The Making of Reasonable Doubt

[mickill]

A few excerpts from an upcoming (http://xxlmag.com/online/?p=2477) feature.

"It was funny, ’cause they came in with a pad, and Jay pushed the pad to Biggie. They’re both looking at the pad like, Go ahead, you take it. No, you take it. That’s when they found out that both of them didn’t write."

[Extra Cheese]

i dont believe that jay-z doesnt write shit down. he should stop lying.

[King of Rock $]

i dont believe that jay-z doesnt write shit down. he should stop lying.

Why not? How hard is it to memorize your lines? Its probably true. I'm not impressed.

[ggirlballa]

Why not? How hard is it to memorize your lines? Its probably true. I'm not impressed.

i am(y) :cool:

[pshabi]

lol

man I never been into Jay Z, I dunno ...couple tracks here and there, but the Pac remix with Beyonce there after Pac dissed him on Makevelli was pretty hurtin '.

Pac's talking about his Gat and Jigga is talking about his girl.

wackness 101

:D
Jay-Z's rhymes, flow, and everything else shits all over Pac's rhymes, flow, and everything else.

[pshabi]

Why not? How hard is it to memorize your lines? Its probably true. I'm not impressed.
Yeah, I'm sure you could memorize something no problem. After you wrote it down and practiced over and over.

This man is going to the studio, listening to a track, and then spitting hip hop classics straight out of thin air.

Memorizing is not the same as composing thickskulleddouchebaghatersumbitch.

[King of Rock $]

Yeah, I'm sure you could memorize something no problem. After you wrote it down and practiced over and over.

This man is going to the studio, listening to a track, and then spitting hip hop classics straight out of thin air.

Memorizing is not the same as composing thickskulleddouchebaghatersumbitch.

Thats not how it works... he writes, but he writes in his head. Its not like he's freeflowing all of his tracks. He comes up with lines in his head then he spits them.

Thats not difficult at all. Its like how you can think of a poem or even a short story in your head before you write it down... except this is music so he doesn't have to write it down he just goes into the booth and spits.

I was already a fan of Jay-z over 8 years ago by the way.

[Kid Presentable]

Cool link. Isn't he performing the album in full soon?

[pshabi]

Thats not how it works... he writes, but he writes in his head. Its not like he's freeflowing all of his tracks. He comes up with lines in his head then he spits them.

Thats not difficult at all. Its like how you can think of a poem or even a short story in your head before you write it down... except this is music so he doesn't have to write it down he just goes into the booth and spits.

I was already a fan of Jay-z over 8 years ago by the way.
I realize it's not freestyle, but most MCs have books of rhymes. BOOKS.

Not difficult to come up with some lyrics, agreed. Difficult to come up with some of the best lyrics the game has ever seen, you betcha daughter.

[Kid Presentable]

I realize it's not freestyle, but most MCs have books of rhymes. BOOKS.

Not difficult to come up with some lyrics, agreed. Difficult to come up with some of the best lyrics the game has ever seen, you betcha daughter.
I don't think they're the best lyrics, just delivered the best. But this is getting into semantics, so fuck it.

[mickill]

I don't get why people find it so hard to believe that he sits there and listens to a beat and slowly builds a verse in his head, memorizes it, practices it for a half hour or so, then goes in the booth and records it and repeats the process for the next verse. If you put four rhyming measures together, you have 1/4 of the verse already. You do this 3 more times and you have the typical 16 bar verse. When you're not reading it, it flows completely differently. A lot of people can do this. A lot of rappers have started doing this. Just not too many people do it very well. It's not like he remembers all the verses he's ever recorded or something.

Yeah Kid P, he performed the album in reverse chronological order at Radio City last night.

[g-mile7]

I believe he does this....I've seen people with extremely lesser talent pull this off, just freestyling about a topic (whatever the beat calls for) and recording 5 freestyles of 3-4mins, then having the best lines taken from each put togetehr to make a whole song, Jay might not do this exactly but it still makes the point that he doesnt need pen and paper.



And yea, to compare Jay-Z to Pac is flawed, two diffrent styles.

[pshabi]

I believe he does this....I've seen people with extremely lesser talent pull this off, just freestyling about a topic (whatever the beat calls for) and recording 5 freestyles of 3-4mins, then having the best lines taken from each put togetehr to make a whole song, Jay might not do this exactly but it still makes the point that he doesnt need pen and paper.



