"Is Jay-Z The Greatest Of All-Time?" - Article

[prophecypro]

No one is saying that numbers are everything but if Vanilla Ice was still selling to this day, you would have to admit defeat and admit that he must be good. You cant be whack and still sell year after year, album after album for long. The problem with other variables is that they are extremely subjective so you cant weigh them much because they differ from personality to personality.

lol, im not sure about that. It takes a lot to remember all the artists from way back in the day. In most cases, your reign at the top needs to be long enough(20yrs). Its so easy to forget that DMX was the biggest rap artist not a long time ago but he is fast becoming someone that most people wont recognise if they met him at the airport today.

The difference is as evident from the past year with Life is Good and the acclaim it got, Nas is still very much here and still a successful artist. He has been around 20 years now.
If people wanna put Jay-Z at number 1 that's fine, he's earned the popularity and acclaim, but Nas is still very much there in the credbility rankings even with a fifth of what Jay sells because hes still making dope music and preserving his legacy, he'll always be considered in the top 5-10 and if you're in there, you're always gonna have people making the case for you like the CNN article. Certainly it seems confident to call him the best lyricist now and even if that's only one aspect, its still strong enough that'll be in those conversations which is all that matters,
You're acting like that Nas will be forgotten and that only happens if you stop making good music or any music at all, which has not happened yet

 

[starlilie]

To call Jay-Z over-rated is a complete cop out. I don't understand where people are coming from when they consider someone being popular as a negative thing. Isn't that what artists strive for? To reach as many fans as possible? To put out quality music with integrity that everyone's ears can enjoy? I listen to a lot of underground hip hop and am sick as shyt of people constantly hating on artist when they get a radio hit. Do you really think underground artist hope the music they make only gets heard by 100 people?
Jay-Z is successful because he's talented and makes damn good choices when it comes to music. He know which beats are going to carry those lyrics that much further... you can have some dope lines but if you spit them over shyt beats... i'm probably not going to listen. It's all gotta work together.
Obviously not everyone is going to agree on a GOAT. That's not even possible. But to dispute the effect Jay-Z had, has and will forever have on hip hop as a culture is just stupid. To continue to be relevant and put out quality work after almost 20 years in the industry is nothing short of impressive.

So in the words of his wifey: Bow down bytches!

 

[Teko]

The difference is as evident from the past year with Life is Good and the acclaim it got, Nas is still very much here and still a successful artist. He has been around 20 years now.
If people wanna put Jay-Z at number 1 that's fine, he's earned the popularity and acclaim, but Nas is still very much there in the credbility rankings even with a fifth of what Jay sells because hes still making dope music and preserving his legacy, he'll always be considered in the top 5-10 and if you're in there, you're always gonna have people making the case for you like the CNN article. Certainly it seems confident to call him the best lyricist now and even if that's only one aspect, its still strong enough that'll be in those conversations which is all that matters,
You're acting like that Nas will be forgotten and that only happens if you stop making good music or any music at all, which has not happened yet

No one is denying that Nas is still around. He is definitely in the top tier of the greatest rappers ever: he has withstood the test of time but you have to admit that his star has fallen while Jay-Z continues to be as relevant as ever: Its like the difference between Blackberry and Apple stock at this stage and im being generous.

 

[up in here]

To call Jay-Z over-rated is a complete cop out. I don't understand where people are coming from when they consider someone being popular as a negative thing. Isn't that what artists strive for? To reach as many fans as possible? To put out quality music with integrity that everyone's ears can enjoy? I listen to a lot of underground hip hop and am sick as shyt of people constantly hating on artist when they get a radio hit. Do you really think underground artist hope the music they make only gets heard by 100 people?
Jay-Z is successful because he's talented and makes damn good choices when it comes to music. He know which beats are going to carry those lyrics that much further... you can have some dope lines but if you spit them over shyt beats... i'm probably not going to listen. It's all gotta work together.
Obviously not everyone is going to agree on a GOAT. That's not even possible. But to dispute the effect Jay-Z had, has and will forever have on hip hop as a culture is just stupid. To continue to be relevant and put out quality work after almost 20 years in the industry is nothing short of impressive.

