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with Dame Dash and Biggs Burke. Jay-Z initially set out
to become a rapper. But seeking a new way to put out his
product, he ended up becoming an entrepreneur.
• Rapping Ability - Jay-Z is the most talented rapper alive.
Back in the 1990s, he became known as "The Master of
All Flows," a title only bestowed upon an extremely exclusive
group of elite rappers. While most rappers only have
one flow style, Jay-Z has mastered every flow in existence.
Fast. Slow. Syncopated. Straightforward. Poetic. narrative.
He can do it all. He is a rapper's rapper, which is to
say, he's a guy who other rappers (such as Kanye West)
idolize. This is not just natural ability. This is the sign of
someone who is a tireless perfectionist when it comes to
his craft. Beyond his flow, Jay is just a great lyricist. He is
a great storyteller and can flip clever metaphors and puns
better than anyone. He can make comfortable party music
like "Big Pimpin" or serious message music like "Minority
Report," a powerful song about Hurricane Katrina. on
record, Jay can do anything. For further proof, watch his
episode of Storytellers, where he performs in front of an
audience and shares the full meaning behind the lyrics of
the key songs from his excellent American Gangster album.
The amount of thought that went into every bar is
astounding. It will make you re-examine everything about
that album and all others he has made.
• Studio Hustle - Jay-Z has a reputation for having an extreme
work ethic. He doesn't write down his lyrics; he has
everything memorized in his head. Seriously. Unlike other
rappers, who use notebooks, notepads, or even Blackberries
to pen a song, Jay-Z has every bar and every verse of
his songs etched in his brain. When he enters the studio
to record a track, he is always over-prepared. Because his
lyrics are already memorized, he needs very few takes to
record an entire track. Anyone who wants to collaborate
with Jay-Z must be prepared for the fact that he moves
at a very fast pace with incredible attention to detail. The
added bonus of the studio hustle is that it he cuts costs on
production. Rather than wasting money on studio fees for