And yea, to compare Jay-Z to Pac is flawed, two diffrent styles.
I agree totally. I just love Jay's style and don't really like anything about Pac's.

I tried to for a while, cause I thought, how can I be a hip hop fan and not like 2Pac?

[pshabi]

I don't think they're the best lyrics, just delivered the best. But this is getting into semantics, so fuck it.
Makes sense.

[pshabi]

Yeah Kid P, he performed the album in reverse chronological order at Radio City last night.
Last night???? No shit????

[g-mile7]

I agree totally. I just love Jay's style and don't really like anything about Pac's.

I tried to for a while, cause I thought, how can I be a hip hop fan and not like 2Pac?

Diffrent taste thats all. I love both Jay-Z and 2pac but Jay is def. the smoother of the two in terms of his flow.

[Lex Diamonds]

All you need to know about Jigga is that he came up with this:

"I spit the murda-murda-murderous, every time a verbalist, iller than Verbal Kint is, or O-Dog in Menace, I'm ill start to finish, I rip apart contenders, I'm HOT... hehehe"

(!) (y)

[g-mile7]

All you need to know about Jigga is that he came up with this:

"I spit the murda-murda-murderous, every time a verbalist, iller than Verbal Kint is, or O-Dog in Menace, I'm ill start to finish, I rip apart contenders, I'm HOT... hehehe"

(!) (y)


Primo killed it as well on that one'


Jigga funniest song as well.......

[Lex Diamonds]

Primo killed it as well on that one'
I don't think I've ever heard Primo NOT kill it to be honest... but you got a point, it's certainly one of his best beats. Catchy as fuck. (y)

[Kid Presentable]

you cant compare them, cause first off there is no comparison.

but Jigga there did it too himself by doing that weak remake.

I always think of Jiggas music as Top 40 ...and Pac's was .

well.

Pac

:D
Pac's is media generated mystique, which to me is much worse or at least as bad as Top 40 hype.

[g-mile7]

^^^^

I dunno, after he died possibly.

ok im not gonna try to turn this into a Pac/Jigga thread..

but if i was a Jay Z fan I would be pissed how he sittin high post at all games/events and not making records!

Pac was in the studio 24/7

no camparision..

I'll put Pacs Old School track up aganist any Jigga track.


:D


your not going win:D

[The Notorious LOL]

This man is going to the studio, listening to a track, and then spitting hip hop classics straight out of thin air.




shut up.

[g-mile7]

GMile...Cover me homie

Im goin ' in 4 attack on these Jigga fans

hahaha

I will admit this...I like that track Anything.

but thats all your getting from me, Jigga freaks

:D



hahahaha, as we speak I am seeing a white, rocker kid walking in this libary with a Death Row Records tee.....god the irony.....

[pshabi]

shut up.
There's never been a nigga this good for this long
This hood
Or this pop, this hot
Or this strong
With so many different flows
This ones for this song
The next one I'll switch up
This one will get bit up
These fucks
To lazy to make up shit
They crazy
They don't...paint pictures
They just trace me
You know what
Soon they forget where they plucked
They whole style from
And try to reverse the outcome
I'm like...Tah!



Pound for pound I'm the best to ever come around here
Excluding nobody
Look what I embody
The soul of a hustler I really ran the street
A CEO's mind
That marketing plan was me
And no I ain't get shot up a whole bunch of times
Or make up shit in a whole bunch of lines
And I ain't animated, like say a, Busta Rhymes
But the real shit you get when you bust down my lines
Add that to the fact I went plat a bunch of times
Times that by my influence on pop culutre
I supposed to be number one on everybodys list
We'll see what happens when I no longer exist
Fuck this man

WHAT MORE CAN HE SAY?

[g-mile7]

this is incredible if this is all off the top:


I sold it all from crack to o-pium, in third person
I don't wanna see em, so I'm rehearsin
with my peoples high to GM, from a remote lo-cation
in the BM, scopin the whole situation like, "Dayamm!"
Metamorphic, as the dope turns to cre-am
but one of these buyers got eyes like a Korean
It's difficult to read em, the windows to his soul
are half closed, I put the key in
Pulled off slow, hopin my people flee-in
Chink tried to knock the only link that tied me in
Coppers was watchin us through nighttime binoculars
This time they got us on tape, exchangin dope for dollars
Make me wanna, holler back at the crib in the sauna
Prayin my people bailed out like Time/Warner
Awaitin call, from his kin not the coroner
Phone in my hand, nervous confined to a corner
Beads of sweat second thoughts on my mind
How can I ease the stress and learn to live with these regrets
This time... stress... givin this shit up... fuck

