We need to have a conversation about streaming numbers for Hov's classics

[maxamusa]

What waves and trends?

The production and sound of every album.

If you check the production credits and actually go back and look at any albums he put out and compare it to the sounds of whatever was major in that year it will line up.

Jay-z's rapping abilities and status have always carried Jay-Z.


There is not 1 jay-z album that can be considered groundbreaking from a sonically speaking standpoint.

He never set any trends; he did tend to shyt on a lot of them tho.

 

[JustCKing]

reasonable doubt doesn't even sound 1996. you know how much heat was dropped in 96

It still sounds like 1996 and anybody listening to it in 2024 would instantly know what time period it was from just from the production and rapping. Nothing from that album sounds like it come out now and be something that would sound current or new.

 

[Street Knowledge]

The production and sound of every album.

If you check the production credits and actually go back and look at any albums he put out and compare it to the sounds of whatever was major in that year it will line up.

Jay-z's rapping abilities and status have always carried Jay-Z.


There is not 1 jay-z album that can be considered groundbreaking from a sonically speaking standpoint.

He never set any trends; he did tend to shyt on a lot of them tho.

For example Kanye and Just blaze were nobodies before Jay Z.

So the typical mainstream album from 2001 sounded like the blueprint? The typical rap album from 2017 sounded like 4:44? What about AG? Everyone was running for puffy and hitman production in 2007?

 

[JustCKing]

The production and sound of every album.

If you check the production credits and actually go back and look at any albums he put out and compare it to the sounds of whatever was major in that year it will line up.

Jay-z's rapping abilities and status have always carried Jay-Z.


There is not 1 jay-z album that can be considered groundbreaking from a sonically speaking standpoint.

He never set any trends; he did tend to shyt on a lot of them tho.

This is false. For starters, that doesn't just apply to Jay Z. Look at the credits from a lot of those albums back then. Those NY albums always had some variation of Timbaland, Swizz, Premier, The Neptunes, and The Hitmen. Jada's solo debut had all of them.

 

[maxamusa]

This is false. For starters, that doesn't just apply to Jay Z. Look at the credits from a lot of those albums back then. Those NY albums always had some variation of Timbaland, Swizz, Premier, The Neptunes, and The Hitmen. Jada's solo debut had all of them.

Exactly. Everyone was running with the generic formula of we need a song for every demographic. Jadakiss is a prime example. Hes one of my GOATs but his mixtape discog is the only reason.


That was a dark time. Guys like fabulous and jada followed the worst formula; and they paid the price for it among hip-hop heads.

 

[Reptile]

Because he aint putting out any music thats why, and we hardly even see this nikka. When you think Jay Z you dont think of music, you think business, man.

 

[Yehuda]

Mo still in the top ten off that Country Grammar.

 

[Reptile]

Exactly. Everyone was running with the generic formula of we need a song for every demographic. Jadakiss is a prime example. Hes one of my GOATs but his mixtape discog is the only reason.


That was a dark time. Guys like fabulous and jada followed the worst formula; and they paid the price for it among hip-hop heads.

This explains alot

 

[Tflasha]

9 out of 10 time when i hear jay z is when the NEW YOOOOORRKKK song is playing somewhere

"Now I'm up in tribeca"

 

[Yayo Toure]

Music ageing like milk, plus the sales numbers were always fugazi. Fake GOAT.

 

[Metal Face]

Samsung and Sprint can't save him any more

 

[EzekelRAGE]

Tidal

I honestly think it's this. He kept his music from the other platforms for so long that it screwed up his streaming numbers. Ppl got used to not listening to Jay, so when he brought his albums back to the major dsps, damage was already done.

 

[maxamusa]

For example Kanye and Just blaze were nobodies before Jay Z.

So the typical mainstream album from 2001 sounded like the blueprint? The typical rap album from 2017 sounded like 4:44? What about AG? Everyone was running for puffy and hitman production in 2007?

Ye and just blaze were the front runners of the sound of that time; and they dropped that sound for multiple artists at the same time blueprint came out. Blueprint wasn't unique.


Ye and blaze were on smash and all the big albums from that time frame had their sauce.


they were the dominant producers SETTING the trend. they just happened to be in Hov's camp. A lot of people ate off them.


If anything you further proofing my point cause in those Docs they clown the shyt out of both of them. They scooped them up to shark the sauce.


Jay was already done by the time 4:44 and AG dropped.

 

[Mike Wins]

reasonable doubt doesn't even sound 1996. you know how much heat was dropped in 96

RD was obviously borrowing heavily from RTD and Doe Or Die. He also miraculously switched his entire style 2 or 3 months after Illmatic dropped.

Vol. 1 was basically a Bad Boy album. Will never forget watching the Sunshine video first time and one of the homies was like "why this dude trying so hard to be Mase?"

Vol. 2 jumped on the Ruff Ryders wave.

Vol. 3 jumped on the Dirty South wave.

Dynasty jumped on the West Coast wave after saying "too much West Coast dikk licking" on RD.

BP jocking Supreme Clientele, Kanye even said all his beats on that album was made for Ghost.

I can keep going

Dude is extremely talented and adept at adapting to what's hot but almost never did anything original

 

[Toe Jay Simpson]

Breh most of jay's albums don't hold up. He was steady wave hopping hopping and chasing trends.

When people on here say "sounds outdated" Jay-z is the definition.

you got albums from the 80s that sound fresher.

This is true. Anything you want to hear from Jay you can hear a purer version of it. RD is a great album, but you have Ready to Die and Do or Die doing similar stuff. He just merged them together.

You can listen to Harlem World for Vol 1

Vol 2 is basically a It’s Dark…meets No Way Out

Blueprint is Supreme Clientele with a mainstream coating on it

Edit @Mike Wins we posted the same stuff