jay-z - vol.2... hard knock life album appreciation thread

[wingstop]

I know pop you can't stand us cause you cock them hammers
Run in your crib, no prisoners, pop your grandma
Locked in the slammer? Nope, popped up in Atlanta
Crossed up in a drop I popped up the antenna
Whoa.. watch your manners when my veins pop like scanners
Like raindrops you hear the thunder when I cock the cannon
Big thang, big chains, ain't shyt changed
Get brained in the four dot six Range
shyt main, switch lanes
every town I hit, switch planes, bytch flipped big caine
Flow with no cut, you take it in vain/vein to the brain
Muh'fukas is noddin and throwin up, you know that
You don't wanna owe that man
He'll hit you, get the picture? Kodak man
Gotta, love for war, I don't floss no more
I just sit on my money til I'm above the law
How the fukk you gonna stop us with your measly asses
We don't stop at the tolls we got EZ passes, nikka
Multiple cars and divas with D-classes
Iceberg sweat with I.B. on the elastic

One of my favorite verses from Jay. Everybody talks about Sauce and Jada's verses on Reservoir Dogs, but he went off as well

my favorite jay verse

 

[Pinyapplesuckas]

he did songs with Mary J Blige, my nikkas

 

[Awesome Wells]

Just listened to Vol. 2 the other night. This was supposed to be his original retirement album. Then he toured for it, and it sold like crazy. LOL!!

This joint was like the coming out party for Swizz. He did dope shyt on this. I loved this album back when it dropped. He had a little something for everybody on it. This and Vol.3 were pretty close in quality, but Vol.3 had some of his weakest music up until that point. But I still played that album to death too.

 

[I love Latina women]

Nothing but the truth

 

[Mr. Negative]

People say this album isn't a classic cause it didn't age well...

but goddamn if it wasn't perfect when it dropped.

think I had the whole album memorized a week after it dropped. Constant repeat.


Dude legit had that year on smash (okay, really it was between DMX, Hov, Juvie/Ca$h Money and Pun).

Jermaine Dupri dropped that "Money Ain't a Thang" single and Hov got love all over. Then that commercial with Hov and Dame riding in the Bentley with Hard Knock Life playing..... that shyt was all on the news. Folks were saying he had crossed some kinda line or something... I would always be stuck at the TV like when the commercial came on.

After that, singles just wouldn't stop coming. I don't even remember the order. Can I get A cause of some movie, right? Then Hard Knock Life was ALL OVER the fukking place.

and I do mean all over the place. DMX blew up and Money Cash Hoes came out.... 5 mill easy.

 

[Mr. Negative]

I didn't even read OP, it's like me and @stomachlines made the same damn post.

 

[I love Latina women]

I didn't even read OP, it's like me and @stomachlines made the same damn post.

you made a post on this album recently too?!

great minds think alike

 

[I love Latina women]

People say this album isn't a classic cause it didn't age well...

but goddamn if it wasn't perfect when it dropped.

think I had the whole album memorized a week after it dropped. Constant repeat.


Dude legit had that year on smash (okay, really it was between DMX, Hov, Juvie/Ca$h Money and Pun).

Jermaine Dupri dropped that "Money Ain't a Thang" single and Hov got love all over. Then that commercial with Hov and Dame riding in the Bentley with Hard Knock Life playing..... that shyt was all on the news. Folks were saying he had crossed some kinda line or something... I would always be stuck at the TV like when the commercial came on.

After that, singles just wouldn't stop coming. I don't even remember the order. Can I get A cause of some movie, right? Then Hard Knock Life was ALL OVER the fukking place.

and I do mean all over the place. DMX blew up and Money Cash Hoes came out.... 5 mill easy.

don't forget, lauryn hill and outkast dropped that year too. kast and jigga dropped on the same damn day

 

[Mr. Negative]

you made a post on this album recently too?!

great minds think alike

oh, nah I meant the post you just quoted.

 

[I love Latina women]

oh, nah I meant the post you just quoted.

oh ok

 

[bigbadbossup2012]

Lmao at any hater that acts like this wasn't a classic. This is an album that is a soundtrack to THAT TIME

 

[J-Fire]

yeah, vol. 3 was good just not as "pop" as vol. 2 (and i'm not sayin' that like it's a bad thing at all)

come and get me off of vol. 3 was my shyt. hova song intro and outro, it's hot, and so ghetto was another. throw ya hands up is a classic. oh yeah dope man too

vol. 3 was the last time jay was like, really spittin' for real. he seemed to get a bit lazy after that

Dynasty intro came after vol3 and so did blueprint & black album.

How did Jay get lazy? Jay got better once Kanye got in the picture, IMO.

 

[I love Latina women]

Dynasty intro came after vol3 and so did blueprint & black album.

How did Jay get lazy? Jay got better once Kanye got in the picture, IMO.

yeah that intro was nice but the dynasty album as a whole aside from a select few songs?
the production ye bought in was nice but lyrically jay wasn't the same as he been from song to song on albums like reasonable doubt, vol. 2, vol. 3 and even vol. 1 although vol. 1 is a wack album aside from a few songs
don't get me wrong, jay was still spittin' post vol. 3 and it wasn't like he had fallen off obviously but it just wasn't like it was from 96' to 99'

 

[J-Fire]

yeah that intro was nice but the dynasty album as a whole aside from a select few songs?
the production ye bought in was nice but lyrically jay wasn't the same as he been from song to song on albums like reasonable doubt, vol. 2, vol. 3 and even vol. 1 although vol. 1 is a wack album aside from a few songs
don't get me wrong, jay was still spittin' post vol. 3 and it wasn't like he had fallen off obviously but it just wasn't like it was from 96' to 99'

To each their own...

With vol2 it was lazy IMO & his lack of care in some of his lyrics was a testament to his commercial frustrations.

Plus, VOL 2 is the "dumb down for my audience to double my dollars" album, lol...Jay loves the album cause it was his new form of crack.

 

[I love Latina women]

To each their own...

With vol2 it was lazy IMO & his lack of care in some of his lyrics was a testament to his commercial frustrations.

Plus, VOL 2 is the "dumb down for my audience to double my dollars" album, lol...Jay loves the album cause it was his new form of crack.

that whole "dumb down for my audience to double my dollars" line is so funny comin' from of all people, jay
jay is the definition of a commercial rapper and always has been since reasonable doubt. "champagne sippin" and all of that. that's jay at his core
jay ain't foolin' nobody, he a damn hustler with his shyt
he sold some bullshyt with that line