Any one who has visited this site knows that I’m a huge fan of both Jay-Z and Nas. I’ve always wanted to put together the musical history of the tracks that may have started the beef. From what I’ve found neither Jay or Nas have ever discussed the beginnings of the beef or discussed the perceived shots at one another over the years.
I present my interpretation of the The Genesis of Beef. I referenced wiki for the song list and OHHLA for the lyrics. Major props go out to the homie Euqnichtims for the dope sketches!
Artist: Jay-Z
Song(s): “Dead Presidents” (Original)
Year: 1996
Lyrics: “Presidents to represent me/Get money!/I’m out for presidents to represent me…”
“I’m out for dead *fuckin* presidents to represent me”
Interpretation: Jay wanted Nas on the track, but used his vocals from “The World Is Yours” (Q-Tip Remix) instead. I’ve always thought Jay caught feelings behind the snub.
Artist: Jay-Z
Song(s): “The City Is Mine”, “Where I’m From”, & “Rap Game/Crack Game”
Year: 1997
Lyrics: “Don’t worry about Brooklyn I continue to flame/Therefore a world with amnesia won’t forget your name/You held it down long enough, let me take those reigns…/I ain’t a player get it right, I’m controllin the game/From now until they blow holes in my frame/I’ma stand firm, holdin my aim, feel me?/I’m the focal, point like Biggie in his prime” (”The City Is Mine”)”.
“I from where niggas pull your card, and argue all day about/Who’s the best MC’s, Biggie, Jay-Z, and Nas” (”Where I’m From”)
“Somehow the rap game remind me of the crack game” (”Rap Game/Crack Game” vocal sample from “Represent” by Nas)
Interpretation: The city of New York was up for grabs once B.I.G. died as he was hailed as the King of New York by many in the Hip Hop world (July 1995 Source Cover). Jay wanted the crown and boldly stated on “The City Is Mine” that he was taking the “reigns” from B.I.G.
Jay makes another reference about Nas in “Where I’m From” and samples his voice again for “Rap Game/Crack Game”.
In My Lifetime…Vol. 1 also marks the first time Jay starts using B.I.G. lyrics: See “Friend or Foe 98′” and “Real Niggas”.
Artist: Nas
Song: “We Will Survive”
Year: 1999
Lyrics: “It used to be fun, makin records to see your response/But, now competition is none, now that you’re gone/And these niggaz is wrong — using your name in vain/And they claim to be New York’s king?/It ain’t about that”
Interpretation: This joint was off of Nas’s third album “I Am”, which dropped April 6, 1999. Straight forward shot at Jay. By this time Jay was in full superstar mode especially after the commercial success he garnered from Vol. 2…Hard Knock Life. Jay wasn’t shy about acknowledging he was the King of New York. Obviously Nas didn’t think so. Nas was acknowledging Jay wasn’t on his or B.I.G.’s level with these lines.
Artist: Memphis Bleek feat. Jay-Z
Song: “What You Think Of That”
Year: 1999
Lyrics: “I’ma ball till I fall what you think of that?” (Memphis Bleek) – Line from the chorus of “What You Think Of That”..
“Round here frontin like my shit don’t sound like nuttin/Like I ain’t got the crown or suttin/Like I ain’t the nigga you base ya life on” (Jay-Z)
“I guess I ain’t the reason you rhyme the way you do” (Jay-Z)
“Like I ain’t 5 mill, and what do ya joint go?/Excuse me? Nigga don’t confuse me” (Jay-Z)
Interpretation: Memphis Bleek dropped Coming of Age on August 3, 1999 with a buzz worthy single (”Memphis Bleek Is…”), but everybody from what I can remember was talking about the track he had with Jay: “What You Think Of That”. Bleek doesn’t go at Nas, but Jay takes exception to Nas questioning his “King” status of New York. Obvious answer to Nas’s lines on “We Will Survive”.
Artist: Nas
Song: “Nastradamus” and “Come Get Me”
Year: 1999
Lyrics: “You wanna ball till you fall, I can help you with that/You want beef?/I could let a slug melt in your hat” (”Nastradamus”)
“You don’t like me clown? Now you wanna take me down?/If I bring my face around, you gon’ do what?/You butt/Your crew knew I blew up, I been shinin – baseball diamonds…” (”Come Get Me”)
“You make hot songs, but she know you steal from me/Who ill as me?/I wild on haters in album three” (”Come Get Me”)
Interpretation: The “ball till you fall/slug melt in your hat” is a play on words from the sung Chorus” by Memphis Bleek on “What You Think Of That”. Memphis Bleek wore a tilted hat on the cover of Coming of Age, thus the “slug melt in your hat” line.
“Come Get Me” was all over the place, with with lines like “you steal from me” and “your crew knew I blew up…” screams subliminal at Jay.
Artist: Jay-Z
Song: “Come and Get Me”
Year: 1999
Lyrics: “I got, shots to give come and get me nigga/Y’all wanna rob the kid? Come and get me nigga/I won’t, part with this come and get me nigga/I worked, hard for this come and get me nigga/I got, shots to give, COME AND GET ME../COME AND GET ME..”
Interpretation: The song itself is Jay talking to rappers in general, but the chorus is a play on Nas’s “Come Get Me”. I’ve never thought the song was about Nas because Jay doesn’t believe Nas is a street dude or did any street dirt. He wouldn’t give Nas props with lines such as “I’m a crook like you, I took like you/I disobeyed the law threw out the book like you”
Artist: Memphis Bleek
Song: “My Mind Right”
Year: 2000
Lyrics: “I’ma make you understand why I do what I do/Why I keep my hat tilt, and my doorag too”
“It’s beef I’ma see you, and bang til you hang up/Your life a lie, but here’s the truth/You aint hype to die, but you hype to shoot”
“And only a few fit in, your lifestyle’s written/So who you supposed to be, play your position”
Interpretation: Memphis Bleek addressing Nas and questioning the truthfulness of his rhymes.
