don't have the critical acclaim or status that Jay has. Nas never "sold out" though that Def Jam deal and "You owe me" track seems a little sell out ish right? ;) People hate on successful people period.
If he wants it man I ain't mad at him. Take the thrown and claim it yours. There is only so many ways you can say I'm the best. He slapped LL (one of my all time fav's) with the G.O.A.T line "I'm already the GOAT next stop is the billy." So if Jay wants to be witty with his rhyme to say hes the King and pay homage to Big why not.
I really don't see him being disrespectful because he's always put BIG in his rhymes to pay homage to his boy. He always respected Big's legacy even with his line "If I ain't better than Big I'm the closest one." So now one line all of a sudden makes him the devil? You all are mad sensitive.
Consistently he has always been lyrically hot. Even the songs where I was like huh? or "damn Hov.. that was wack!" after a few more listens and breaking down his cypher I realized just how well laced his lyrics were. Outside of his lyrical skills he outsmarted the rap game by his business deals. President of Def Jam, business cut throat mentality to take out your business partners to get sole ownership of the Roc AND get your masters in one swift move? Hate it or love it but that's a genius chess business move. You take all that into consideration + his ability to still pop #1 albums year after year (even after his "retirement") and how can you discredit his belief that he is the King. Name one rapper in the game that has accomplished all that he has done both in and outside of the rap scene.
Your petty arguments are as bad as Cam calling him out for wearing chancletas in the Bahamas. LOL I mean really what do you want him to wear? Timbs? That's not street that just stupid. Stop being so stuck in one lane haters.
Now that I got that off my chest. Let me give you my POV on how I took his whole VERSE and not one line. First off the song is all about Kings. Snoop claiming to be the King of the West I would think would have all the Tupac lovers in a tissy. But before I digress let me get back to the King line. Jay mentioned almost all the greats in his verse and gave each one a little lyrical nod by how he placed their name in the song. If you ask me he gave Big the biggest compliment by associating the "King" line with him.
Again I don't know what he's actually saying but its always implicate enough to be taken all the way, but vague enough that he doesn't have to take responsibility for it. There's so many hot lines in this song I don't know if they all just passed over your head so let me help you out:
My name is Hov and I came to shake the town
Yeah, ya boy's internationally known
But I'm from the hood, got a pocket full of stones (STOOOOONES)
I used to cop +Rob Base,+ turn it into +EZ Rock+
Just to stay +Doug E. Fresh+, all that shit to easy rock
Used to +Chef Raekwon+, give fiends a +Ghostface+
Y'all know my +Forte+, I just might catch a dope case
UGHHHHHHHH!!! I +Mastered+ the +P+
with connects in the Midwest, so I'm +Heavy+ in the +D+
UGHHHHHHHH!!! Ya boy still +Snoop+ around
Since a pup, I been +Kurupt+ and I fuck with +Tha Dogg Pound+
UGHH!! Roc Nation is the gang now
Some dope lyrics is the only thing I slang now
+I Get the Job Done+, I put the +Kane+ down
It's no +Biggie+ - heh, I'm just a king now
He took a whole cocaine/dope metaphor and honored the kings of each region. If you ask me I think the hottest line is really a toss up btw "I use to cop rob base turn it into easy rock just to stay Doug E Fresh" or "Ya'll know my forte I just might catch a dope case."
I co-sign this....but please prove me wrong.
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