The Jack Nimble Monday Mix Part 1 (Spotify)

The Jack Nimble Monday Mix Part 1 (Spotify)

1. You Don't Want It- Cormega
2. Threat- Jay Z
3. Devil's Pie- D'Angelo
4. The Champ- Ghostface Killah
5. Scenester- Cage
6. Riot Akt- Gang Starr
7. Day One- D.I.T.C
8. The Potion- Ludacris
9. Leflaur Leflah Eshkosnka- Heltah Skeltah
10. When The Gun Draws- Pharoahe Monch
11. Trocadero- Marvin (The Martian)
12. Eternalists- Talib Kweli, Hi- Tek (Reflection Eternal)
13. Hollow Bones- Wu-Tang Clan
14. Bury Me A G- Young Jeezy
15. My Uncle- Ill Bill
16. Get Busy- The Roots, Peedi Peedi, Dice Raw)

Download Spotify and go in.

Jay-Z used to humiliate LL Cool J in underground rap battles? I can believe that...

Lifted from HipHopDX

Former entertainment lawyer turned author and part-time blogger, Reggie Ossé, shared in his blog today stories of a long ago “secret war” between LL Cool J and Jay-Z [click here]. The blog, called Combat Jack With Today’s Mathematics, recounts Damon Dash and DJ Clark Kent’s efforts to provoke a Rap battle between the then '90s king, LL, and the relatively unknown rookie rapper, Jay-Z.

“[Dame and Clark] figured if Jay was known as the dude that kilt LL in battle, record labels would take note and give him that much sought after deal,” wrote Ossé. “Dame and Clark had the plan laid out, whenever LL was spotted by either of them, they would page each other and Jay and get him to meet at whatever location LL was. This went on a couple of times. Once contacted, Jay would roll up to the club, bar or whatever venue and lay in the cut, waiting for his opportunity to attack LL in battle. Dame would polly with, then taunt LL about how Jay was nicer than him, was ready to take his spot even. LL's ego would result in him agreeing to go head to head against the young and then unknown challenger.”

At the time (circa 1992) LL had found success with his Grammy-winning album Mama Said Knock You Out, and was known as the king of battle Rap. However, as Ossé tells it, LL had lost those secret battles with Jay-Z.

“Dame and Clark would end up in my office the following day, laughing about how Jay lit that ass up. Every time too. They was a bit sour too, cause after each battle, LL would kill the vibe, crush Jay's high by flinging the ‘Yo, my next record is dropping next month, uhm, when's yours coming out again, scrap?’ line at him. Jay, Dame and Clark didn't like that shit. Not one bit. I'm betting those battles are the reason LL is still kinda aggie towards Jay.”

Between 2006 and 2008, Jay-Z's presidency at Def Jam Records resulted in a public disapproval from veteran artist LL Cool J, who felt that his career and projects were mishandled, despite deing an artist since 1985 for the label.

Reggie Ossé is breaking walls of silence. This is fascinating shit and it makes so much sense when you think about it.

Sugababes on the ROC

Jack caught this on Ceefax this morning. Sugababes have signed with Jay-Z's Roc Nation. This is fairly excellent news as Sugababes are the fucking nuts. I don't care what anybody says, they've been dropping hits consistently for years now and just when you think it's ended BAM another heater. They lost key members and Keisha still owns. Jay-Z's smart. Roc Nation looks confusing but they did just sign Stargate so this deal could turn out to be pure genius.

VIDEO: Original Flavor Feat. Jay-Z- Can I Get Open

By now you've probably all ready read Combat Jack's fairly brilliant blog about his relationship with Damon Dash. In it he mentions the fact that Jay-Z got a pretty big break on the Original Flavor single 'Can I Get Open'. I've seen the video a few times before but it has to be said, the joint rocks. Jay was still spitting super-fast back then but you could see the new Jay breaking through, he shits on everybody on the track.

G O A T The OG Black President

Jay-Z My President is black Remix LIVE 1-18-09 from benjamin Johnson on Vimeo.

One of the greatest moments in hip-hop history. Easily. What the fuck? Hova the god nigga blasphemy! Makes Joe Wooden and Sai-Gone seem a little bit pointless doesn't it?

December 4th

Happy Jay-day!

Jay-Z Feat. Santogold- Brooklyn (Go Hard)

Jay-Z Feat. Santogold- Brooklyn (Go Hard) Does Kanye sample hipsters as a rule now?

Rocafella on Hot97 Part 4

Are you keeping up with these? You really should be. Raw spit. It's crazy.

MIXTAPE: Uncle Murda- Back On My Bullshit

01. Powerful Music
02. Shoot The Gun
03. Don’t Be Actin Like
04. New York Is Mine
05. New Jack City Bitch (feat. Lil Kim)
06. Come Here Baby
07. I’m So High (feat. Tony Yayo)
08. Brooklyn Tale
09. He Asked For It (feat. Jay-Z)
10. On The Real
11. A Good Man Is Gone
12. War
13. Gucci Sneakers
14. My Way
15. Too Much Pussy
16. Sex, Money And Murda (feat. Knick Guns)
17. Grand Finale

This tape has a lot less Murda weed carriers than his last tape. Although it does have two of the biggest weed carriers in history on it. Woo! New Murda!

Uncle Murda- Back On My Bullshit [Sharebee] (Courtesy of OnSMASH)

VIDEO: Jadakiss- Who Run This

Good stuff.

Rocafella on Hot97 Part 2

God damn the energy. I think Jay goes in on Part 3.

Rocafella on Hot97 Part 1

God damn Beanie Sigel went in.

