What kept Jay-Z relevant compaired to some of his peers?

[NothingButTheTruth]

cause son Nice

You're an idiot if you think skills is weighted that heavy at that level. It's never about strict skills when it comes to business. It's ALWAYS about who you know and who you shake hands with, and the music business is no different.

... Y'all fill in the blank niggas are the worst. Ol' he must be the good, because he sells records ass niggas.

 

[NothingButTheTruth]

Call it trend hoping etc, but he managed to do it, not disappoint his core and attract new fans.....You have to adapt in some way, shape or form

Disagree at the bolded. He definitely isolated his core fan base on many occasions. He just attracted new fans aka white people.

He basically broke down the game via a business plan. Plus if you know anything about business, companies NEVER EVER market towards black people. Black people as consumers are the most following people in existence lol. JayZ figured this out and marketed his shit towards an entire new crowd who actually requires marketing and advertising.

Song with Annie's voice blew him up with white people and he rode that wave for a minute.

Then the Retirement stint.

Then Linkin park shit to get white people's attention.

Lebron. Cold Play for white people.

Married Beyonce. Obama shit.

Em tour for white people.

Timberlake for white people.

 

[usmarin3]

First off, people run different races. You can't compare JayZ to a Ghostface. JayZ became a rapper to make money and to create a brand. He was never in it for art's sake. He was never in it to further the culture. Jay started rapping because he saw dollar signs. Also, JayZ isn't more relevant than any of his peers, he's simply more commercial. Relevant is completely subjective to the listener. For me, JayZ lost all relevancy way back when.

To answer the question...

-He was more business-minded, while a lot of his peers were all about the culture and art of rap.

-He had no problem stabbing niggas in the back or in other words, he didn't follow the street code that a lot of other people did aka he kept it business.

-He had no problem consciously ridding the game of his competition.

-Everything was calculated. He had a plan.

-He ran a different race. He was all about hits and album sales etc.

-He embraced and wanted fame. This is huge, because most people don't want to get too big. That shit is way more of a curse than a nightmare. However, if you embrace it, a lot of good things can come of it.

If he was in it for the money as you say, then why did he give up hustling when he was making more money doing that and why is he still rapping today when he cakes more outside of the music business?

To say he doesn't love the art is fucking retarded considering the quality of his work (RD, BP, BA,etc) and his knowledge of the culture as a whole (being up on UGK and discovering new talent ie Cole, Ye, Just, Beans).

Jay has just managed to do what most rappers can't seem to do, he made sound business decisions and stayed the fuck out of trouble. Him coming into the game with a indy mindset also gave him leverage in this game.

 

[usmarin3]

cause son Nice

You're an idiot if you think skills is weighted that heavy at that level. It's never about strict skills when it comes to business. It's ALWAYS about who you know and who you shake hands with, and the music business is no different.

... Y'all fill in the blank niggas are the worst. Ol' he must be the good, because he sells records ass niggas.

cause son Nice

You're an idiot if you think skills is weighted that heavy at that level. It's never about strict skills when it comes to business. It's ALWAYS about who you know and who you shake hands with, and the music business is no different.

... Y'all fill in the blank niggas are the worst. Ol' he must be the good, because he sells records ass niggas.

LOL it's half talent (specifically being a great songwriter and artist) and business sense.

I don't give a fuck how much business or connects you have, you still have to make those songs that resonate. Puff got just as much money as Jay, 50 Cent got millions too, yet none of them hold relevance musically anymore.

 

[FlightKing]

My nigga usmarine makes Jay-Z posts with the slightest of ease. This nigga saw the thread title and probably popped his knuckles and shit.

I don't even think he types this shit live. Just got some Notepad files filled up with responses. This shit is copy+paste. It's nothing, b. It's nothing.

 

[NothingButTheTruth]

If he was in it for the money as you say, then why did he give up hustling when he was making more money doing that and why is he still rapping today when he cakes more outside of the music business?

To say he doesn't love the art is fucking retarded considering the quality of his work (RD, BP, BA,etc) and his knowledge of the culture as a whole (being up on UGK and discovering new talent ie Cole, Ye, Just, Beans).

Jay has just managed to do what most rappers can't seem to do, he made sound business decisions and stayed the fuck out of trouble. Him coming into the game with a indy mindset also gave him leverage in this game.

Because he was lying about hustling, at the least his level of hustling. That nigga was a packboy working the graveyard shift, if that. Also, if you know any street niggas, show money and ghostwriting > hustling any day of the week unless you're kingpin status or near that level. Especially for someone who had talent like Jay.

Jay clearly doesn't love the art. He talks about it in his rhymes all the time. About how he prefers to rhyme like Common yet, the money isn't there. Or how when he rhymes conscious, niggas front and say it's wack, but when he makes commercial shits, niggas claim he's the GOAT. Or how he waters down his shit to increase his worth.... A nigga who cares about art wouldn't do that shit.

As far as him knowing about rap as a whole, you have to know the business before you invest in it. Not to mention, he was probably a fan like me and you. There's plenty of fans out there who know what's hot, who's the next big star potentially etc. They just don't have the means or will power to make something out of it like Jay did.

 

[usmarin3]

That "i want to rhyme like Common Sense" line continues to go over stupid niggas heads. lol

This is the same nigga who so called dumbed down and still made Blueprint, Black Album, American Gangser,etc. Think about that for a second.

The funny shit about niggas who scream Jay-z should of kept rapping like he did on RD, 99% weren't even up on RD when it dropped. It wasn't until Jay-z ''dumbed'' down that ya'll caught up on him (Vol 2).