Chorus One:

This is the number one rule for your set
In order to survive, gotta learn to live with regrets
On the, rise to the top, many drop, don't forget
In order to survive, gotta learn to live with regrets
This is the number one rule for your set
In order to survive, gotta learn to live with regrets
And through our travels we get seperated, never forget
In order to survive, gotta learn to live with regrets

As sure as this, Earth is turning souls burning
in search of higher learning turning in every direction seeking direction
My moms cryin cause her insides are dyin
her son tryin her patience, keep her heart racin
A million beats a minute, I know I push you to your limit
but it's this game love, I'm caught up all in it
They make it so you can't prevent it, never give it
you gotta take it, can't fake it I keep it authentic
My hand got this pistol shakin, cause I sense danger
like Camp Crystal Lake and
don't wanna shoot him, but I got him, trapped
within this infrared dot, bout to hot him and, hit rock bottom
No answers to these trick questions, no time shit stressin
My life found I got ta live for the right now
Time waits for no man, can't turn back the hands
once it's too late, gotta learn to live with regrets

Chorus Two:

You used to hold me, told me that I was the best
Anything in this world I want I could posess
All that made me want is all that I could get
In order to survive, gotta learn to live with regrets... (when I was young)
(repeat 2X)

I found myself reminiscin, remember this one
when he was here he was crazy nice with his son
I miss him, long as I'm livin he's livin through memories
He's there to kill all my suicidal tendencies
In heaven lookin over me, or in hell, keepin it cozy
I'm comin life on these streets ain't what it's supposed to be
Remember Newton, mutual friend well me and him feudin
On your life I tried to talk to him
But you know niggaz, think they guns can stop foe niggaz
Frontin like they're, Big Willie but really old niggaz
Hoe niggaz, this year I'm sho' niggaz think I'm slippin
I'm bought to send you a roommate, no bullshittin
for my hustle's goin too well to hit him
You was right niggaz want you to be miserable wit em
Anyway, I ain't tryin to hear it, I think I'm touched
this whole verse I been talkin to your spirit, a little too much



This shit is wicked on these mean streets
None of my friends speak
We're all trying to win, but then again
Maybe it's for the best though, cause when they're seeing too much
You know they're trying to get you touched
Whoever said illegal was the easy way out couldn't understand the mechanics
And the workings of the underworld, granted
Nine to five is how to survive, I ain't trying to survive
I'm trying to live it to the limit and love it a lot
Life ills, poison my body
I used to say 'fuck mic skills'
And never prayed to God, I prayed to Gotti
That's right it's wicked, that's life I live it
Ain't asking for forgiveness for my sins, ends
I break bread with the late heads, picking their brains for angles on
all the evils that the game'll do
It gets dangerous, money and power is changing us
And now we're lethal, infected with D'Evils...

[Verse Two]
We used to fight for building blocks
Now we fight for blocks with buildings that make a killing
The closest of friends when we first started
But grew apart as the money grew, and soon grew black-hearted
Thinkin back when we first learned to use rubbers
He never learned so in turn I'm kidnappin his baby's mother
My hand around her collar, feeding her cheese
She said the taste of dollars was shitty so I fed her fifties
About his whereabouts I wasn't convinced
So I kept feedin her money 'til her shit started to make sense
Who could ever foresee, we used to stay up all night at slumber parties
Now I'm tryin to rock this bitch to sleep
All the years we were real close
Now I see his fears through her tears
Know she's wishin we were still close
Don't cry, it is to be
In time, I'll take away your miseries and make 'em mine, D'Evils...

[Verse Three]
My flesh, no nigga could test
My soul is possessed by D'Evils in the form of diamonds and lexuses
The Exorcist, got me doing skits like Homie
You don't know me, but the whole world owe me - strip!
Was thought to be a pleasant guy all my fucking life
So now I'm down for whatever, ain't nothing nice
Throughout my junior high years it was all friendly
But now this +Higher Learning+ got the +Remy+ in me
Liquors invaded my kidneys
Got me ready to lick off, mama forgive me
I can't be held accountable, D'Evils beatin me down, boo
Got me runnin with guys, making G's, tellin lies that sound true
Come test me, I never cower
For the love of money, son, I'm giving lead showers
Stop screamin, you know the demon said it's best to die
And even if +Jehovah Witness+, bet he'll never testify, D'Evils...