Artist: Nas feat. Various
Song: “Da Bridge 2001″
Year: 2000
Lyrics: “Oh no you didn’t, wanna know whose life Was Written/The life I’m livin/The ice the women/The kites that sendin to lifeless biddin/The streets to prison/I touch you then buck you/Heats be spittin/La-ser, AR fifteen doors come down/Jaws is broke, your whole crew is/coffin bound/Your hoe, your man, lieutenant, your boss get found”
Interpretation: Nas addressing Memphis Bleek’s shots on “My Mind Right”. Nas is not only going at Bleek, but the whole Roc fam with the last couple of lines in his verse.
Artist: Nas
Song: “Eye 4 An Eye Freestyle”
Year: Circa 2000-2001
Lyrics: “You’re on top — WHAT?/Copy and fuck, I said it first, you repeated/Your false crown covered in dirt – defeated/Y’all niggas all hail, the King is dead/He running like a bitch with his tail between his legs/’Stillmatic’, still eye 4 an eye, wanna be God/You’re just the next rapper to die, fucking with Nas”
Interpretation: Not sure when this came out (from Clue’s – The Great Ones Pt. 2). Nas going directly at Jay about his assumption of being the King of New York.
Artist: Nas
Song: “Stillmatic (Freestyle)”
Year: 2001
Lyrics: “N Y City, grab a hold and ride with me/ Rip the FREEWAY, shoot through MEMPHIS with money bags/Stop in Philly, order cheese steaks and eat BEANS fast/And bring it back up top, remove the fake king of New York/You show off, I count off when you sample my voice/I rule you, before, you used to rap like the FU-SHNICKENS/NAS designed your BLUEPRINT, who you kidding?/Is he H TO THE IZZO, M TO THE IZZO?/For shizzle you phony, the rapping version of SISQO/And that’s for certain, you clone me, your wack clothes line/I’d rather wear Sean John, you bore me with your fake coke rhymes/And those times, they never took place, you liar/UN was your first court case, you had no priors/You master fabricated stories of streets and sound slick/Have you surrounded, you and the faggots you down with/While they riding NAS, trying to boost their careers”
Interpretation: Nas went at the whole Roc fam by name saying most of his verbal onslaught for Jay. Called Jay “fake”, “teh ghey”, questioned his street credibility, and hinted that he fathered Jay’s style. Nas went in on this joint.
Artist: Jay-Z
Song: “Takeover”
Year: 2001
Lyrics: “I know you missin all the (FAAAAAAAME!)/But along with celebrity comes bout seventy shots to your frame/Nigga; you a (LAAAAAAAME!)/Youse the fag model for Karl Kani/Esco ads/Went from, Nasty Nas to Esco’s trash/Had a spark when you started but now you’re just garbage/Fell from top ten to not mentioned at all/to your bodyguard’s “Oochie Wally” verse better than yours/Matter fact you had the worst flow on the whole fuckin song/but I know – the sun don’t shine, then son don’t shine/That’s why your (LAAAAAAAME!) – career come to a end/There’s only so long fake thugs can pretend/Nigga/you ain’t live it you witnessed it from your folks pad/You scribbled in your notepad and created your life/I showed you your first tec on tour with Large Professor/(Me, that’s who!) Then I heard your album bout your tec on the dresser/So yeah I sampled your voice, you was usin it wrong/You made it a hot line, I made it a hot song/And you ain’t get a coin nigga you was gettin fucked and/I know who I paid God, Serchlite Publishing/Use your (BRAAAAAAAIN!) You said you been in this ten/I’ve been in it five – smarten up Nas/Four albums in ten years nigga? I can divide/That’s one every let’s say two, two of them shits was due/One was – NAHHH, the other was “Illmatic”/That’s a one hot album every ten year average/And that’s so – LAAAAAAAME! Nigga switch up your flow/Your shit is garbage, but you try and kick knowledge?/(Get the fuck outta here)/You niggaz gon’ learn to respect the king/Don’t be the next contestant on that Summer Jam screen/Because you know who (who) did you know what (what) with you know who (yeah) but just keep that between me and you for now”
Interpretation: “Ask Nas, he don’t want it with Hov’, nooooo!” When this joint dropped as the freestyle from the Summer Jam concert it had everybody open and wanted to hear what Jay had next.
Jay’s verse summed up the criticism Nas was receiving after Illmatic dropped. “Nasty Nas to Esco’s trash”, “…Fake thugs…”, “fell from top ten to not mentioned at all”, etc was what fans and critics were saying about Nas…that he fell off. Jay was the first to put it in a rhyme.
Artist: Nas
Song: “Ether” & “You’re Da Man”
Year: 2001
Lyrics: “That this Gay-Z and Cockafella Records wanted beef” (”Ether”)
“When KRS already made an album called “Blueprint”/First, Biggie’s ya man, then you got the nerve to say that you better than Big/Dick suckin lips, whyn’t you let the late, great veteran live” (”Ether”)
“My child, I’ve watched you grow up to be famous/
And now I smile like a proud dad, watchin his only son that made it” (”Ether”)
“All I did was gave you a style for you to run with/Smilin in my face, glad to break bread with the god/Wearin Jaz chains, no tecs, no cash, no cars/No jail bars Jigga, no pies, no case/Just Hawaiian shirts” (”Ether”)
“You a fan, a phony, a fake, a pussy, a Stan”(”Ether”)
“Shaun Carter to Jay-Z, damn you on Jaz dick/So little shorty’s gettin gunned up and clapped quick/How much of Biggie’s rhymes is gon’ come out your fat lips?/Wanted to be on every last one of my classics/You pop shit, apologize, nigga, just ask Kiss” (”Ether”)
“I don’t kill soloists only kill squads” (”You’re Da Man”)
“Now you wanna hang with niggas I hung with/Fuck bitches I hit, it’s funny I once said…” (”You’re Da Man”)
Interpretation: Check out Sean’s take on “Ether” on his Top 10 Diss Records of All Time.
