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OPINION: Can Jay-Z Avoid the Inevitable?

Written by RK Byers on July 26, 2009 5:12 am

 

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I’m a hip hop fan so what’s happening right now scares me to death! No one is saying anything of value and while this has happened before periodically, there’s always been a movement just beneath the surface somewhere prepared to set things back on track.

Last year, we all totally missed Nas’ sensational Untitled and only paid attention to the shock-value elements of Young Jeezy’s almost equally stellar The Recession as we rushed to pat ourselves on the back and prove ourselves hip by our wholesale endorsement of Weezy’s Tha Carter III. You can’t knock Tha Carter III, though. I was a great album. It was probably third or fourth (behind Rick Ross’ Trilla) or even fifth (behind TI’s Paper Trail) as best hip hop album of the year.

But now that, thanks to Jerry Barrow and the good folks over at The Urban Daily, it can no longer be denied that poor Wayne is spiraling further and further away rational thought, one would think that we could turn to the man that has always seemed to deliver for us in times of need.

Just like Jordan at the end and Ali at the end even Jay-Z’s former haters are starting to cherish him because the thought of hip hop without him is just too bleak. But if the songs that I’ve heard so far off the upcoming Blueprint 3 (“D.O.A.“, “BK Anthem“, “Run This Town“) are any indication, Jay’s almost certainly gonna add to the problem not alleviate it.

Barack Obama’s in the White House and the last thing we need is more navel-gazing rap. I’m not asking Jay to deliver the hip hop What’s Going On (I tried that before, didn’t work) but the thought that a man who has proven himself beyond argument to be the greatest MC to ever do it continuing to rhyme seemingly just to show how nice he is, is akin to Ali getting into the ring way past his prime buoyed by ego alone.  Nothing good can come from it.

Maybe it’s us, though. Maybe hip hop fans aren’t yet mature enough to let our stars have 40-year careers like rock fans do. Maybe we’d kill a Bob Dylan if we had one. KRS, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane and LL Cool J are all still alive and even though it’s been rumored that one or more of them still records, I won’t believe that until I hear one of their new songs on the radio.

Think that’ll happen?

Tags: Barack Obama, Jay Z, Lil Wayne, Michael Jordan, Nas, T.I., Young Jeezy
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  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Wolfi_G/ Wolfi_G

    Wait… what’s wrong with D.O.A and BK Anthem? They aren’t bad at all… Run This Town is questionable, yeah.

    And Carter III sucked, it only made it because there was no other competition between it and Paper Trail.

    True, Jay’s lost the luster that he had in his prime, but he’s still nice. I don’t think he needs to get on the mic and preach, either, it would only take away from the value in the long run.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/karamel_reign/ karamel_reign

    I HAVENT HEARD BK ANTHEM, BUT I DONT THINK THERES ANYTHING WRONG WIT DOA OR RUN THIS TOWN.. PERSONALLY I THINK RUN THIS TOWN IS HOT- ITS A HELLUVA LOT BETTER THAN ‘SURF SWAGGIN’ AND ‘TURNIN A SWAG ON’ OR WHATEVER THAT SHYT IS CALLED…. JAY IS JUST ABOUT THE ONLY LIFE THAT REAL HIP HOP HAS LEFT….

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/rwj21/ rwj21

    im sure jay will have some nice tracks and i do like doa cause hell if you cant carry a note dont make it like you can and oh yea rakim is dropping his album soon i been waiting for the return of the god emcee and the trax i heard so far are sooo hot

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Stan_Vinyl/ Stan_Vinyl

    Hip-Hop is unique in that the older you get you always have a chance to re-invent yourself and stay on top…

    There is no other art form other than martial arts that can compare to that of hip-hop.

    Jay may never have to step down as long as he continues to step up!

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/shoot4damoon/ shoot4damoon

    hip hop is maturing as we speak…we are in the midst of it. Rappers haven’t become 80 yet in none of the areas since it started. We are going through the changes all together. Rappers will get to be old and still rap like other music. Just wait and see….

