“I’m supposed to be number one on everybody’s list/ We’ll see what happens when I no longer exist.” That’s how Jay-Z finished “What More Can I Say” from what he said was his final project, The Black Album. Almost 20 years later and sure enough, Hov is number one on many people’s Greatest Rappers of All Time lists. And if he’s not number one, he’s more than likely in the top five.
When it comes to the fact Shawn Carter has the most successful career in hip-hop history, there’s no argument — and that’s before even mentioning the fact he’s still relevant after doing this for almost 30 years. Walking that line between mainstream success and underground credibility is an Achilles heel for most rappers. They veer too hard to one side of the equation and lose the plot as a result.
But not Jay. Since truly announcing his mainstream dominance in 1998, no one in hip-hop history carried out that balancing act with as much ease as Jay. Even “Hard Knock Life,” with its beat practically engineered for radio, still maintains the hard-edged lyrics and clever wordplay that made Jay your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper two years prior. 2003 marked the end of a seven-year run that put the Brooklyn MC in rap’s upper echelon, where he produced an album year-after-year without fail. He even threw in a double LP to boot, though the less said about that one the better.
Jay came out of “retirement” in 2006, and while the output since isn’t as prodigious, a lot of it is just as compelling as his younger years. That’s why narrowing down his 10 best songs is yeoman’s work. Seriously, how do you shrink his massive career to a handful of joints? Do you go for the hits? Do you go for the underground joints? Do you stick to the front end of his catalogue or lean more to the back half? How can you not mention any of the songs related to his beef with Nas? It’s a testament to Jay’s greatness that just thinking of creating a list like this is daunting.
And yet, here we are. These are the 10 songs that not only showcase Jay-Z at his best, but encapsulate his fullness as an artist. He’s one of the few artists capable of going toe-to-toe with any rapper when it comes to bars while also holding his own with any pop star on the planet.
We make the case for his 10 best below; scroll to the end for a playlist.