Nas dedicated a whole song to Jay this go around. Once “Fuck Jay-Z” is heard you knew it was on. Nas gets a lot of digs in at Jay: Called him a Stan, questioned his street credibility, said he gave him (Jay) a style, addressed Jay’s insistence of using B.I.G.’s rhymes, questioned he loyalty to B.I.G., but now claiming to be better, biting KRS-One’s album title, etc.
“You’re Da Man” addresses Jay bangin Nas’s “baby mama” and Jay’s relationship with Steve Stoute. I believe during this time Nas and Steve Stoute had a falling out….or definitely after the “Hate Me Now” controversy.
Artist: Jay-Z
Song: “Super Ugly”
Year: 2001
Lyrics:
“With Queens niggas you know how I do/Look, I got more shooters in Queensbridge than you”
“Nigga never sold aspirin how you Escobar?”
“I came in your bentley backseat, skeeted in your jeep/Left condoms on your baby seat”
“And since you infatuated with sayin that gay shit/Yes you was kissin my dick when you was kissin that bitch/Nasty shit, you though I was bonin Vanette/You callin Carm a hundred times I was bonin her neck/You got a baby by the broad you can’t disown her yet”
Interpretation: Jay finally letting us know “…Because you know who (who) did you know what (what) with you know who (yeah) but just keep that between me and you for now”
As crude, vugar, and disrespectful as you can get on a record. Admitted Jay stan that I am….just wasn’t Jay’s style. Jay is a calculated person and this record (funny and informative as it was) screamed of knee jerk reaction. My take is all of the the gay references made by Nas made Jay goes this route…thus the apology after the track dropped.
Artist: Nas
Song: “U Wanna Be Me”
Year: 2002
Lyrics: “I think of kings who died and rappers out to dethrone me”
“And show you how to stay off my dick/That’s the thing I hate the most, can’t even call you a man/When you gotta call out my name to get you some fans”
“Realize, how many classics I gave you/Perhaps if you think back you’ll realize that I made you”
“And understand, to battle Nas not in your plan…… And you my offspring, the boss sting”
“Play me a gangster’s theme, while you entertain me/If I ain’t cryin laughin, to the lions, throw your ass in/What the fuck was you niggaz thinkin?/Guns’ll clutch if I get a inklin that you comin for the kingpin”
Interpretation: Nas isn’t calling Jay out by name, but if he isn’t talking about Jay then who….? Definitely wasn’t Cam/Dip Set or N.O.R.E.
Artist: Jay-Z
Song: “Blueprint 2″
Year: 2002
Lyrics: “But you can’t give cred to anything dude says/Same dude to give you ice and you owe him some head”
“Can’t y’all, see that he’s fake, the rap version of T.D. jakes/Prophesizing on your CDs and tapes”
“Cause the nigga wear a kufi, it don’t mean that he bright/Cause you don’t understand him, it don’t mean that he nice/It just means you don’t understand all the bullshit that he write”
“Is it “Oochie Wally Wally” or is it “One Mic”?/Is it “Black Girl Lost” or shorty owe you for ice?”
“Since I will not lose, they try to help him cheat/But I will not lose, for even in defeat
There’s a valuable lesson learned, so it evens up for me”
Interpretation: The mature answer from Jay that again attacks Nas’s creditability and the contradictions in his rhymes. I definitely enjoyed this better than “Super Ugly”.
After Nas dropped “Ether” and Jay came back with “Super Ugly” many claimed Nas the winner. Hot 97 in New York had a vote on the air and the listeners crowned Nas the winner of the battle. Jay had a good understanding that Goliath (Jay) wasn’t going to beat David (Nas) in the eyes of the public. The underdog is always cheered on.
Artist: Nas
Song: “Last Real Nigga Alive”
Year: 2002
Lyrics: “Jigga started to flow like us, but hit with ‘Ain’t No Niggaz’/Had much Versace swagger
B.I.G. admired the Brooklyn knight and it took him in as Iceberg the rapper/Today don’t know nothing, about this bullshit/There’s more shit than wanting to be this King of New York shit”
“She hit the streets, later on she hittin the sheets/With a rapper who wanted me on his songs, thinking he strong”
“The Gift and The Curse? Fuck that shit, the first shall be last/I’m the man’s man, a rapper’s rapper/G-O-D S-O-N, they’ll be none after/I was Scarface, Jay was Manolo/It hurt me when I had to kill him and his whole squad for dolo..”
Interpretation: What I respected about Nas through this whole “beef” was he went at Jay (and the Roc) and Cam (Dip-Set) dolo. None of his crew (not that Jungle or Grand Wizard could help him lyrically) stepped up to go to battle with him. Nas addresses Jay sleeping with his “baby mama”, but hints that he only did it to get closer to him. Nas has always claimed throughout this beef to have “fathered” or “designed his Blueprint” and the Scarface/Manolo analogy sums that up perfectly.
Artist: Nas (with Bravehearts)
Song: “Quick to Back Down”
Year: 2003
Lyrics: “First of all this is Nas I’ma Braveheart veteran/And y’all already know who I’m better than”
Interpretation: By this time the beef had died down, but Nas got a quick stab in on this joint.
Bonus Tracks
These songs and lines could be interpreted as disses or subliminal.
Artist: Jay-Z
Song: “Don’t You Know”
Year: 2002
Lyrics: “Young’n, you are my hijo/My son dula/I clean the cess pool up/Rap stinks/You cats are the sphinx/You cut off your nose to spite your face/Bet you like it that way don’tchya?’
Artist: Nas feat. Jay-Z
Song: “Black Republican”
Year: 2006
Lyrics: Nothing obvious or subliminal, but historic in the sense that two MEN that went at it can put differences aside and do business today and publicly reconcile differences.
Artist: Jay-Z feat. Nas
Song: “Success”
Year: 2007
Lyrics: “Worst enemies wanna be my best friends/Best friends wanna be enemies like that’s what’s in/But I don’t give a fuck walk inside the lions den”
Artist: Ludacris feat. Jay-Z & Nas
Song: “I Do This For Hip Hop”
Year: 2008
Lyrics:
Nas – “Pardon the rest of my niggaz…but I’m the best who’s ever did it!”