    As far as Jay z go…ok his stuff aint all that hot right now but I bet if he has a rap beef he will chew up and spit out whoever he go up against on wax. When dudes feel threatened the talented gets busy on the mic. Jay z gone soft in his lyrics but I think he still got it in him if provoked,lol. Don’t wake a sleeping GIANT

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Zeru25/ Zeru25

    jayz the greatest of all time? Word? did you just start listening to hip hop in the mid 90′s after Big and Pac died? Jay isnt even in my top 5 fam.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/southsider337/ southsider337

    I must say that was the silliest piece of work I have ever read. Next to being three years old reading the cat in the hat for the first time. What kills an MC is not a fan. It is their unwillingness to adapt their art form so that it is understandable for the next generation. Just like textbooks change once or twice a decade. Entertainment must do the same or you will be consider a re-run like some of those artist you named at the bottom.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/MsSubmissive-Capable/ MsSubmissive-Capable

    J-Z is not a one hit maker. The man is large.

    By the way have you all seen the Reggae Buss-MJ tribute video on youtube? Its a combination tribute to Jamaican artist/music/culture/Micheal Jackson!
    http://www.youtube.com/bsharpp2

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/ATL_is_Home/ ATL_is_Home

    Everyone grows up….. Gotta respect

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/no_angel_photography/ no_angel_photography

    OMG….ONCE AGAIN WTF AND WHO THE F—CK ISW COMING UP WITH THIS CRAP….. JAY-Z IS HIP HOP BIG DIED, PAC DIED AND WITHOUT JAY CAN YOU IMAGINE THE AMOUNT OF “CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP” RAPPERS WOULD BE IN THE GAME. JAY HAS PAID HIS DUES AND HE DOESN’T MAKE DUMB DEALS AND MISTAKES LIKE MOST MOFOS…. I REALLY WISH THE PRESS WOULD SAY SOMETHING POSITVE INSTEAD OF ALWAY POPPIN SHYT ABOUT THE KID….IMMA BOUT TO LEAVE THIS SITE IF I SEE SOME MORE BS LIKE THIS!

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Brooklynbadboy/ Brooklynbadboy

    He tried that in Kingdome come but heads didnt really repsond or support it, so he had to go back to drug dealing gun slinging talk.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/TOUNGEOUT/ TOUNGEOUT

    “CANT KNOCK THE HUSTLE”

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Illy-Sase/ Illy-Sase

    We need Jay. Look at how saturated the game is. “Chicken Noodle Soup”? “Stanky Leg”? “Halle Berry”? WTF?!! I feel like Gillie Da Kid when he said,”Nigga Holla back, Nigga Holla Back, tired of listening to these rappers with these Childish raps.” Will someone please step up and bring creativity back to HipHop.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/piccolo19/ piccolo19

    hang it up jay z.

    the problem is hip hop is dead, and we are beating a dead horse.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/BrownSugar577/ BrownSugar577

    Jay Z has been gone all this time and hip hop was doing fine. Even squad (Kanye) was auto-tune so y now thinks he’s the s**t b/c he came out with that song. My opinion he don’t need to come back. Weezy and Drake is taking over.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/ikidas/ ikidas

    As a true hip-hop head I think Jay hasn’t done it right since The Black Album, and BP 2… Everything after that has been a failed attempt to change the game… The game doesn’t need to change, there obviously is a niche for every type of artist… Those who claim to be hip-hop artist need to stick to their art…. If you a “Chicken Stanky Berry” artist don’t try to do hip-hop do what you do… The market has lost because every one want to be the top dawg… I say Fu@% self-proclaimed and take the shyt back to the streets where HIP-HOP came from…. Jay need to do it like he knows how and stop trying to be TOO innovative… If it ain’t broke, Don’t fix it…

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/vailsburgsec06/ vailsburgsec06

    me personally i think jay is the “best rapper ever” only because he evolve with time and then did it better… he started a lot of trends in hip hop such as”throw back jerseys” when he stop wearing them ppl stop wearing them,drinking cristal… when he stop drinking cristal everybody stop drinking cristal and list goes on but with that being said its not jay its the younger generation of fans who cant appreciate good lyrics but instead good beats and a good swagg….

