10 Slept On Lyrical Gems From Jay Z's The Black Album

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Today (November 14) marks the 10th anniversary of what was thought to be Jay Z‘s final LP, The Black Album. Years following, the project’s influence on the culture was apparent and the Brooklyn MC’s rhymes remained highly quoted to boot.

Lines like “If skill told truth me told, I’d probably be lyrically Talib Kweli,” have been risen to legendary status for obvious reasons. But there’s a lot more thoughtful lyrics to be heard on Jay Z’s last true magnum opus. That said, Hip-Hop Wired went through The Black Album to find 10 slept on lyrical gems that fans may have missed.

After the jump, you’ll find a gallery of moments that double as reasons why many call Jigga Man the GOAT of Hip-Hop. Check it out and give us your thoughts in the comments.

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Photo: Jay Z/Def Jam

“What More Can I Say”

“Now you know your ass is Willie when they got you in the mag/ For like half a billy and your ass ain’t lily-/ White. That mean that shit you write must be illy/ Either that or your flow is silly/ It’s both!/ I don’t mean to boast, but damn, if I don’t brag/ Them crackers gon’ act like I ain’t on they ass/ The Martha Stewart that’s far from Jewish/ Far from a Harvard student, just had the balls to do it.”

Not only did Hov prophesize that he’d one day be the $500 million dollar man, but he also added a racial implication into the mix. As always, the MC acknowledges his background and triumphs.

“Encore”

“After a year of them 16’s it’s 1.2/ And that’s 2.4, and I’m only doin’ two/ You wanted to gain attention new dudes/ I can get you BET and TRL, too/ You want to be in the public, send your budget/ Well fuck it, I ain’t budgin’.”

Historically speaking, Jay’s affinity for displaying his abilities as a mathmetician in rhymes have been consistent spanning from Reasonable Doubt‘s “22 Twos” to Watch The Throne‘s “Primetime.”

“Moment of Clarity”

“Ain’t just rapping for the platinum, y’all record/ I recall, cause I really been there before/ Four scores and seven years ago prepared the flow/ Prepared for war, I should fear no man/ You don’t hear me though”

What a way to call someone a fraud, Hov.

“Lucifer”

“So, curse the day that birthed the bastard/ Who caused your church mass, reverse the crash/ Reverse the blast and reverse the car/ Reverse the day and there you are, Bobalob”

After beginning the verse in a calm, subdued rage, Jay finally breaks down and reveals that he only wants his compadre back. Of course, he closes by asking the man upstairs to grant Bobalob entry into Heaven’s gates.

“Public Service Announcement”

“I check cheddar like a food inspector/ My homey Strict told me, “Dude finish your breakfast.”

It’s easy to miss the reference to now deceased streetball legend John “Franchise” Strickland due to the more recognizable line that precedes it. But this was just further proof that Hov was in tune with the streets. For Christ’s sake, Roc-A-Fella had a team in Rucker Park’s annual Entertainer’s Basketball Classic summer league at the time.

“Justify My Thug”

“They say an eye for an eye, we both lose our sight/ And two wrongs don’t make a right/ But when you been wrong and you know all along that it’s just one life/ At what point does one fight? (Good question right?!)”

This line was so nice that Jay had to pat himself on the back.

“99 Problems”

“And only thing that’s gon’ happen is/ I’m-a get to clapping and/ He and his boys gonna be yapping to the Captain/ And there I go, trapped in the Kit-Kat again/ Back through the system with the riff-raff again/ Fiends on the floor, scratching again/ Paparazzis with they cameras, snapping em/ D.A. try to give a nigga shaft again/ Half a mil’ for bail cause I’m African/ All because this fool was harassing them/ Tryna play the boy like he’s saccharine/ But ain’t nothing sweet bout how I hold my gun/ I got 99 problems, being a b**ch ain’t one, hit me”

Jay’s memorable second verse detailing his wit and knowledge on the law is most referenced. But the third verse is equally dexterous if flow, concept, and lyrics are the rubric.

“My 1st Song”

“Ain’t no different from a block that’s hitting/ Gotta get it while the getting’s good/ Gotta strike while the iron’s hot, before you stop/ Then you gotta bid it, good riddance.”

On the surface, this line is simply Hov’s way of bidding adieu to the game on what was thought to be his final album. But given the internal conflicts in Roc-A-Fella at the time and the MC’s history of veiled diss responses in his rhymes, you could question whether this line was aimed at his former partner Dame Dash.

“Threat”

“When the gun is tucked, untucked, n***a you die/ Like nunchuks held by the Jet L-I/ I’m the one, thus meaning no one must try/ No two, no three, no four, know why?/ Because one’s four-five might blow yo’ high/ You ain’t gotta go to church to get to know yo’ God/ It’s a match made in heaven when I {*blaow*} ‘splay the seven/ Put you on the n***a news, UPN at 11”

Again, this is Jay playing the numbers game.

“Allure”

“Say ‘hooray’ to the bad guy, and all the broads/ Putting cars in their name, for the stars of the game/ Putting ‘caine in their bras and their tomorrows on the train/ All in the Name of Love/ Just to see that love locked in chains and the family came/ Over the house to take back everything that they claimed/ Or even the worse pain is the distress/ Learning you’re the mistress only after that love gets slain/ And the anger and the sorrow mixed up leads to mistrust/ Now it gets tough to ever love again”

If this isn’t a hell of a turn of events, we don’t know what is. A ride or die chick becomes her man’s mule for drug trafficking, but after his untimely demise, she discovers that she was his side chick all along. Goodness.