Jay-Z – “That’s why I took the number one slot/The realest shit in rap comes from my voice box”
- Jay-Z – Dead Presidents (Original)
- Jay-Z – The City Is Mine
- Jay-Z – Where I’m From
- Jay-Z – Rap Game/Crack Game
- Nas – We Will Survive
- Memphis Bleek – What You Think Of That
- Nas – Nastradamus
- Nas – Come Get Me
- Jay-Z – Come And Get Me
- Memphis Bleek – My Mind Right
- Nas – Da Bridge 2001
- Nas – Eye 4 An Eye (Freestyle)
- Nas – Stillmatic (Paid In Full Mix)
- Jay-Z – Takeover
- Nas – Ether
- Nas – You’re Da Man
- Jay-Z – Supa Ugly
- Nas – U Wanna Be Me
- Jay-Z – Blueprint 2
- Nas – Last Real Nigga Alive
- Nas – Quick To Back Down
- Jay-Z – Don’t You Know
- Nas & Jay-Z – Black Republican
- Jay-Z & Nas – Success
- Nas & Jay-Z – I Do It For Hip Hop (with Ludacris)
LINK EXPIRED
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{ 93 comments… read them below or add one }
Excellent write up Thomas! I remember the Nas/Jay-Z beef like it was yesterday. Of course i always sided with Jay even though everyone said Nas “won”.
And thanks to Euqnichtims for the artwork. Them sketches are hot!
Dope, dope piece, fellas. Wasn’t even expecting a link at the end. I honestly didn’t follow the beef that hard, so I didn’t know it went back that far. Like most cats out west (I hope), I thought Takeover was outta left field. What’s crazy is I’ve heard all those cuts before Takeover and never thought to put it together. Definitely a clash of titans, though.
Thanks a lot for the piece.
Great read in the a.m.
Thanks for the link too, wasn’t expecting it either!
The wife & I have debated this ad naseum with her taking Nas’ side and me on the other we Jay. Thomas, this was a great write-up HOWEVER, you did us all a disservice by not capturing arguably the most important lines from the “Blue Print 2”
“…but won’t break you crumb, off the little bit that he makes/And this is with whom you want to place your faith/I put dollars on mine – ask Columbine/When the Twin Towers dropped, I was the first in line/Donating proceeds from every ticket sold/When I was out on the road, that’s how you judge Hov – NO?!?!/Ain’t I supposed to be absorbed N myself/But er’ time there’s a tragedy, I’m the first one to help/They call me this misogynist, but they don’t call me the dude/To take his dollars & give gifts at the projects/These dudes is all politics, depositing checks/They put in their pocket, & all you get in return is a lot of lip/And ya’ll buy the shit – caught up in the hype!
This portion of stanza speaks more appropriately to your interpretation BUT this is just nitpicking a great article in hindsight!
Kev – this is an excellent example of that “lyrics” idea that I told you about a couple of weeks ago.
Well done. This is a “scholarly” hip-hop write up. The research and attention to detail are much appreciated.
Thomas, you get MAJOR props for this article. I was reading word for word, and you didnt skip a beat on this one. I even have those Clue tapes, especially The Great Ones Part 2. I loved the Nas line “this is why you cant kill me_____ im already dead”.
but yea. you should continue these “Genesis of Beef” series. Roc-A-Fella vs… damn! WHO DIDNT THEY GO UP AGAINST?! LOL.
It’s a good thing that I got these mixtapes. LOL.
Thomas.. holy crap
This is unreal homie… you hurt em with this one!
you gotta remember sh*t for how it was at the time. jay was never considered the best rapper until later in his career, he always aligned himself with the hottest rapper of the time, first big, then dmx. the time of line ‘biggie, jay-z or nas” people weren’t even thinking of jay in those terms. people are stupid and if u say your the best enough times they will buy into it. nas isnt the type to come out with that kinda talk. u see what happened after the black album, talking legacies, nas won.
Great, great post my dude. I think the best thing about it is that they went at each other lyrically, no one got physically hurt (at least to my knowledge), then putting their differences behind them to record together was the cherry on top.
I’m with Word on the unexpected link too.
You guys are the greatest, I’ll cast my vote for the best blog of year right now!!
Thanks for the love folks. Really didn’t think anyone would respond.
Gotta give Deez props for creating the list for the site cause this writing ish isn’t easy….plus he gave me an easy template to follow as far as structure.
@Jigsaw – I could have used every word from “Blueprint 2″….thought it was a great song and was on point.
@cobbs – I’ll agree that that Jay wasn’t considered the best rapper when Vol. 1 dropped, but aligning himself with the hottest rapper…not sure about that. B.I.G. (from what I’ve read) had just as much respect for Jay lyrically as he did anyone. That line was “Where I’m From” I’ve always took it as that cockiness from Jay letting people know. By 98 the hottest rappers were Jay, N.O.R.E., DMX, Canibus (before Can-I-Bus), and them No Limit Soldiers.
I think there is a difference between saying “I’m the best” and not backing that up with the music….Jay backed it up with the music. I love Nas’s music (pause), but he didn’t win the lyrical battle IMO. I thought Takeover > Ether.
The Artwork is cool.
EPIC
Thomas got money on this one. Well done homie.
Jigsaw – You get to argue hip-hop with your wife. That’s awesome, you’re living the dream: a lovely lady with great music taste
cool, thomas. good post son, everyone entitled to their opinion, just some are better than others, no shots taken! after years of listening and reciting the lyrics of these records i gotta say i missed alot of these sublimes, good work
No issues cobbs….you’re just wrong though….LOL. Nas and Jay are two of my favorites.
as a final word(s) all i will say is nas come out and stole the show from jay in london, i also saw jay come out at nas’ appearance at rock the bells but took nothing away from nasir whose lyrics hold more resonance with a crowd. peace out
Wow Thomas my man, this whole post is dope. Can’t even imagine how long this might have taken you… nearly jumped out of my seat when I saw you compiled all the tracks at the end.