So I keep one eye open like, C-B-S, ya see me
stressed right? Can I live?



You know how we do, Roc-a-Fella... forever... You can catch me
skatin through your town puttin it down y'all relatin
No waitin I'll make your block infrared hot I'm like Satan
Y'all feel a nigga's struggle, y'all think a nigga love to
hustle behind the wheel, tryin to escape my trouble
kids stop they greetin me, I'm talkin sweet to keys
Cursin the very God, that bought this wreath to be
My life is, based on sacrifices, jewels like ices
and fools that think I slip, you fuck around
you get your guys hit, they built me to be filthy
on some I-do-or-die shit, for real
The price of leather's got me, deeper than ever and
just think, winter's here, I'm tryin to feel mink nig-ga

Politics as us-ual... I took my
Frito to Tito in the district, blessed me with some
VS somethins I can live with, stop frontin
And for the dough I raise, gotta get shit appraised
No disrespect to you, make sure you word is true
I'm takin wages down in Vegas just in case Tyson
have a major night off, that's clean money, the tax write-off
You ain't seen money in your life, when it
comes to this cheese y'all like Three Blind Mice
A smokin bro, who pump Willie Ike spokes
The furthest you Chiles been is the Pocanos
My portfolio reads: leads to Don Corleone, nigga please
Ten year feleon, heavy on the wrist, our face used
with the diamond blooded Jesus and blind your face
youse for life... sharight, Jigga, I keep it tight nig-ga

Politics as us-ual...
You feel my triumph never, feel my pain I'm lyin
Low in the leather Zion, the best that's ever came
The game changes like, my mind just ain't right
We 'gwan get this dough, I guess it ain't your night
Suckin me in like a vacumn, I remember
tellin my family I'll be back soon, that was December
Eighty-five and, Jay-Z rise ten years later
got me wise still can't break my underworld ties
I wear black a lot, in the Ac', act a lot
Got matchin VCR's, a huge Magnavox
to nitch, green like spinach pop wines that's vintage
It's a lot of big money in my sentence
Hittin towards a mil', lip a, written I kill like that
chick faked me one-two cat, yeah, I do dat
Ain't no stoppin the champagne from poppin
the drawers from droppin, the law from watchin, I hate em

Politics as us-ual


Made a fortune off Peru, extradite, china white heron
Nigga please, like short sleeves I bear arms

[g-mile7]

You're my best friend's sister, grown woman and all
But you see how I am around girls; I ruin 'em all
Plus your mom call me son, around you since I was small
Shit I watched you mature - nah, this ain't right
But still when your boyfriend ditched you, life's a bitch you cried
Over my right shoulder I told you to wipe your eyes
Take your time when you likin a guy
Cause if he sense that your feelings too intense, it's pimp or die
I bought you earrings on your birthday
Drove you to college your first day
It must be sad, though it hurts to say
We could never be a item, don't even like him
You deserve better - this is ugly; Gina, please don't love me
There's better guys out there other than me
{You need a lawyer or a doctor or somebody like that you know}
Like a lawyer or a doctor with a Ph.D
Think of how upset your mother and brother would be
if they found that you was huggin me
My conscience is fuckin with me

[Singer]
Let him hold you, let him touch you
Soon you'll un-der-stand

[Jay-Z]
Man, I look in the eyes of a..
this.. a kid that stole life and me together..
We're tryin, really tryin to make it work
I'm young, and I ain't ready, and I told you

[Singer overlaps Jay-Z]
Let him hold you, let him touch you
Soon you'll un-der-stand

[Jay-Z]
It ain't like, I ain't tell you from day one, I ain't shit
When it comes to relationships, I don't have the patience
Now it's too late, we got a little life together
and in my mind I really want you to be my wife forever
But in the physical it's like I'ma be trife forever
A different girl every night forever; told you to leave
but you're stubborn and you love him and,
no matter what despite all the fuckin and the cheatin,
you still won't leave him, now you're grievin
And I feel bad, believe me
But I'm young and I ain't ready, and this ain't easy
Wasn't fair to tell you to wait, so I told you to skate
You chose not to, now look at the shit we gotta go through
Doin a fight, throw in a fuss, you the mother of my baby
I don't want you to hate me, this is about us
Rather me; I ain't ready to be what you want me to be
Because I love you, I want you to leave, please

