Hip-Hop Legends - The G.O.A.T. Pt 1: Jay-Z

Looking back through hip-hop, there has been an ever-growing list of phenomenal talent. Ask any old-school fan who the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) might be and you’ll spark a debate like no other. There are so many metrics to break down the success of an artist and what they bring to the game. Hip-Hop Legend looks to make a case for the GOAT, starting with Hov himself, Jay-Z.

When it comes to hip-hop royalty, there are few who have done it like Jay-Z. He’s arguably one of the most influential rappers and has the success to back it up. Not only is he one of the best-selling rappers of a generation, but he’s also the first to be named a billionaire, depending on who you ask.

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Jay-Z’s success was a rise to fame like no other. His career went from selling CDs out of the trunk of his car, to a billionaire artist in one of the most well-known power couples with Beyonce. But it all started to click back in 1996 with his release Reasonable Doubt. While his career has been overflowing with great hits, Reasonable Doubt is considered to be some of his best work, and real die-hard fans will argue it is his best work. The album itself would go on to be named in Rolling Stones’ Top 500 Albums of all-time at #248.

After songs like Brooklyn’s Finest with The Notorious B.I.G. put Jay-Z on audiences’ radar, it took more mainstream commercial hits from his next album In My Lifetime Vol. 1. Produced by Sean “Puffy” Combs who himself was a rising star, they’d turn out hits like The City Is Mine and Sunshine from the album to give a wider appeal

However, it wasn’t until Vol. 2 .. Hard Knock Life before he became a household name and his career blew up to the titan he is today. He was a rising star when this album dropped but Vol. 2 would bring his style to more than just the hardcore hip-hop heads. Songs like Hard Knock Life, Money Ain’t A Thang, and Can I Get A … brought Jay-Z his first album to debut at #1 on the Billboard charts.

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At this time, he was firing on all cylinders when he’d drop a chart-topper with Mariah Carey with Heartbreaker, and from there, that’s all she wrote. It seemed he was already everywhere when he dropped Vol. 3… Life and Times Of S. Carter giving him one of his most recognizable songs by casual fans, Big Pimpin’. From there he’d launch into a number of music endeavors, fashion, sports, a music streaming service, as well as other endless projects.

With 13 studio albums, Jay-Z built an empire that went way beyond just rap music. He has more influence than most in the hip-hop community, a business mind that continues to stack his wealth, and in 2021 would be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Jay-Z might not be everyone’s favorite rapper, but you can’t argue too much against him being considered the G.O.A.T.