Great read, Thanks
Great write-up…I appreciate the point of view.I heard every one of the songs you mentioned,but I didn’t notice the subliminals in a lot of em’. Keep doin’ ya thing LL Cool K(ev).
This is just dope. A good read & the download was unexpected lol. I was just thinkin’, “I should listen to these songs” & BAM! Good look on this.
yooo also on Memphis Bleek’s “Mind Right” track he also said “u kno exactly who these streets belong to…..B.I.G. done warned u, now i’m bout to mourn u” he is referencing big’s kick in the door warning to nas about who runy NY
best shit i’ve ever seen. excellent post.
This list is lacking something important. Something momumental. How would Jay-Z have replied to Nas around ‘99, ‘00? a time where Jay was f****** Nas’ baby mommma. Hmmmmmm… How aboot “Is That Your Chick?” Stop… Think about. This is not complete. Nice try though.
glookin, I’m feeling old.
cheers/yo
Thomas, still can’t believe this. Unreal piece.
Some of these are great catches
should of been included in Youre the man section “yesterday you begged for a deal today you tough guys?”
super dope tho
This list is amazing. But where is “Is That Your Chick” at? Talk about subliminals…
This is a great write up. I would have added “Is That Yo Bitch” and the ORIGINAL version of “Don’t You Know”. That version got played on Hot 97 ONCE before “Supa Ugly” hit.
Major props for the link too.
Oh my God! this post is so f***kin’ dope.
I was reading it right, and i was so glued, then it finished and i was disappointed.
but out of nowhere i see a tracklist and after that came the beautiful word, DOWNLOAD.
i was shocked it was so unexpected like DJ unexpected lol
Good Read!
Good Post…props due.
good post, u had a lot of song most people wouldn’t know about BUT…u forgot a few like:
Nas “The Message”
Lyric: “Lex with tv sets the minimum…”
Meaning: The “Dead President’s” video featured what? Lexus’ with TV in the headsets.
Nas “One Mic”
Lyric: “niggaz throwin dirt on my name
Jealous cause fiends got they work and complain”
Meaning: When Nas took a break to chill with mama, Jay was trashing him.
then theres the Is THat Your CHick? that was already mentioned, but this was good nonetheless
nice post. try to squeeze a couple of more joint…
Queen Bitch PT 2 Remix
Before taking the Summer Jam stage, Jay made a pre-roast appearance on the remix to the sequel of the Lil Kim song, Queen Bitch, “Three niggas got it coming, say May-June / Sixth album drops, cocksuckers stay tuned.”
Airport Story
As later told by Jungle, Nas’ brother, the day after the Summer Jam incident, with Mobb Deep heading towards the grave and Nas grazed by the warning shot, Jungle ran into a basking Jay-Z: “the first thing I said [to Jay-Z] was, ‘yo, you know we going at you.’ . . . Then he stuck his hand out, gave me a five, he was like, ‘yo, I spoke to your man, I spoke to duke’, he told that LA story . . . So I was like, ‘alright, cool, we gonna do it for the fans.’ And I left it like that, but I told him it was war.”
The General
Prior to any definitive response, Nas next spoke generally about the art of the battle on The General. A remix came out a year later on a Swizz Beat compilation, but the OG version carries the stench of the ‘01 trenches undeniably, “I’m coming for y’all blood, make room for the king.” However, except for one reference to the Stillmatic Freestyle fallout (”Got ya label all scared / Calling up the radio, don’t want my records to air”), Nas primarily focused on laying out the designs of his would-be attack, his pre-Ether state of mind, “I’m much more smarter, much more strategic . . . Too eager you lose / patience, plan your attack then you move.” While there were great numbers who thought Nas couldn’t come back at all, those maintaining faith must have been pressuring him to return fire immediately. Nevertheless, as laid out on The General, Nas wouldn’t be rushed. Days went by without an official response. Weeks. Jay-Z reigned, the world waited. Months. Then, one December 4th, something happened. That Ether, that stuff that make your soul burn slow.
This and more is all at http://escobartheory.blogspot.com
Pretty good post all in all. You should also add “Imaginary Players” from Vol.1:
Y’all rapping-ass niggas, y’all funny to me
Selling records, being you but still you want to be me
I guess for every buck you make
it’s like a hundred for me
And still you running around
thinking you got something on me.
and
Groupies I leave them all fucked
Niggas – all struck
Your single was 99 cents, mines was 4 bucks.
Both Jay and Nas dropped singles and Nas was doing a special promo so he only charging 99 cents for his.
Also, for the record, I never understood why Nas is hailed as this innocent dude who has been wrongly attacked by other artists out of jealousy or envy, etc. EVERY single beef that he has been in was one that he started. Case in point, his beef with B.I.G… He came at him first on the “Affirmative Action (Remix)”:
Big links is heavy like weight,
that you throw on a Pit Bull’s neck while feeding him raw steak.
It’s gonna take more cake,
I take the crown off the so-called king of the town
And lock it down.
This came out right after B.I.G. was rocking a crown on the cover of The Source which was titled “King of New York”.
Oh, and off topic, I think that B.I.G.’s “Long Kiss Goodnight” should have been included on Deez’s top ten diss list.
Wow, a great reference. Well done.
Thanks, but I screwed up a bit. B.I.G. wasn’t rocking a crown on the cover, I superimposed two covers in my mind… However, Nas came at him after that issue dropped.
Wow Thomas, congrats my man. I think you beat out Deez for most hits on an article in less than 24 hours!
Wow….still can’t believe people are diggin it…
@ coop – Is That Yo Chick…missed that one. I’ve always thought that could have been about Charlie Baltimore and the situation with Un. I always thought Un was with her after BIG died as well as Jay. Rumor has it Jay stabbed Un over her.
@Cannon – Don’t You Know is on the list at the bottom. I thought the song was general with nothing speicific about Nas. The song came out in 01 (I think), but was released on the Paid in Full soundtrack in 02. He could have been talking about Fat Joe or Cappadonna. Both of them had something to say about Jay…but he handled them at the end of Takeover.
@Beezy – The Message and One Mic….I can go with those.
