By: idris

idris — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 22:05:09 +0000

Peace,you make mention of some key points regarding jay’s exclusive status and the most poignant being the suspicion that postion has recentely raised with regard to secret societies and such. His career has been storybook to say the least,as if guided by some unseen power. We as a people find it extremly difficult to fathom his wealth and longevity to be strictly the result of his talents because the game is fixed. How has he been able to navigate the changing currents of the waters that he swims in more successfully than any artist before him or since and not just in rap. I say study his catalogue, he said it from day one “while you thumb through the source,i read the rye report”, if he is a member of a secret society they tabbed him prior to “reasonable doubt”,because his language has always been coded………..

By: Kevin L. Collins

Kevin L. Collins — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 20:18:02 +0000

Cedric,
I have to build on that powerful piece you authored about Jay-Z, “Rich Righteous Teacher” , as usual, I attached a link to my facebook page, extremely insightful. I remember when I first heard Reasonable Doubt I was sold as soon as I heard the first track, when Mary start singing the hook I knew the album would be a winner, but it wasn’t until track number 8 “Can I Live” that I became a disciple. When Hov spit,
“Viva, Las Vegas, see ya, later at the crap tables meet me by the one that starts a G up This way no fraud Willie’s present gambling they re-up And we can have a pleasant time, sippin margarita sGe-ge-geyeahhh, can I live?Can I live?”
After hearing that line I knew dude was official. I was going into my senior year in college when this album came out. During this period I wouldn’t consider myself to be a major hustler, but I knew many major hustlers WELL, and that verse struck me as something that either I had heard them express, or sentiments I could imagine them expressing. The way he spoke on that album seemed very authentic, more so than Kool G Rap, or even Ice T before him. It wasn’t that I doubted the authenticity of other rappers who had spoke about hustling; he just spoke about some of the more subtle and nuanced aspects of a hustler’s existence. Being from the Midwest, (E. St. Louis) most of the homies refused to even give Jay a listen. I often tell this story, I remember me and several homies were throwing a hotel party in the Presidential suite of a fancy local hotel. It was a real nice set, lot of ladies, fine libations and other enmities. It just so happened Jay-Z was performing at a small local venue the same night. Well the show ended early because only 10 people showed up and Jay refused to perform. Jay and crew ended up back at the same hotel we were partying in. Some guys we went to high school with were working for the promoter who brought Jay to town. Since I was a fan I told them to invite Jay and crew up to kick it. The rest of my crew did not wish to extend the invitation to the little known Brooklyn MC. To make a long story short Jay did not party with us, but some of his crew came through and hung out. Jay-Z’s refusal to break bread with the locals only fueled the hate among my crew for the unknown East Coast MC. Well that was 1996, two years later on the Hard Knock Life tour, Homie came thru and sold out the Savis Center. Most of the cats that were at that party were right there singing every cut LOL. With few exceptions I have had the same experience with every Jay-Z album that I did with that first one, a verse or two that makes you go damn, that’s real shit.
Great article, keep up the great work, there’s nobody out there presenting the type of information and in the manner that you are.

Comments on: Jay-Z, Rich Righteous Teacher (Part I)

By: idris

By: Kevin L. Collins