Jay-Z vs. Rakim

[Rakim Allah]

How is Ra is not an Industry rapper, when he was/is in the business of selling music.
That is corporate, breh.

Eric B and Ra were trying to sell records and get money just like Jay was. They all were hustling.

What Ra was so supposed to give away his music for free? Ra didn’t dumb down his music or lyrics to sell records.

 

[blankstairz]

What Ra was so supposed to give away his music for free? Ra didn’t dumb down his music or lyrics to sell records.

Are you saying Jay did?


I know Jay says he did, but from Reasonable Doubt until now, he has pretty much been the same rapper.

 

[get these nets]

Are you saying Jay did?


I know Jay says he did, but from Reasonable Doubt until now, he has pretty much been the same rapper.

blatant pop singles by Jay Z

 

[blankstairz]

blatant pop singles by Jay Z

How does this differ from Ain't no N*gga? Feeling it? Can't Knock the Hustle with a Mary J. feature that a lot of rappers at the time did to sell records (All I need remix with Meth as an example).

 

[Rakim Allah]

Ue

Are you saying Jay did?


I know Jay says he did, but from Reasonable Doubt until now, he has pretty much been the same rapper.

yeah an industry rapper. But he put it into overdrive after Reasonable Doubt. Singles became Ain’t No Nicca on Industry steroids. Jay has loads of talent so it obviously worked for him for a considerable amount of time.

 

[blankstairz]

Ue

yeah an industry rapper. But he put it into overdrive after Reasonable Doubt. Singles became Ain’t No Nicca on Industry steroids. Jay has loads of talent so it obviously worked for him for a considerable amount of time.

What about Ra and the Don't sweat the technique video though?

 

[Rakim Allah]

What about Ra and the Don't sweat the technique video though?

What about it? So that video makes him a Industry rapper?

So basically, every rapper who was signed to a label is a Industry rapper? If that’s how you ultimately feel then I won’t further argue that point.

 

[ahdsend]

No offense, but most East Coast rappers in the 80's subject matter was limited to, well, rapping. How much can you fukking rap about rapping? Let's be real. If all you can rap about is rocking stages, writing lyrics and gripping mics... where the fukk is your message? Yeah, Rakim had message songs like "The Ghetto", but mostly Rakim rapped about rapping. Just like Big Daddy Kane and the D.O.C.

When Jay debuted in the mid 90's, you had to had vivid story telling abilities. And that's what he did on Reasonable Doubt. That was like a movie on wax. Jay Z never just rapped about rapping. And Jay had more impact on the culture in setting and killing fashion trends as well as setting musical trends.

 

[ahdsend]

blatant pop singles by Jay Z

at least these were ok compared to i know what girls like

don't know what was he was going for there, shyt is damn near unlistenable..

 

[untaintedbeats]

respect your opinion but here is the difference

80s rapper were contemporaries of the first generation crack kingpins.....they drove the same cars, banged the same chicks, and the rappers popularized the street styles that the drug dealers created

80s rappers were trying to sell records and get airplay....and were NOT drug dealers.......they were rappers

90s rappers were kids who grew up during the crack era...saw it firsthand as little punks doing hand to hands themselves or saw their friends do it....and saw the full ugliness and glamour of that life
Post NWA.....there was an audience and radio/video for drug related raps and stories, so A&Rs allowed those songs to go on albums

****
Kool G Rap is the80s exception...and because of him have to call BS on "80s rapper didn't tell us about the streets or gives us a glimpse"

It was known that cats like Kane and Rakim rolled with some real dudes...the fact that they didnt talk about it...I always respected...but they did talk about issues of the day...I dont know where ppl get there info...

 

[CSquare43]

I'm late.

Jay is the bigger artist/impact, but it's Ra from an MC perspective. I mean come on:

I'm glad I listened when my father was rappin to me
Cause back in the days, they lived in caves
Exiled from the original man, they strayed away
Now that's what I call hard times
I'd rather be here to exercise the mind
Then I take a thought around the world twice
From knowledge to born back to knowledge precise
Across the desert, that's hot as the Arabian
But they couldn't cage me in, cause I'm the Asian
Reachin for the city of Mecca, visit Medina
Visions of Nefertiti, then I seen a
Mind keeps traveling, I'll be back after
I stop and think about the brothers and sisters in Africa
Return the thought through the eye of a needle
For miles I fought and I just brought the people
Under the dark skies, on a dark side
Not only there, but right here's an apartheid
So now is the time for us to react
Take a trip through the mind and when you get back
Understand your third eye seen all of that
It ain't where you're from, it's where you're at

 

[NormanConnors]

How in the HELL did Ra lose this . I mean really WTF. This site man, only on here.

 

[NormanConnors]

Jay.

One of Jay's former mentors was better than Ra too: Kane

Is that why Kane ducked the fade on Wax?

 

[NormanConnors]

Ra had nowhere the longevity of Jay...

Breh

 

[L. Deezy]

Breh

what? lol

its true