Jay Z - Reasonable Doubt

Released: June 25, 1996

Everyone should know Jay Z can be known as one of the greats. I mean, he has Beyoncé, one of the most overrated artists of all-time (and her Beyhive are too much) and from the day he came into the game, he's been having a lot of hits (even while being on his mafioso flow), and he's kinda decent on his business (I know he'll look back at TIDAL one day and see how awful it was). However, when it comes to albums, on-and-off situation with it, but still remains one of the greats. Of course, Jay has been known for good albums, especially since he broke out. But as time goes by, it's easy to see him have a few mediocre or disappointing albums not up to par. Yes, Jay has a lot of decent albums, but only 3 are mostly recommended as his best work: The Black Album, The Blueprint & today's subject, Reasonable Doubt.

But before I get this off my chest, let's rewind back: Shawn "Jay Z" Carter pretty much got his shine when he started collaborating with mentor Jaz-O from the late 80s-early 90s on songs like "The Originators" and "Hawaiian Sophie". Unfortunately, Jaz got dropped from his label, leading Jay to be a drug-dealer to support himself. It wasn't until in 1994 when "Show & Prove", a posse cut by Big Daddy Kane, came out that he became known to a wider audience. From there, he worked with Big L (RIP) on "Da Graveyard", and Mic Geronimo on "Time to Build". He finally released his debut single "In My Lifetime" in 1995. However, when he had some conflicts with his former label Payday over royalties, he decided to form Roc-A-Fella. Finally, he signed a deal with Priority, and released two singles: "Ain't No Nigga" and the classic "Dead Presidents", finally leading up to the classic Reasonable Doubt.

Reasonable Doubt was released on Roc-A-Fella/Priority in June 1996, full of 15 tracks (14 + a bonus). The album dropped one week before Nas' It Was Written (just thought I should add that in) and was one of the few hip-hop records from New York, along with Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx that presented the "mafioso/gangster" theme. From '95-96, Jay recorded the album in D&D Studios, with its production being formed in different areas. The album managed to gather features from Mary J. Blige, Foxy Brown, The Notorious BIG, Memphis Bleek, Sauce Money and Jaz-O (known on the album as Big Jaz), and  was produced by Ski, along with other producers including Clark Kent, Knobody & DJ Premier. The album follows the story of how Jay was a drug-dealer who raps, but with the fact he's already very rich (so, not much had to be done in this album).
Everyone should know that Reasonable Doubt is pretty much seen as a classic, and managed to have ranks on "top albums" lists from Rolling Stone to Hip-Hop Connection. It was obvious that it had universal acclaim and many magazines had praised it the time the album dropped, with a 4 mics rating (later changed to 5 mics) from The Source and a XXL rating from, well... XXL. During its first week, it reached #23 on the Billboard 200, spending 18 weeks on the chart and 1 year 3 weeks (55 weeks overall) on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. By the end of 1996, 420k copies were sold and it took 6 years for the album to go platinum (February 7, 2002 was the day the album sold a million).

Well, I'm pretty eager to listen to the album and share my thoughts on it. Is it something I can bump my head to? Did it deserve 5 mics? Or does The Blueprint & The Black Album shit all over this one? Well, let's find out...

1. Can't Knock The Hustle
Ok, so the album starts out with what would later be the 3rd single. I really like this song, and it actually stands out. I do remember when British singer Lemar sampled this for his single, "50/50" (oh, good times). But it doesn't come close to this song cos this is a classic. Mary J's contributions were alright, but I didn't like them as much as the hook was too basic, and maybe some of her singing around Jay's rhymes were generic (well, the "la-la"'s in the beginning sounded a little like they were from someone else tho). The beat from Knobody is smooth as hell, and the song's content is just... on point. This is something I can vibe to, and it's a really outstanding song!

2. Politics As Usual
Could've been a better starter than "Can't Knock The Hustle", but oh well! This is a very nice song. which has Jay on a smooth beat, rhyming about the "politics" of being a drug dealer. This was a really interesting track, and Jay didn't fail to impress me. Ski's beat was hot, and the rhymes Jay spat on this masterpiece remains one of the best he ever did. Everyone can bump this in the whip while he's spitting that hot fire.

