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Jay has always been big on entendres and word play. Not that he doesn't have multis and all that as well but if you're not into entendres and stuff like that then you might not think he's got that much in the way of lyricism. He doesn't really have much in the way of storytelling IMO at least against the greats like Nas and Ice Cube.
And you can't forget the flow, not DIRECTLY attached to lyricism but Jay has always had great flows and the ability to switch it up which is something I like as opposed to someone who has the same flow all the time.
Actually jayz has great mic presence.
He is typically offkey after any material made after volume iii and the intros to roc la and bit pieces here and there.
He really does not have a great flow.
He mechanically does other flows but they are never the best submission of it.
Nor is it the best flow of that era or submission in that era.
when you could say he had the best flow.
It was completely a ripoff of ll's vocal tonality exclusively.
shyt, he took ll's most potent content and concepts and bit them as well.
Jay pretty much got by in excellent pr, the glass ceiling of rap being shattered by pac/big and labels needing to create a new glass ceiling in their death.
after jay's failed launches at being jiggy.
I would liken jayz flow and vocal tonality in the same vein incomparison as to similar to how weak common sense is vocally.
Yet common sense used to have a much higher cultural responsibility all the way around with no flodge'n.
Plus, was an artist who excelled in the technical revolution conversion and sonic landscape change ushered in bh nas in resurrection.
Without leaning on nas'a skill set like the almost entirety of the sellout rap game needed to do or did.
Yet, common's cultural responsibility would not enable or allow common to go into the direction of commercial sellout based rap.
That when common tried to with the afrikka bambaata style Neptune sellout records.
His cultural stance previously put him in the conundrum.
Of not being able to do what jayz did from jump from selling out with jaz as fresh prince ripoff's.
To jayz being visually cool c's hilltop hustler walk mixed with father mc based direction with ratcheted up street content influenced by everyone from Biggs chiding and geechi suede on rd.
To keep him away from the type of artist father mc wack culture thief ass was pigeon holed as.
It was just a matter of timing and great pr that saved jayz as a draw and also gave him a pass for being weak vocally as well.
As jayz has no real power needed to normally or a-typically be able to sell a lot of records in general in the rap world.
Which is why jay is given high distinction but it is more perception, smoke and mirrors, culture thievery and examing the pass system made from thug life Stan and using it against them to create his own delussional envious of thug life based Stan base. That over inflates
Everything in a post pac and big shatter glass ceiling era.
Art Barr
What is lyrically impressive to you?
Hov is a goddamn beast. Re: Reasonable Doubt, Vol 1., BP1, TBA, etc etc.
Got y'all scrambling.