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/DA_GEORGETOWN_MAYOR/ DA_GEORGETOWN_MAYOR

    JAY-Z SUCKED ERRSINCE AFTER “REASONABLE DOUBT”, YOU DAMN OCCULTIST!

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/d6j8/ d6j8

    Jay-Z is beyond a rap star now .He is the next level up if not further . Jay-Z is a Mogul now . Only a handfull of people who started off in the rap industry are Moguls .There are a bunch of artists out there who will never reach the heights of Jay-Z.Perhaps Jay-Z should show people what Moguls do through Rap.Jay Z can more than likely pick up an ink pen and sign his name to several contracts that don’t have anything to do with rap and make millions . So . Jay – Z ? Whats next ?

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/BlackCasper2001/ BlackCasper2001

    I am giving Jay a maximum level of credit. This year, the only MCs doing anything that I can respect are him and Eminem. Everyone is following the watered down formula. Maino did good but he’s not in any elite class in hip-hop.

    N.S. Ugezene

    http://stores.lulu.com/NSUgezene

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Unforgivableblack/ Unforgivableblack

    I most have missed the memo that said Jay-Z “…has proven himself beyond argument to be the greatest MC to ever do it…”

    the only thing he’s proven is that he’s the wealthiest MC ever…but that doesn’t equal GOAT MC…

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/thedamntruth69/ thedamntruth69

    I liked “The Black Album” it was a bit more mature than the other ones. I also like “Reasonable Doubt” that was hot too. I dont think Jay-Z could be considered the “best”rapper but he could definitely be considered the most “successful” one:)

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/godson_of_war/ godson_of_war

    Hov is ill, but in my eye’s i feel Esco (Nas) is the illest MC. But than again Krs-one said it best ” Mc’s are just hopeless, thinking record sells make them the dopest”. And i stand by that!!

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/deshawzn/ deshawzn

    He only the richest and most successful cause Pac died!

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/letzget2it1/ letzget2it1

    The following quote says it all, because only in hip-hop is there an age cutoff…
    “Maybe it’s us, though. Maybe hip hop fans aren’t yet mature enough to let our stars have 40-year careers like rock fans do.”

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/blue_ninja/ blue_ninja

    jay-z isnt the best mc imo, im not really that big of fan althought some of his stuff is hot. my personal favorite is nas but thats another story. but hip hop is still alive. when i need a breath of fresh air i listen to cats like masta ace or i turn to the westcoast, its cats out there killing the mic and most people never get to hear them. dub c last cd (guilty by affiliation) one of my favorite of all time

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Harmonicvoice/ Harmonicvoice

    Jay Z the best for sure but there were some other old school players that put out some good work this year. Jadakiss, Red/Meth, Ice Cube all had good albums. my opinion

  • http://newsone.com/nation/opinion-how-far-would-you-go-for-fame/ OPINION: How Far Would You Go For Fame? | NewsOne

    [...] You gotta be careful what you read late at night cause when you’re sleep deprived anything, no matter how preposterous, can start to make sense. So the other night when I stumbled across an article that suggested that Jay-Z is devil-worshipping member of the Illuminati, all I could think was, “Well, at least that explains why he’s never made a protest album!” [...]

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/5-3-70queen/ 5-3-70queen

    I LOVE NAS , HE HAS A STORY TO TELL IN HIS MUSIC. JAY Z IS OK, AND ALL. BUT NAS GOT THIS HANDS DOWN

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/yogurtcream/ yogurtcream

    JAYZEE AND HIS DEVIL WORSHIPPING BUTT, AND WE CONTINUE TO ALLOW OUR CHILDREN TO LISTEN TO THIS JUNK. MAKES NO SENSE, MY OPINION

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Frenzy_Hunter/ Frenzy_Hunter

    Jay-Z just broke ground to bring the Nets, a team in which he’s co-owner, back to Brooklyn.

    Need I say more?

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