3. Brooklyn's Finest (Feat. The Notorious BIG)
This song still remains one of the best tracks on the album, as Jay & Biggie go back-and-forth on a "friendly battle". While Jay did his thing, it didn't come close to Biggie (and I'm not saying that cos he's dead now, and even if he was alive, that wouldn't change my mind), with his BIG voice and his lyrical flow that really stood out. The chorus from Clark Kent (aka the producer of the track) was alright and actually got me hyped while vibing to this song, and the beat was jiggy and very decent. This still standouts today, being a very impressive track.

4. Dead Presidents II
Even to this day, God knows why the original version of "Dead Presidents" didn't get to make it on this album, but I still like it when my favourite rappers spit new verses on the same song for a remix/Part 2 etc. This part was actually very nice and Jay managed to do well on this and hearing this now, thinking about how rich he is and how he's doing business (Screw TIDAL, by the way) pretty much leads to incredible thoughts and make this song have a really comfortable listening experience. Heck, the sample from Nas' "The World Is Yours" is still amazing (although it's still Nas > Jay Z). I love this song, and is still a classic to my eyes (in fact, maybe everybody's)

5. Feelin' It
This was originally supposed to be a song for Camp Lo, but God knows what would've happened if Ski gave it to them for Uptown Saturday Night. But this is still a classic song today. A girl called Mecca contributes in the chorus, and does fine, bringing a nostalgic vibe especially the way she sings (her singing sounds more Chicago-ish and jazzy). Ski provides drums which are similar to "Dead Presidents", which makes this much better than I thought it could've been, and the way Jay spits on this track is pure fire. And speaking of this supposing to be for Camp Lo, imagine if they were on a remix with Jay, cos I'd love to see them murk this track. But anyway, this song is pure flames!

6. D'Evils
DJ Premier finally jumps on the production and it bangs out hard. Jay talks about how the desire for money can lead to a lot of betrayal and violence. This is a very good song, and the content on the song was really interesting while Premo add a sombre vibe to it. I really liked the story Jay told on the song and is very appealing to the listener. Not one of the best, but it's still an impressive song.

7. 22 Two's
Meh.

8. Can I Live
Before the Murder Inc. business with Ja Rule & Ashanti, Irv Gotti was known as "DJ Irv" and produced this one hell of a song. Seriously, this was a really awesome song. I really liked it and Jay actually does a fantastic job as he raps on this soulful ass track with his incredible flow and sick bars. Such a standout!

9. Ain't No Nigga (Feat. Foxy Brown)
I always thought the beat was funky, but a little lackluster. But Jay & Foxy are the ones that save this from being a boring song. Jaz-O produced this, and the beat was alright. Foxy managed to murk this track, and with her long verse, it shows how underrated she has been now (I don't necessarily like her like that anymore though). I mean, that's a really sick verse, especially one of the best I've heard on this album. This is such a fantastic song.

10. Friend or Foe
Out of all the three songs produced by Premo, this one just takes the cake. Too bad it's short though.

11. Coming of Age (Feat. Memphis Bleek)
This ain't bad. This is something I can vibe to. Jay does a good job, while a younger Memphis comes out with a very decent verse. Look at his verse, and compare it to his later verses. This was only the beginning of the ROC takeover (Beanie Sigel and Amil would come later on in Jay's discography), and it was a good starter. A really nice song.

12. Cashmere Thoughts
Am I the only one that felt like this was an interlude, when it actually isn't? The beat is fire tho!

13. Bring It On (Feat. Big Jaz & Sauce Money)
The final Premo beat on the album DOESN'T FREAKIN DISAPPOINT AT ALL! This was a really good, and apparently, Nas & AZ were supposed to be on this song, but probably because of their feud they had cos of "Dead Presidents", yeah, that didn't happen. And you know what, I like it like that. Forget about "Friend or Foe" taking the cake, this is just a fantastic song; and while everybody does their thing, I always felt Sauce & Jaz actually sounded very comfortable on this song. And damn, Jaz would never sound better than this (so unfortunate they still got bad blood). This is such a great song.