@Jayeveryday – Lots of good information…forgot about the General song. Nas is smart….he knew when to attack back at Jay and he new that whoever went last (had the last diss song) would be crowned the winner. He said it in Last Nigga Alive…”The Gift and The Curse? Fuck that shit, the first shall be last
”
I thought Jay addressed this very issue on Blueprint 2.
@215 – I’m not sure about Imaginery Player….just too general. Jay could have been talking about anybody. He is cocky when rhyming and the Roc was doing everything on their own. The $4 for the single was a maxi single…which at that time was $4. Everyone didn’t have those out. I remember Nas giving away the cassette of the Street Dream (remix) with R. Kelly for free if you brought his album for Waxi Maxi’s (remember that store anyone).
Nas did talk greasy about BIG as well…he wasn’t innocent.
Again great stuff….just my interpretation of the whole thing…nothing more nothing less.
This is reaching too much!!!!! Don’t get it twisted, real beef doesn’t go that far back with subliminals.
correction…..
You know exactly who these streets belong to
B.I.G. done warned you, and I’ma run up on you, nigga
-That was the correct line that memphis bleek shot @ nas at the end of his second verse on “My Mind Right”
also that same yr on hot 97 beanie sigel and the whole roc shut funk flex wit some freestyles and beans over the quiet storm beat said something like….”braveheart kids use rats and mumble” he put that shit on the airwaves, the roc was a tight unit @ that point, go against bleek, u goin @ beans
@ Thomas
Yeah. Nas’ b.m. confirmed she was one of the chicks Jay was talking about. I think you are right aboot Charli when he said “She keep calling me B.I.G. when my name is Jay-Z”
Not a stretch…but a theory….personal interpretation.
@Mike….every diss line couldn’t be added…but if you want to add that line it…I’m ok with that, but to suggest that “And only a few fit in, your lifestyle’s written” is not correct…not sure where that is coming from because Nas addresses that specific line in the QB song a few months later.
Nice summary.
Some peeps claim “I Am” was named that as a subliminal response to the “who the best MC? Biggie, Jay-Z or Nas” line on Where I’m From
FORGOT ONE:
Memphis Bleek f. Jay-Z & Missy Elliot – Is That Yo Bitch [remix]
This was f’n incredible. Stupid dope fly massive gangsta props on this one. I was good with the article, but the mixtape? Pff.. Nice.
I have to disagree with you, Imaginary Players is definitely going at Nas. The single that Nas dropped for 99 cents was “If I Ruled the World”, not “Street Drams”. If Jay was not going at him, Nas definitely thought that he was; he mentions this in several interviews.
Fucking BRAVO. 1 thing though, in the song “Blueprint 2″, Jay does actually concede his defeat in the song wars where he drops:
“I’ve been real all my life, they confuse it with deceit
Since I will not lose, they try to help him cheat
But I will not lose, for even in defeat
There’s a valuable lesson learned, so it evens it up for me.”
Still retains the crown, but a real slick way of sayin’ “okay, you got me on “Ether” nigga, but what?”
1st time here but Homie-That was excellent.
\Good Work Homie
Act Up!!
Justice league ‘09
brillant write-up man!!!!! for years i been tryna to piece together the timeline and couldnt really remember who said what…thanx for the download at the end….top 3 best blog sites…period!
Wow…great article and then a download at the end? Post of the year Thomas!!! haha
also on the imaginary player dig i’m under the impression that was at mase…jay and mase had a real small beef i the mid 90’s…
lets also not forget jay’s stab on hard knock life vol 2 wit da joint Ride or die…1st verse was clearly at nas
“i bruise wack rap nghs/severly punish em/specially those that git f*cked for dey publishing/(heh)”
Honored to have Combat Jack visiting the site….loved that joint you and DP did with A Nation of….. and Fear of a…. Classic stuff
I always took Jay’s conceding defeat from BP2 as him knowing that the underdog (Nas) was gonna get the support from the masses. It seemed like everybody was on Jay’s jock…Nas drops Ether and they all of sudden Nas is the King. I should have added this in…
“The street dreamin, all y’all niggas living through me/I gave you life when niggas was forgetting you emcee” (BP2). Jay kinda made Nas relevant again (not to me cause I’ve always supported his music even through the ruff period of Nastradamus)
“I bruise wack rap niggaz severely punish them/Especially those that get fucked for they publishing, heh/Always gotta be the weakest nigga out the crew/I probably make more money off yo’ album, than you/You see the respect I get everytime I come through/Check your own videos, you’ll always be number two/Niggaz talkin real greasy on them R&B records” (Ride or Die)
^^^^^^^^
This to me was at Mase not Nas. If you remember Puff was always in Bad Boy video’s…remember when they had the shirts on with #1 and #2 on…..you know Puff didn’t have #2 on. Plus, Jay wouldn’t have ghostwritten for Nas during that time, but he could have for Mase back then.
>> @Cannon – Don’t You Know is on the list at the bottom. I thought the song was general with nothing speicific about Nas. The song came out in 01 (I think), but was released on the Paid in Full soundtrack in 02.
he’s talking about the original version of the song that actually references Gnoz by name
http://kevinnottingham.com/2008/08/07/top-10-diss-tracks-of-all-time/
^^^^^^^
This piece was the template for The Genesis….
I agree with Thomas in respect to Jay-Z getting at Mase, not Nas, on Ride or Die.
MaG,
Jay-Z and Mase weren’t beefing when Vol 1 dropped, they started shortly after when Mase offhandedly dissed Jay while they were on tour. He (Mase) had just gone platinum (w/i one month) and while on stage made a comment about everyone on the tour being platinum, then said something like, “Oh wait, somebody here’s not platinum.” Because Jay had just dropped Vol. 1 and it was not platinum at the time of the tour.
lol, not a template homie… thomas, this was all you.
I’m still amazed. However, I will say this about some particular paragraphs and such, and this is because I’ve been guilty of it a few times…
We can simply only speculate that those particular bars were referencing Nas when Jay-z dropped em or vice versa. I think “What You think of That” is Jay-z just talking to everyone in general, you know when MC’s just talk that shit you know?
