To think Jay-Z’s timeless opus, Reasonable Doubt, just turned 15 on June 25 is amazing.  It’s amazing because this is an artist that was once a sidekick of sorts for Jaz (Jaz-O as he was known later) and was kicking lightening quick verses (think a slightly slower version of Twista) alongside Original Flavor and the late, great Big L.  With the promo cassette that made its rounds in late ’95 or early ’96 courtesy of Priority Records with “Dead Presidents” (the first version) being featured, the growth of Jay-Z in a relatively short time was very apparent.  Quite candidly, I don’t think anyone could have pictured Jay dropping such a phenomenal debut, let alone becoming arguably the biggest name in Hip Hop ever!  Lofty statements, sure; far-fetched, not even close.

Without getting sidetracked on the oft-mentioned debate of “who’s the best” rapper ever, Reasonable Doubt, in terms of complete albums, is Mr. Shawn Carter’s best (Ed’s Note:  A better argument I always preferred was how it compared to Nas’ very solid and diverse, It Was Written, which came out about the same time).  I remember when his last album, Blueprint 3, dropped and everyone was screaming about how good it was and this and that.  Sure, it’s a quality release; but, I would always counter people’s accolades with, “How will it stand up to the rest of his catalog, namely Reasonable Doubt?”  I knew that it was virtually a “no contest” when it came to that rebuttal because of the special place that project holds in not only the fans’ hearts, but the artist’s, too.

Jay-Z made that album with no supposed intentions of making a career in the rap game and poured his heart into the creation of it.  I mean, this was a time when cats were -and had been- taking street money and transitioning into a legal hustle that was the rap game.  The distinguishing factor compared to that of most of his peers was that this cat could REALLY rap with a believability fans could relate to;  plus, he enlisted several producers (Ski a/k/a Ski Beatz, Clark Kent and DJ Premier among others) who were at the peak -or one of their peaks- of their respective careers.  It was Primo, in particular, who laced Mr. Carter with one his best in his much heralded career in “D’Evils.”  This semi-autobiographical tale about the streets and the toxic nature of greed is haunting to listen to whether or not your hustle is legal or otherwise.  The perfectly placed scratching of Snoop Dogg and Mobb Deep samples is simply brilliant over the dark and somber piano keys coupled with patented hard knocking drums.  This is just one example of the vivid story-telling that makes Shawn Carter still relevant and impactful today.

Also, Jay never really tried to recapture the sound or feel of Reasonable Doubt by making a sequel of sorts.  Granted, his second “best” album in my opinion, American Gangster, captured the street essence of his debut but with an updated formula and refocus that made it extremely listenable and his most cohesive work since his freshman release.  Interestingly enough, neither one of those albums were composed of “radio-friendly” singles, so to speak, as many of his other albums have and they top the list in what has become quite an impressive discography.  It’s almost as if Jay made Reasonable Doubt -later, American Gangster, too- for himself and no one else.  Meanwhile, we, as fans, could only listen as a true artist was revealing his soul with little apparent regard for radio spins and Soundscan numbers.

As much has changed in the Hip Hop game from 1996 until now, the fact remains that Jay-Z’s debut is a classic in the true sense of the word, beyond a reasonable doubt.

Chris Moss

Chris Moss

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