Time To End The Narrative That Jay-Z Was Never The Top Rapper In The Game

[Bolzmark]

We're talking about different eras with the rapper that was on top of the game. A year can be that time period. Why not?



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Ask Def Jam Marketing department.

Do you think Dre and Snopp were bigger than Eminem when the Up In Smoke Tour kicked because it was not called the Eminem Tour?

This conversation is usually related to who's the GOAT. And the next typical assertion is "Well since Jay was never the #1 rapper, he can't be the GOAT".

I think Dre is the foundation of Snoop and Eminem. Without him there is no them. And one of the main features of that tour was the NWA reunion. Does Dre or Snoop have an album called "Up In Smoke"? So your question doesn't really match my Jay/DMX/Hard Knock Life Tour tour point.

 

[Bolzmark]

That argument is out of the blue. How many indie tours did u see major label artists have before that? It wasnt that X couldnt tour but that would mean RR would've had to bank it and being that they were fresh i doubt they had that amont of money. Labels set up tours.

As big as Pac, Snoop and nem were why didnt they do tours? U tellin me Jay was bigger than them?

It isnt like Jay would sell arenas had he went dolo.

Well, Im so the answer is several, lol. I was at Def Jam '87 at MSG. Then yes there was a period of no major rap tours due to violence at the arenas. I never said X couldn't tour but if as you say he was the bigger artist, I can't see him being on a tour where the tour is named for the current album of a "lesser" artist. The reason is because in '98 there is no real significant difference in the popularity of DMX and Jay-Z. People who say that are just saying "well I liked DMX more so he was more popular". There is nothing to support that assertion.

 

[African Peasant]

This conversation is usually related to who's the GOAT. And the next typical assertion is "Well since Jay was never the #1 rapper, he can't be the GOAT".

I think Dre is the foundation of Snoop and Eminem. Without him there is no them. And one of the main features of that tour was the NWA reunion. Does Dre or Snoop have an album called "Up In Smoke"? So your question doesn't really match my Jay/DMX/Hard Knock Life Tour tour point.

No n no

Don't try to change the debate. Nobody is talking about the GOAT here, so the "usually" is not relevant.

The debate is whether Jay was hotter than X in 98 or hotter than the other top dawgs in the following eras.

The UP in Smole was in reference to the Chronic.

SO since Dre is the "foundation", you want to tell me that he was bigger than EM in the summer of 2000?

The debate here is who was the hottest rapper at a certain moment in history. It's in the title of the thread.

 

[Bolzmark]

No n no

Don't try to change the debate. Nobody is talking about the GOAT here, so the "usually" is not relevant.

The debate is whether Jay was hotter than X in 98 or hotter than the other top dawgs in the following eras.

The UP in Smole was in reference to the Chronic.

SO since Dre is the "foundation", you want to tell me that he was bigger than EM in the summer of 2000?

The debate here is who was the hottest rapper at a certain moment in history. It's in the title of the thread.

Ok. What evidence are you using besides your opinion that DMX was bigger in '98?

 

[African Peasant]

Ok. What evidence are you using besides your opinion that DMX was bigger in '98?

He had a bigger buzz in the streets/clubs

He had two multiple platinum albums debuting at n°1 in the same year


He was almost a pop icon at that point.

He had the streets, the mainstream, and the metrics on lock.

 

[Will Ross]

Ok. What evidence are you using besides your opinion that DMX was bigger in '98?

You can’t be serious jay just had a song that was popular. Dmx was a star

 

[Bolzmark]

He had a bigger buzz in the streets/clubs No he didn't.

He had two multiple platinum albums debuting at n°1 in the same year YES


He was almost a pop icon at that point. So was Jay.

He had the streets, the mainstream, and the metrics on lock. So did Jay.

 

[Bolzmark]

He had a bigger buzz in the streets/clubs

He had two multiple platinum albums debuting at n°1 in the same year


He was almost a pop icon at that point.

He had the streets, the mainstream, and the metrics on lock.

You can’t be serious jay just had a song that was popular. Dmx was a star

How old were you dudes in '98?

 

[nieman]

I think 98 goes to X, simply the way the year turned out. Basically, X Oreo'd Jay's year, reducing him to only a couple of months. Remember, X was smoking from early spring through summer. He took Canibus, Nore, Lauryn's, Pun's, buzz, then came back after Vol 2. 99 can go to a lot of folks, but '00, '01, '02 were Jay.

 

[African Peasant]

DMX was a rockstar, not Jigga, despite the Hard Knock Life success. DMX was like a new phenomenon, adored by both the streets anf the mainstream.

X had the n°1 album in May and another n°1 album in december. You can't beat that when it comes to being the hottest.

 

[BmoreGorilla]

I don’t think Jay ever had that one year where he was the biggest rapper in the game. He was always number 2. I think he benefited from that tho becuz i don’t think he has the run he has if he had ever been the biggest. He’s always been a model of consistency and that’s hard to do when your the biggest in the same becuz the expectations are higher

 

[Ziggiy]

I think 98 goes to X, simply the way the year turned out. Basically, X Oreo'd Jay's year, reducing him to only a couple of months. Remember, X was smoking from early spring through summer. He took Canibus, Nore, Lauryn's, Pun's, buzz, then came back after Vol 2. 99 can go to a lot of folks, but '00, '01, '02 were Jay.

Can’t give him 01-02. You can’t be the “Top” rapper if another top rapper comes and knocks your head off.


I actually give him 03, even as I stated before I think Outkast has an argument. People forget how hyped the Black Album was

 

[bordeaux]

Can’t give him 01-02. You can’t be the “Top” rapper if another top rapper comes and knocks your head off.


I actually give him 03, even as I stated before I think Outkast has an argument. People forget how hyped the Black Album was

it wasnt bigger than 50 cent and 50 mania. grodt and beg for mercy came out 03.

 

[Ziggiy]

it wasnt bigger than 50 cent and 50 mania. grodt and beg for mercy came out 03.

shyt I always get 50’s rise year messed up. For some reason I ALWAYS think it was 04 but it was 03

 

[TheDarceKnight]

Ok. What evidence are you using besides your opinion that DMX was bigger in '98?

I've been posting in this thread that I think it's very close, and virtually a tie. But there's a lot of evidence one could use to argue DMX.

To this day he still might be the only person to with 2 hip-hop albums to drop in the same calendar year to debut at the #1 Billboard spot.

Get At Me Dog was a big street banger. Ruff Ryder's Anthem, Stop Being Greedy, How's It Goin' Down, and Slipping were all huge singles. He was on the Money Cash Hoes remix which was big.

Jay definitely had massive singles with Money Ain't a Thing, Can I Get A, Hard Knock Life, and Jigga What.

Jay and X were both huge in '98. I don't think there's really a concrete answer and it depends also on where you lived. I was in the south and I'd say X was bigger down here by a small margin. X at the time was like nothing anyone had heard. He was being compared to Tupac in terms of his charisma and overall presence. Pause but he was for sure way more of a sex symbol than Jay was.

X was also a new star, and Jay Volume 2 did help make him a superstar, but he was already established. DMX was so fresh and new that he had people's attention. And people in the south do have a lot of outdoor parties, and like to get fired up, hype, and all that. X's music was perfect for that.