 

[NothingButTheTruth]

LOL it's half talent (specifically being a great songwriter and artist) and business sense.

I don't give a fuck how much business or connects you have, you still have to make those songs that resonate. Puff got just as much money as Jay, 50 Cent got millions too, yet none of them hold relevance musically anymore.

Bruh, context is everything. ITT we're comparing JayZ to his peers and discussing why he's still in the commercial spotlight after all these years and they're not.

Jay isn't better than his peers and if he is, he's not noticeably better. Jay's peers are people like Raekwon, Nas, X, Jadakiss etc. Not pretenders like Puffy who's TERRIBLE or average rappers like 50 who came out WAY later.

Objective fans know there's not a difference in raw skill, at least not in Jay's favor, that's why the most logical answer is business sense.

... But Obviously because Jay is at this high level of pop stardom, y'all are going to front like Jay was always better than those guys, but objectively we know that's not true.

 

[usmarin3]

LOL it's half talent (specifically being a great songwriter and artist) and business sense.

I don't give a fuck how much business or connects you have, you still have to make those songs that resonate. Puff got just as much money as Jay, 50 Cent got millions too, yet none of them hold relevance musically anymore.

Bruh, context is everything. ITT we're comparing JayZ to his peers and discussing why he's still in the commercial spotlight after all these years and they're not.

Jay isn't better than his peers and if he is, he's not noticeably better. Jay's peers are people like Raekwon, Nas, X, Jadakiss etc. Not pretenders like Puffy who's TERRIBLE or average rappers like 50.

Objective fans know there's not a difference in raw skill, at least not in Jay's favor, that's why the most objective answer is business sense.

... But Obviously because Jay is at this high level of pop stardom, y'all are going to front like Jay was always better than those guys, but objectively we know that's not true.

LOL at raw skill. Nigga Jay got a top 5 flow and easily with Lupe is the nicest with the double entandre's. What makes Jay dope is the subtle shit he says in his lines, it's also what simpletons don't get about him. Alot of the shit he says goes over people's heads, especially if you're a straight forward lyrics type of person (Pac, Face, Nas, Cube,etc).

Ya'll act like Jay-z fame didn't come off the body of work first. All that fame and money shit was a byproduct of it. Don't be salty your favorite rapper isn't in the same light.

 

[KingFreeman]

@usmarin3 sitting at the computer like...

 

[usmarin3]

@usmarin3 sitting at the computer like...

I think it says a lot more about a person when they know they don't like something, yet put so much energy denouncing their accomplishments or talents.

I would much rather be call a extreme fan than a hater.

 

[NothingButTheTruth]

LOL at raw skill. Nigga Jay got a top 5 flow and easily with Lupe is the nicest with the double entandre's. What makes Jay dope is the subtle shit he says in his lines, it's also what simpletons don't get about him. Alot of the shit he says goes over people's heads, especially if you're a straight forward lyrics type of person (Pac, Face, Nas, Cube,etc).

Ya'll act like Jay-z fame didn't come off the body of work first. All that fame and money shit was a byproduct of it. Don't be salty your favorite rapper isn't in the same light.

I guess it's the chicken or the egg argument. Is it, you have to be dope to sell records and become a big star?, or is it, once you become a big star, now you're a dope artist? Rappers die and jump through the GOAT lists, rappers blow up and all of a sudden they're geniuses, rappers make money and their rap skills seems to increase with their pockets. I really can't tell with you type of fans (who use commercialism as some kind of benchmark), it's an interesting concept.

.... Everything you said is your opinion, but what makes Jay dope is he's a good rapper, as is plenty of other rappers. What makes him stay in the commercial limelight has very little to do with his skill (since his talent isn't anything we haven't seen before) and everything to do with his business sense.

 

[KingFreeman]

@usmarin3 sitting at the computer like...

I think it says a lot more about a person when they know they don't like something, yet put so much energy denouncing their accomplishments or talents.

I would much rather be call a extreme fan than a hater.

Call it what you want. I love his music too but don't feel the need to act like a groupie. And isn't what your doing just the equivalent of what haters do in reverse? Whatever man.

 

[usmarin3]

Like i said, if it was just business sense then 50 Cent, Nelly,etc would all be relevant and on Jay-z level. You're gonna have to come with another excuse.

 

[usmarin3]

@usmarin3 sitting at the computer like...

I think it says a lot more about a person when they know they don't like something, yet put so much energy denouncing their accomplishments or talents.

I would much rather be call a extreme fan than a hater.

Call it what you want. I love his music too but don't feel the need to act like a groupie. And isn't what your doing just the equivalent of what haters do in reverse? Whatever man.

Nope. If i don't like something i don't waste my energy with it. That's just common sense.

 

[Disciplined InSight]

Skills, opportunity and blood sucking tendencies.

 

[Disciplined InSight]

Oh yeah and adaption to the times..

 

[Mr.LV]

Everytime jay-z is mention niggas become insecure bitches lol.

 

[nj2089]

My nigga usmarine makes Jay-Z posts with the slightest of ease. This nigga saw the thread title and probably popped his knuckles and shit.

I don't even think he types this shit live. Just got some Notepad files filled up with responses. This shit is copy+paste. It's nothing, b. It's nothing.

Lmaoo

 

[Mr.LV]

That nigga sold his MCHG for free with the download at 1,000,000 and then took the same album sold it in retail stores and moved 528,000 copies and debuted number 1.