14. Regrets
So the album ends with a decent song with a beat that sounds like someone of YouTube would make today. (I'm serious, I've heard beats from people called DJ SonicFreak and StylezT that would have these type of beats). But, the difference is that, Jay makes it like his song, and does a good job on it. Not that good, but I like the emotional and personal content on here. A good conclusion...

The following is a bonus track:

15. Can I Live II (Feat. Memphis Bleek)
The thing about albums released in the 90s is that bonus tracks are rare to find, unless you're talking about modern day albums where so many deluxe editions are released (deluxes have reduced now, to be honest). Now that I've made my point, I skipped this song, forgetting this was on there at the first place, because I was on YouTube, being interested in an Adult Swim Bump I heard on a Vine. This continues where we left on with the first one. But however, I don't really like it as much as the first one, especially with the beat being mediocre. Jay & Memphis did well though.

Looking at it now, I can see why Reasonable Doubt is a classic. 19 years later, this one hell of an album still holds up today, with Jay's Mafioso gangster flow, and the smooth laidback beats provided by Knobody, Ski, Clark Kent and Premo. Jay's raps are on point and make you wonder when he would go back to that type of flow and delivery. I mean, that was fire! The concept is really interesting as while glorifying the Mafioso lifestyle, he's still trying to find ways to better himself and I like that.
To me, Reasonable Doubt feels like a movie. I mean, it follows Jay and his drug-dealing days, with him rapping about the stuff he had done. As the album (movie) goes on, guest appearances (more characters) begin to come out and do a great job at their verse (role). That's how good of an album this is. And speaking of the guests, they were sick. The Notorious BIG goes back-and-forth with Jigga on "Brooklyn's Finest" and manages to be the winner of the competitive-but-friendly battle. Foxy Brown murks "Ain't No Nigga", Memphis does his thing on "Coming of Age", and Jaz-O renegades the whole album with "Bring It On".

As for the production, it just hits the nail on the wall. It is just so freaking fantastic. Ski is such a beast on the boards as he produces "Dead Presidents", "Politics As Usual" and "Feelin' It". Premo's beats are good for banging out in the whip, especially "D'Evils" and "Bring It On". Knobody's contribution on "Can't Knock The Hustle" made that masterpiece so smooth, and Clark Kent is a monster as "Brooklyn's Finest" and "Coming of Age" are songs that you can pretty much vibe to. I mean, come on, what else is there to say about the production?! It's just amazing.
But enough with my overexaggerated reaction, this is just so good. Everything about it is so amazing and it's a masterpiece. Take away the weakest songs, and this would even break apart easily. The album flows well. It doesn't get the same recognition that an album like Illmatic would, but the legacy & influence still lives on. So I recommend a purchase (for all the American readers who want a stream, Jay may have removed it from Spotify in your area, damn, he wants TIDAL to succeed so bad). This album is just amazing. And as I said in the beginning, he has a on-and-off situation when it comes to albums. One time, he'll drop something on par with this album, next minute, he's dropping a shitty album. So you never know, one day he'll drop something 10x better than this. But it's still remains his best work with The Blueprint and The Black Album. Such a freaking masterpiece!#

The Furious 5ive
Dead Presidents II
Politics As Usual
Brooklyn's Finest
Can't Knock The Hustle
Can I Live

Honourable Mentions
Bring It On
Ain't No Nigga
Feelin' It

Nas - Illmatic

Released: April 19, 1994

One does not simply make a blog around hip-hop album reviews, and not do a review on such a classic album...

Nasir Jones is pretty much remembered as a freaking legend. His music can be remembered as some of the best he has brought to hip-hop. Conversations with rap junkies are always made, most that reminisces about classic hip-hop music. And if Illmatic isn't brought up in those conversations or if the person don't like it, then they may need to reevaluate their life and slap themselves.