Rocafella Hot97 Takeover Video

One of the truly great moments in hip-hop history. If you don't know about the Rocafella takeover in 2001 then you need to Google that shit. Alan Yentob should have gone to Cipha Sounds for the real Jay-Z story. This footage has only just surfaced, after 7 years. Cipha needs to unleash the whole thing. The Lox and Nas only just recovered from this session here.

Uncle Murda & Jay-Z

So Just Blaze has already explained what the deal is with this record, It was recorded in the Blueprint 2 era and should never have leaked. You'll notice the Fat Joe disses in his verse, not a lot of people know that Jay went at Joe with the subliminals for years "Everybody's looping up soul, it's like they're trying to make the Blueprint 2 before Hov", I remember Why Lout? sitting down and listening to 'Jelous Ones Still Envy' the day it dropped and going "The fuck is this? He thinks he's Jay!?" You may also remember "The pressure's on but guess who aint gonna CRACK? Pardon me I had to laugh at that" straight, sideways, corner mouth sublime. Jay was the best with the sublimes, it's why you can't be beefing with him.

Anyway, back to the song. I don't care that it's an old Jay verse with an old Just beat. I just care that I'm hearing Murda and Jay on a track together. Internets get on your job, you know we need this collaboration, we actually need Jay-Z Feat. Uncle Murda & Jadakiss on that 'Blueprint 3' but that may be asking a lot. We all need to post this song and say "God damn Murda went in. Him and Jay need a record together" then we may get one. What was it Joe Budden said during his beef with Ransom? "Internet sooollldddiiieeerrrsss"

Uncle Murda Feat. Jay-Z [From 6 or so years back]- Untitled (zShare)

The Making of Reasonable Doubt

That's special shit. Just hearing the greatest talk about what went into his first album. It's the same for all artists I think, it's funny because he dropped his debut album at the same age as me, his went over a lot of people's heads, he literally told his life story on the album. I don't want to compare my album to 'Reasonable Doubt', it's pretty pointless, but I probably could. I can definitely match the mindset of Jay based on this documentary to my mindset when I made 'Devil In The Distance'.

Stargate and Jay-Z?

I remember when Stargate first left Europe for America. I was surprised. Since they've been over there though the hits haven't stopped. For those of you that don't know, Stargate are responsible for a lot of Atomic Kitten, Blue, Lemar, Mis-Teeq, S Club 7, Cleopatra and 5ive hits. Oh yes. Quality stuff I'm sure you'll agree. They're now responsible for hits by Ne Yo, Rihanna, Beyonce, Jessica Simpson, Nas, Chris Brown, Leona Lewis, Pussy Cat Dolls, Lindsay Lohan and Usher...a jump in quality? Perhaps not. But finance? Certainly. Well today they've announced a new label deal with Jay-Z called StarRoc. I assume this will be a deal through Live Nation? I don't know. What I do know is that I can probably live my entire life without a Stargate/ Jay-Z collaboration. I've been wrong before though.

LINK: Ballade.no

Happy Blueprint day!

7 years ago today the world changed! Crack was anthrax back then. So September 11th marks the era forever of a revolution!

Round 2

I just read confirmation on Semtex's blog that Kanye West will be dropping his fourth album in December. He's the last in line to announce a big 4th quarter album after 50 Cent's 'Here I Am' freestyle earlier in the week and Jay-Z's 'Jocking Jay-Z' leak at the end of last month. Jay-Z has been reluctant to put a date on 'Blueprint 3' so far but Jay-Z is the 4th quarter king and it wouldn't feel correct him coming out in the 1st. 50 Cent says he's got a film, an album called 'Before I Self Destruct' and a computer game dropping in the 4th quarter. This could be the biggest sales period in the whole industry recession. 2008 could go down as a record breaking year, everything considered.

Why did Stillmatic get 5 Mics?

In the height of the feud between Nas and Jay-Z both released their best albums since their respective debuts (Jay's was arguably his best period). Both 'Blueprint' and 'Stillmatic' got 5/5 ratings in the (then) credible hip-hop bible The Source. I don't think there's much argument in 2008 about whether or not 'Blueprint' is a classic record; it's widely regarded. But 'Stillmatic' hasn't aged very well. There were always question marks over songs like 'Braveheart Party' (which was actually removed from the tracklisting in the album's second run), 'The Flyest' and 'Rule' featuring Amerie. The obvious path to understanding the overrating of 'Stillmatic' would be to look at the production list, the title track and intro was produced by The Source's evil overlord and general humorous geezer Benzino and his production company. Suspect? Why of course. But it appears there were even greater incentives for the magazine to see Nas succeed as revealed by former editor-in-chief in her new novel about her life in hip-hop...

“We waited until the SUV’s backseat window slowly rolled down and we saw Nas’ face hiding behind a pair of dark, don’t-notice-me sunglasses. From where I was sitting, I could see everything inside the car. Holding a cane, Nas was reclined in the backseat behind the passenger side wearing a red, black, and green kufi and a matching dashiki. From that moment on, we used the code name Zamunda when referring to him. Zamunda was the fictional country in Africa that Eddie Murphy came from in my favorite movie of all time, Coming To America.”

When 'Stillmatic' was first released to select press in 2001 it actually received horrible reviews from the likes of Rolling Stone who gave it 2.5/5 calling it "a jumble of sloppy filler". I actually kinda like 'Stillmatic' but the idea of it being a perfect album always confused me.

US Rap Sheeeiiiittt

Normally you start with the brand new Jay-Z song or the brand new Kanye West video but this Rhymefest song is crazy. Absolutely crazy.

I think the reason Kanye ultimately beat 50 is because this could have been the first single or the last.

Last but not least that Jay-Z record has fully leaked. Check it out Jay-Z- Jockin' Jay-Z (Produced by Kanye West)