So in the words of his wifey: Bow down bytches!

Jay is definitely talented and deserves recognition for his continued commercial success, but if we are going to speak about the integrity and artistry then jay will fall short in comparison to his peers.

Commercially he made all the right moves, he changed with the times and jumped on almost every trend that had came along. popularity is not a bad thing. It's just that he has sacraficed a lot of his uniqueness in chasing commercial success.

One of jays biggest attributes is his drive to constantly evolve his sound and remain at the forefront of the current soundscape, but in doing do his evolution doesn't seem like a natural development based on internal reflection but rather a development of chasing external changes, which is why his current incarnation as hipster Jay seems so awkward. More and more his "art" is looking less like a reflection of the artist and more like a calculated move to sell records, which is crazy because he was already pretty commercial to begin with

 

[NvrCMyNut]

Even with the writers own 7 categories, Pac still wins

 

[blackslash]

Jay is definitely talented and deserves recognition for his continued commercial success, but if we are going to speak about the integrity and artistry then jay will fall short in comparison to his peers.

Commercially he made all the right moves, he changed with the times and jumped on almost every trend that had came along. popularity is not a bad thing. It's just that he has sacraficed a lot of his uniqueness in chasing commercial success.

One of jays biggest attributes is his drive to constantly evolve his sound and remain at the forefront of the current soundscape, but in doing do his evolution doesn't seem like a natural development based on internal reflection but rather a development of chasing external changes, which is why his current incarnation as hipster Jay seems so awkward. More and more his "art" is looking less like a reflection of the artist and more like a calculated move to sell records, which is crazy because he was already pretty commercial to begin with

Specify these trends and explain how they make him different from any other artist that evolves

 

[prophecypro]

No one is denying that Nas is still around. He is definitely in the top tier of the greatest rappers ever: he has withstood the test of time but you have to admit that his star has fallen while Jay-Z continues to be as relevant as ever: Its like the difference between Blackberry and Apple stock at this stage and im being generous.

Number 1 album last summer, 4th hottest MC in the game on MTV last year, 4 Grammy noms his last joint considered the second best album that year next to Kendrick?..Of course he's not a platinum rapper but doesnt being around still making good albums perserve your legacy and grow? And while his business deals arent as big as Jay, dont you think his noted investments in Mass Appeal, working with Rock the Bells, Hennessey deal says something, or his Harvard Fellowship? Dude has a big billoard towering Times Square. You have to admit he's in the press more and more despite selling less (way of the market moreover) and even on the fringe rap fans know of him as a legacy act who is still going even if hes not as big as Jay
I would argue he's still relevant within Hip Hop just by the way that every young lyricst who comes gets compared to him. Heck, one of the most talked about songs this year was about him by J Cole.

 

[Kill Dat Noize]

Greatest in terms of what should be real the question. Like I think a lotta hip hop heads get caught up in the competitive nature of the genre with the MC'in and shyt like that. And in that regard yea Jay is the greatest. He's the God MC. If the goal of the MC is to win the crowd then Jay gotta be #1 cause he's the rapper whose won over the most ears. So you could bytch all you want but in the truest sense, Hov is the God MC. Not only that but he's been kinda dictatin the rules since 98. He's been like the model rapper for everyone comin up.

But as far as MUSIC... that's all up to you fam. That's gonna depend on what kinda music you like. In that respect there really is no "greatest" cause it's gonna change depending on who you are.

 

[drugxglory]

nop,

most overrated ever for sure

 

[surv2syn]

There are two different GOATS...the one where you consider the artist career as a whole, the other is just rap skills period. When it comes to career as a whole, Jay is unquestionably the GOAT. Nobodies career can touch his. As far as the rap skills period GOAT, Jay is in the running, but there are probably 7 or 8 other rappers who you could make an equally strong argument for.

you read my mind to the T. this is real talk here. no trolling. Jay is IMO the GOAT artist as a whole. as far as lyrics...it depends on what you prefer. I rate Rakim #1, G Rap # 2, and Nas #3. Jay comes somewhere after that...but definitely in the top 10. And I absolutely despise the dude.