I think a lot of these probably fall under the category of “I’m talking to you” and they probably are talking to every emcee out there. If that isn’t the case, than Jay-z and Nas simply have each other in mind more than Kelis or Beyonce… and that’s a little troublesome
the funny thing about jay and nas is that they still going at each other….on the same songs at that!!!!
Great read Thomas! Major props on this. I’m so happy I have every one of those tracks. Me being a super fan of both I always wondered how was Jay provoked to do “Takeover.” At the time I thought it was just Jay defending his son *lmao* Memphis Bleek but now I see it was much deeper than that. Nas ate him up IMO, but Jigga was Nas’ worthiest opponent. Anyone else besides Nas and their career would’ve been over. Nas the GOAT!
Glad someone finally saw that come and get me…when the beat flips, it gets no better
thanks for the rs link i was missing 1 or two of these, this era of hip hop > current hip hop
the only quote missing was memphis bleek refrencing the kick in the door B.I.G. diss to Nas on mind right remix, where Bleek says you know exactly who these streets belong to, BIG done warned you, and Im a run up on you.
What about the track Jay put out on the Unplugged Album. “People Talk” it was not a direct diss but it definetly was a reference to the hot 97 voting.
Another possible entry in the ‘bonus/extended crew’ listing (however negligible/unimportant) would be Nashawn’s ‘Write Your Name’…still love when that track comes up in the shuffle: http://www.amazon.com/Napalm-Nashawn/dp/B000F7CM36
Wow, nice write up
A lot of stuff I’d never really thought about in context to the beef, it’s cool seeing it all in one place to read
Cock-a-fella records would luv this, lol…seriously this is the best read ever and the bonus is the tracks supplied at the end to proof the point…This was sum very tight work indeed.
this is… accurate, lol. definitely on point.
“people talkin”?
NAS wins this one easily. Me & my crew argue this at least once every 2 months. JAY disciple believes Jay does not lose and Ether was a KO that will forever blemish his record. After Nostradamus Nas was down & Jay wanted the crown to himself and leave no doubt to everybody that he is the KING and destroying Nas would be the final piece of puzzle. BUT Nas killed him on ether and went after the mighty R.O.C.(at that time was running hiphop)by himself, and took out everybody.
Excellent piece. Talking about subliminal shots, there is also this detail that always sound suspect to me, it’s the tracks order in “Hip-Hop is Dead” : you got “Hip-hop is dead / Who killed it ? / Black Republican”. I don’t know if I’m trippin’, but I can’t believe it wasn’t made on purpose by Nas.
his is a cool post. I remember after takeover/ether came out I would pop in old albums and that beef going public put lyrics in a new context for me. It’s great to see someone try to make a full accounting of this.
A couple of things I think people overlook when considering Jay. The blueprint 2 beat flips a sample from the good the bad and the ugly. Jay was drawing a parallel in that he was ‘the good’ at the end of the day because he had all the money.
Also these lyrics from what more can i say (black album):
You know what
Soon they forget where they plucked
They whole style from
And try to reverse the outcome
I always thought he was going at nas because of how often nas tried to say he invited jays style. And he used another movie to make a point, this time the gladiator sample where maximus wonders aloud if the audience didn’t come to see battle, to see people killed.
People are always talking about how subtle and complex Nas is. I’ve just never seen it. Aside from the superugly error I think Jay has always been playing on a deeper level than all these cats.
lol this post is unreal
and here I thought I was head writer
*hands crown to Thomas*
As everyone pointed out….I probably could have added in a few other songs:
1. Is that Yo Bitch
2. The Message (maybe)
3. What About Us (Remix)
4. The General
5. People Talking
6. Best of Both Worlds
Everyone who commented check back daily….we always have something fresh for you guys.
This joint has taken on a life of its own.
Deez you need not worry….you’re still the head writer fam.
“Do you fools listen to music or do you just skim through it?” ooppps sorry. Everyone talkin about “Is that your chick” should probably listen to “Come and get me” first. Let me tell you a secret *whispering* its the same song!
You forgot one of Jay’s illest songs…that “I hear the people talk” track…He slaughtered Nas all over that joint.
[Jay-Z Talking] (Little Voice) {Some man talking}
(Its something like, finding suckers on a house cap)
Let me take yall somewhere right now {don’t be scared} (I’m searching for a
needle in a haystack, like this)
A Nigga got to zone out with me man {that’s alright don’t be scared}
Lets Zone Out
(I hear the people talk)
I hear Yall
(Whistling when they walk)
Do yall hear me
(Your kind is hard to find)
Yall n*ggas should twist up something real, real tight
(Gone and relax your mind)
Zone out with your boy
If you don’t smoke grab you something to drink, mix it up right
(I hear the people talk), (whistling when they)
Yo don’t smoke or drink just light up a in scent, fuck it
(Your kind is hard to find)
Close your eyes follow me
(Gone and relax your mind)
I want you’ll to really hear
[Verse 1]
I speak through music
I reach you dudes
We can get deeper in the dirt
Than clean shoes
I refuse to lose
I peep you creeps
Three months in advance
I see right through you Judas
The man that I am
And damn you don’t know
The harder you go at me
The harder I flow
Lets do this
I’m just a mirror
Reflecting your image
The minute you switch up your face
I pick up the pace
Its nothing to it
Pull hammers from my waist
We can clap at this amateur pace
If that’s whats cracking
Or we can play this on All Madden
Can you even follow?
Not having a fear in the world
I’m cool in my after life
If I’m reading these chapters right
Please would have you
I breeze through Matthews
Bleeding by half of you
You cowards die a thousand deaths
Fake fucks face down on your housing steps
Are yall even getting this message?