[Singer]
Let him hold you, let him touch you
Soon you'll un-der-stand

[Jay-Z]
Mm... listen ma
I mean, I seen you workin two or three jobs
Daddy left... I I thought I was makin things better
I made it worse

[Singer overlaps Jay-Z]
Let him hold you, let him touch you
Soon you'll un-der-stand

[Jay-Z]
Dear ma, I'm in the cell, lonely as hell
Writin this scribe, thinkin bout how you must feel inside
You tried to teach me better, but I refused to grow
God damn I ain't the young man that you used to know
You said the street claim lives, but I wanted things like
bling bling ice I was wrong in hindsight
Shit we grew apart, try to blame it on your new spouse
I know it hurt like hell the day you kicked me out
But your house is your house, I ain't respect the rules
I brought crack past your door, beefed with rival crews
And who wants to be the mother of a son who sold drugs
Co-workers saw me on the corner slingin Larry Love
Meanwhile, you workin hard like, two or three jobs
Tryin to feed me and my siblings, makin an honest livin
Who am I kiddin I, call myself easin the load
I made the load heavy, I need money for commissary
Try to understand, please



incredible'(and the beat makes it that much deep)


he doesnt flow like this (in terms of content) much, but when he does he exceeds everyone that has been in the game.

[pshabi]

Quite possibly my favorite Jigga track. I just love the the concept, the symbolism, and the word play. Not to mention the raw, "don't fuck with the boss attitude" he drops on 'em:


Dear summer, I know you gon' miss me
For we been together like Nike Airs and crisp tees
S dots with polo fleeces
Purple label shit with the logo secret
Gimme couple years, shit I might just sneak in
A couple words and like peaches and herb
We'll be reunited and it feels so hood
Have the whole world saying "How you still so good?"
Well I do this in my slumber summer
I ain't none of these half-assed newcomers, you know how I do summer
I drop heat, when you bring the sun up
The combo make niggaz act up, I pick the gun up
Niggaz back up; they know I'm not no fronter
I don't talk shit, I just flip it +Un+ ya
Sorry Lance, I'm just trying to advance my quotes
I ain't making you the butt of my jokes
But let's not stray from what I came to say
To my beloved, think we need some time away
They say if you love it, you should let it out its cage
And fuck it, if it comes back you know it's there to stay
It's tugging, at my heart, but this time apart is needed
From the public, who should've gave me the pulitz'
Instead gave me they ass to kiss
But you know me, thugging 'til the casket dips
But still shine light down on all my peers
I know they weird... some queer, I still want them to share
And all the success I received, I know you can't believe
I still love 'em but they don't love me
They like the drunk uncle in your family
You know they lame, you feel ashamed, but you love 'em the same
It's like when niggaz make subliminal records
If it ain't directed directly at me, I don't respect it
You don't really want it with Hov, for the record
I put a couple careers on hold, you could be next kid
Keep entering the danger zone
You gon' make that boy Hov put your name in a song
If you that hungry for fame, motherfucker c'mon
Say when, take ten paces and spin
But on another note, 'bout to take another vaca'
On another boat, goddamn a motherfucker rode
His way out the hood, and I pray that I stay out for good
But any day you know a nigga could
Try and play like he Suge, then I gotta play like Dutch Schultz
You pass the dutchie, I blast you, trust me
Niggaz can't fuck with me
I'm in a good mood, you lucky, I got a good groove
And I ain't trying to fuck my thing up
But I will lay down a couple green bucks, get you cleaned up
Now I'm +Pulp Fiction+, Colt four-fifth and
Young niggaz that blast for me/blasphemy, no religion Edit: God Damn, that's so fucking raw. Dutch Schultz!
[talking]
Listen here summer baby, I just believe it's the right thing to do
I got a brand new bitch, corporate America
She showing me a lot of action right now
And I know you put me on my feet and all, but
I mean, it's time for me to grow
You gotta let me go baby, you gotta let me go

I'm done for now, so one for now
Possibly forever, we had fun together
But like all good things, we must come to an end
Please show the same love to my friends
Dear summer

[g-mile7]

GMile...Cover me homie

Im goin ' in 4 attack on these Jigga fans

hahaha

I will admit this...I like that track Anything.

but thats all your getting from me, Jigga freaks

:D


in true response to this:


your only weapon is the fact that even Jay-Z was influenced by 2pac.

[g-mile7]

We another Jay-Z LP........simple as that'.

[steve-onpoint]

Difficult to come up with some of the best lyrics the game has ever seen, you betcha daughter.

And how!