Now, if you haven't even heard one bit about Illmatic, then get the hell out of here! Nas' debut album is pretty much seen as THE best hip-hop album ever (with many calling it "the hip-hop bible"). Nas managed to be signed to Columbia with the help of MC Serch and released the album at the age of 20 when completed in 1993. With the strength of his verse on Main Source's "Live At The Barbecue" (and his 1992 debut single, "Halftime"), producer Large Professor comes on and manages to return the favour, helping out along with legendary producers like DJ Premier, Pete Rock & Q-Tip. The album only features 10 tracks, 10 (which was weird at the time, seeing that many would add a lot more to their albums), which revolved mostly around gangs, poverty, and the Queensbridge rapper's own experiences. And while the album didn't sell much like a lot of albums would nowadays, this can be remembered as a classic, with people remembering it for its content and its production.
Nas would have a big discography after this, and with every album, he'd prove his spot as a legend, even if a certain album proved to be mediocre (Nastradamus), he'd still be respected by nearly everybody, heck, even the non-rap junkies. And while my write up of the intro is not as long and detailed as usual, it's pretty much because this album doesn't need an introduction (but yet, I just wrote one and you're reading it).

So let's get into it...

1. The Genesis
On an album full of 10 tracks, why an intro? The thing with rap album intros is that it need to be worthy of your time, and most fail to do that. In nearly 2 minutes, Nas could've rapped a short 16 on the instrumental, why not? But then again, why am I even complaining, this was actually alright to begin the album.

2. NY State Of Mind
AWWWWWWWWWWW YEEEEEEAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!! The album kicks off terrifically as DJ Premier comes on to provide the wonderful soundscape for this brilliant standout, which Nas kills in such a fierce way. The banging drums and lyrical content is real on this one, and he doesn't fail to impress the hell out of me, neither does Premo. Nas spits some fire as the deep piano keys lays through the whole song. With standout lyrics like "rappers, I monkey flip em with the funky rhythm I be kickin" and of course, "I never sleep cos sleep is the cousin of death", this still bangs out today, probably being the best song on the album. A hip-hop masterpiece!

3. Life's A Bitch (Feat. AZ)
On the third track of Illmatic, Nas gets AZ, who is the only guest on the album, and he pretty much renegades this one hell of a song. Nas still manages to continue with a very good verse tho. This song is perfecto! The production from LES is very chill and smooth (heck, not even J Dilla could beat the sample flipping from this song), with Nas & AZ both coming out with some heat. Nas' father, Olu Dara, plays the cornet at the ending, and it is actually very great for the song. It's kinda sad that AZ still remains slept on, even if this one hell of a song put him on to where he could've been today. Overall, this is a wonderful track!

4. The World Is Yours
You know what, forget about "NY State Of Mind" being the best song on the album, this one takes the freakin cake! Some call this the second best, but this is the most incredible song here. Pete Rock produces this beautiful jam and nails it with the sample. Nas murks this song with some wonderful lyricism from start to finish, with him impressing me through every line he spits on the song. Of course, this was the song known as the sample for Jay-Z's "Dead Presidents", that started the infamous Nas/Jay-Z beef that lasted a very long time (Ether is still way better than Takeover), and as both songs are great, this one is just... lyricism at its freaking finest!

5. Halftime
This was Illmatic's first single (which debuted on the Zebrahead soundtrack) and Large Professor comes on, producing this very decent track. This song offers some good production, and Nas was on point with the sick lyricism. Of course, compared to the other songs on here, it sounds outdated on the album with the heavy horns and bassline, especially when this came out in 1992, but this is a very nice song, and I really liked it a lot.

6. Memory Lane (Sittin' In Da Park)
The second out of three beats from the legendary DJ Premier. Out of the three beats, I didn't necessarily find this one the weakest, but only the fact I'd put this in last place out of all the Premo beats. However, that doesn't mean I don't like it. "Memory Lane" is a very great song as Nas reminisces about his gangbanging days, while spitting some hot fire. This song is great for what it is, with the beat banging out really nicely. And while both verses on this song were epic, the second verse happens to be such a standout on this track and makes me really appreciate this a lot, even to this day.