I aint being a aggressive
But if you testing my life
Then shit I got to answer
I got to cut off the cancer
Youngin’ pull your pants up
You getting to big for your britches
You fucking with a dude
That did it with digits
Breathings a privilege
(Don’t you know)? When you defeated
(Wont you though) Through in the towel
I’m better with vowels
I’m a man of principles
Damn near invincible
In my own mind
Now that my souls aligned
I didn’t know before
Now my role defined
To take over control of whats mine
(Come and get me)
Come and take my life you coming with me
Come try and take me for granted
I’ll take you off this planet
Damn it man this is a gift from god
This aint Pakistan so your arms are too short to box
Plus we knuckle up unorthodox
Can’t take me off my grind
Get off my cock
What you thought it’s the ROC
(I hear the..)
Back in the mix of the scuffle
Since 86 I was sick with the hustle
Get a couple chicks to touch you
(Hard To..)
Feather weight fucker don’t ever hate on the brother
[Jay-Z Talking]
Just playing with you
I’m gone stop now
I aint got to sell another record in my life
The blue print 2 baby!
See yall in November!
(little Voice)
I hear the people talk
Whistling when they walk
You kind is hard to find
Gone and (repeat 3 times)
thomas and 215…good points on that one…and good look on da people talking joint…(I see right thru u judas!!)
The link is dead. Any chance of reposting?
you missd a key part of the beef
nas’ stillmatic freestyle was in response to jay’s summer jam performance of takeover which he ended with “ask nas, you don’t want it with hov!” *without* doing the infamous third verse. this was the first point in the exchange of words between nas and jay when a name was actually used.
you also miss the numerous subliminals jay sent to nas via comments on jay’s relationship with carmen. according to carmen (the mother of nas’ child, destiny), numerous jay verses in the late 90s referenced their relationship, all of which undoubtedly had to irritate nas, one would imagine (at least the references he was able to discern).
Fucking BRAVO. 1 thing though, in the song “Blueprint 2″, Jay does actually concede his defeat in the song wars where he drops:
“I’ve been real all my life, they confuse it with deceit
Since I will not lose, they try to help him cheat
But I will not lose, for even in defeat
There’s a valuable lesson learned, so it evens it up for me.”
^^^ in those lines, jay is referencing how he lost the call-in contest hot 97 had about which song was better ‘ether’ or ’superugly’. i think to this day that contest was wack because the two songs that should have been compared were takeover and ether (two album tracks). comparing ether and superugly (a mixtape type joint, not an album cut) to ether is like comparing takeover to the stillmatic “freestyle”. it’s uneven.
i would do this:
stillmatic freestyle v. superugly
ether v. takeover
of those two, i think stillmatic freestyle and takeover, respectively, win. takeover was way more focused in its attack than ether, nas was all over the place trying to dis everyone on the roc and messing up facts (like saying rockefeller died from aids when he meant rock hudson, probably).
the beat for takeover is also >>>> the beat on ether
the fact that nas had to borrow part of his hook from jay (i will not lose) never helped his case much in my eyes either. ether also traditionally refers to light more than heat (”an ethereal glow”), but i never expect much from rappers when it comes to being literal.
“I bruise wack rap niggaz severely punish them/Especially those that get fucked for they publishing, heh/Always gotta be the weakest nigga out the crew/I probably make more money off yo’ album, than you/You see the respect I get everytime I come through/Check your own videos, you’ll always be number two/Niggaz talkin real greasy on them R&B records” (Ride or Die)
^^^^^^^^
This to me was at Mase not Nas. If you remember Puff was always in Bad Boy video’s…remember when they had the shirts on with #1 and #2 on…..you know Puff didn’t have #2 on. Plus, Jay wouldn’t have ghostwritten for Nas during that time, but he could have for Mase back then.
^^^ co-sign EXCEPT for the part about jay writing for mase. i think what jay was referring to was that because of ma$e’s deal with puff, jay probably made more in publishing off his guest appearance on ma$e’s first album than ma$e did off of his own album. the reference to “being the weakest in your crew” seems to be a reference to mase’s old crew children of the corn, which included big l, cam’ron and mcgruff. whether mase was the weakest or not is debatable, but some people thought so at the time.
Gave a shout-out to your post on Da Beef Bucket, rap beefs blog. The link is DEAD!
Da Beef Bucket – http://dabeefbucket.blogspot.com/
“Nas is like” also has a subliminal in it, just hit me
“Nas is like” also has a subliminal in it, just hit me
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
“Much to success to ya, even if you wish me the opposite
Sooner or later we’ll all see who the prophet is”
This must be what you’re talking about…..I would say NO.
hey can you re-up the link please? this was a great
piece.
kev can u upload the cd again!!! every1 dying to hear it!!!
get that link back up!
I REPECT JAY Z BUT THE TRUTH MUST BE TOLD NAS IS THE BEST REPPER ALIVE,HE TAKE ALL OF MY RESPECT NAS IS MY HERO.HE ONLY DISAPOINTED ME BY JOINING ROCCA FELLA RECORDS
can this link be re-upped?
Not certain that Kev is gonna re up the link. It was taken down twice I think. Sorry.
Thought I’d drop the 100th Comment
Goddamn this was dope.
“being the weakest in your crew” seems to be a reference to mase’s old crew children of the corn, which included big l, cam’ron and mcgruff. whether mase was the weakest or not is debatable, but some people thought so at the time.
^^^ now that i think about it, considering that the lox were on bad boy at the time, there is a strong argument that ma$e was the weakest rapper on bad boy at the time as well (puff excluded).
“weakest rapper on bad boy at the time as well (puff excluded).”
^^^ I can go with that. But, damn as I think back Puff and Bad Boy had stuff on lock for a couple of summers. Couldn’t listen to the radio or tv without seeing them. Bad Boy was hot when Mack and Big dropped, but I think things took off when “Flavor in Ya Ear” dropped, but went crazy when B.I.G. dropped those remixes to “One More Chance”.
They had ish locked until DMX came out.
“Call yourself gangsta, but you were begging for pardon that night in Carbon, when Terror Squad flipped on your squadron tried to front on their checks till Pun put a gun to your chest.”
U ALSO FORGOT JAY FREESTYLE ON GREATONES PT 1..GOES AT NAS ON THAT TOO..
gr8 post…better than the article on wikipedia. Try updating the wiki post. Once again gr8 post!