15 years ago today, Jay-Z dropped the S. Carter Collection Mixtape Vol 1

[ReasonableMatic]

Hold the gun at eye level, I ain't afraid of conflict
I let the nine rip, nikka say "hi" to the devil
I blind with the bezel, I'm in line with the ghetto
What y'all nikkas afraid of, my mind or the metal/mettle?
nikkas tryna subtract my life, my mathematics is precise
I carry the 9, so fukking with me just ain't the answer
I just can't lose, when I was young I was like Fresh
Poppa raised me to Chess moves



Over my years I've seen Rooks get tooken by the (K)night
Lose they Crown by tryna defend a Queen
Checkmate, in 4 moves,
the Bobby Fischer of Rap, with raw moves - This Life Forever

Classic mixtape

 

[The Intergalactic Koala]

"Laser in ya Ear" tho

 

[Harry B]

The funny thing with Jay is how stories of shyt he says comes out years later or he clarifies super old rumors like decades later



"Beans buy a Bentley every week" I heard some interview years later when Beans was going in saying Beans had 2 of the same Bentley at the same time without moving any units how can he complain