7. One Love
Q-Tip is on the boards on this standout, and nails this in the wall. Here, Nas dedicates this to his friend doing time in prison, and is very interesting as heck. Tip comes on the hook and adds a smooth touch to it, as Nas spits some sombre bars. This was a really amazing song and Nas once again doesn't fail to impress me, as Tip uses a sample that sounds really xylophoney, with the instrumental having an amazing snare. Even to this day, this song is a goddamn classic!

8. One Time 4 Your Mind
This song has a title that is a really common phrase in hip-hop history, especially in song openings. But I always found this a weak song, production-wise, because I never really liked this one when I first listened to it. My thoughts have changed a little, and it's only the lyrics that stand out most of the time, as the instrumental has a slowed down vibe to it, while most songs were upbeat. This was alright overall.

9. Represent
This was my favourite Premo beat on the album (although "NY State of Mind" had a really impressive beat). Nas still nails the song, and it's something you can bump your head to. Premo gets upbeat with his production, while Nas has some nice rhymes. I really liked this. This is probably my favourite instrumental on the album, as it does a very good job at impressing the listener. Nas ends with a shoutro and it's not that bad to the song, cos it really suits. Overall, everybody knows that Premo + Nas = classic. This is one of the reasons why people are still waiting for a collab album!

10. It Ain't Hard To Tell
Large Professor provides his best instrumental on the album, sampling the underrated Michael Jackson classic, "Human Nature". This one just ends the album AWESOMELY! I mean, this song is just hip-hop at its finest, with lines like "Nas is like the Afrocentric Asian, half-man, half-amazing". No hook, and it still stands out, while Nas raps about his flawlessness. I mean, this is just so freaking wonderful! A great song, with a delivery so powerful.

Illmatic certainly stands out to be one of the best hip-hop albums ever, still living up to the hype. Everything about the album is so good. You can bump your head to this or you can sit down and just listen. It's not my personal favourite like The Infamous or The Minstrel Show is, but it's such a wonderful album that left a mark on the game, especially in the day and age. Nas had some outstanding rhymes which could impress the listener a lot and he never failed to impress me.

What made me like Illmatic so much was the lyricism. It was so good, and Nas performed on those songs very well. The performance is so flawless and he does a lot with it. He only gathers one guest: AZ, which, even with modern albums like To Pimp A Butterfly and 2014 Forest Hills Drive, shows that popular features don't always have to make an album so good. The length happens to be a certain key to the album, which interests me into it a lot more. There's only 10 tracks, surprising because normally, at least 5 tracks would be added in to have a 50-something-minute album. But, like an EP would be nowadays, it ends up running for nearly 40 minutes. So imagine if Illmatic was more full-length than short...

But on to the actual album, even the weaker ones still standout on the album (that goes for you, "One Time 4 Your Mind"). They come out alright, and are most of the time saved by the flawlessness of Nasir Jones. The production is on point: DJ Premier got his banging beats, Large Professor got some decent basslines, LES has his smooth samples, and Q-Tip has his xylophone touch. The album's formula is so flawless and impressive, that it's the reason why so many people "overrate" it, especially on hip-hop websites. You can't go on a rap site without someone calling this the greatest album of all-time.

Yes, there are much better produced albums than Illmatic, but not more mind-blowing and influential than it. Everything makes the album complete. Without even 1 little thing, this could've even turned into a mess. Heck, even a few more tracks could've messed this up. So BUY THIS ALBUM! This is so good, and for you hip-hop junkies, you can add this to your collection, digital or physical... wait, you may already have it. But if you guys sleep on old-school hip-hop like this, then WAKE UP!

The Furious 5ive
The World Is Yours
NY State Of Mind
One Love
It Ain't Hard To Tell
Represent

Choosing my top 5 tracks for this album was hard to do, seeing that there's 10 tracks on this album. It's a fact that there were so many good songs on this wonderful piece of work that could've been on the list. Therefore, you should know that every song on here is recommendable!