Meccapolis ranks “Kings Of New York” from 1985 to 2024

[prophecypro]

I don’t think of Fab when I think NY in 2012 especially for a tape


ASAP, French, Nas, Hov and Nicki were the big dogs in NY that year and they all not on the runner up

 

[ISO]

Na Bobby is right for that year. They didn't get locked until December. Dont forget Computers which still go crazy today. Even tho its Rowdy song, its Bobby verse that does it.

U don’t think king off 2-3 songs is crazy?

They popped in the summer and were gone by December

When Bobby dropped his EP he had a crazy snippet of a song called Bobby bytch but it end up flopping

 

[ISO]

Define culture

As per the dictionary the attitudes and behavior characteristic of a particular social group.

 

[Damnshow]

I guessed it! French Montana for 2013 oh my GOD. One of the worst rappers with zero charisma EVER

 

[prophecypro]

That beef allowed Nas to resurrect his career but Jay still had the better 02 all things considered. He was still riding the wave of Blueprint. Had the Best of Both Worlds with Kells. And BP2 had some big singles on it. His only misstep was making BP2 a double album

Those albums were considered dissapointments for Jay

The next year with the S Carter Tape and Black Album he got it back big

 

[L. Deezy]

But he’s number one in the vast majority of GOAT lists that come out since so what did it really do in the grand scheme of things?

It didn’t effect his career intend short term or long term

Dude.. Jay is smart. Now if he wouldnt have extended that olive branch to Nas to be pals, Nas would have kept shyting on dude. Nas didnt even perform Ether no more after 2002. Nygga lucky Nas dont touch stages performing that shyt even til today. That whole aesthetic of it didnt effect his career.. blah blah blah..woo woo woo would be completely out the window.







Jay did the best thing of his career by that my nygga... by avoiding this for some more years..

 

[No Homo]

U don’t think king off 2-3 songs is crazy?

They popped in the summer and were gone by December

When Bobby dropped his EP he had a crazy snippet of a song called Bobby bytch but it end up flopping

Yes and no..the song popped crazy and i really dont remember much else from that year.

I understand what you saying tho about just a couple songs but that song was such a hit im not mad at the pick

 

[BmoreGorilla]

Those albums were considered dissapointments for Jay

The next year with the S Carter Tape and Black Album he got it back big

Yea those albums were below his standards but he still had a huge year. He was everywhere in 02. Which brings me back to my point that Ether wasn’t enough to knock him off the throne

I always liked Nas more but I’m not gonna blatantly lie like @Stick Up Kid did when he said Jay retired after BP2

 

[Street Knowledge]

This is alright.

I would have went

2010: Nicki
2011: Jay Z
2012: French
2013: Rocky
2014: Fabolous

I see Bobby as a guy with a hot song he was gone within months of blowing up. Fab had SOUL Tape 3 and Young OG project that year two very popular bodies of work locally. Hot Nikka was crazy though. I get it.

Yeah the Bobby fall off was happening before he got locked up. People forget that

 

[Street Knowledge]

Dude.. Jay is smart. Now if he wouldnt have extended that olive branch to Nas to be pals, Nas would have kept shyting on dude. Nas didnt even perform Ether no more after 2002. Nygga lucky Nas dont touch stages performing that shyt even til today. That whole aesthetic of it didnt effect his career.. blah blah blah..woo woo woo would be completely out the window.







Jay did the best thing of his career by that my nygga... by avoiding this for some more years..

None of this has anything to do with your argument.

So just to clarify if Nas kept performing ether what would that exactly do to Jay’s career post 2002?


Black Album wouldn’t have been a 4times platinum?

Empire State of mind wouldn’t have gone number 1?

AG and 444 wouldn’t have been Universally acclaimed?

Vibe wouldn’t have had him number 1 on their greatest rapper of all time list?

Ether didn’t stop shyt for Jay Z. The lead single for the follow up album was literally the biggest song of his career at that point

 

[Crumple]

1985 to 1989

I went through this and I see some great names like Raekwon.

However I didn't see the real King of New York City which is Kool Keith.

His song of the same title clearly solidifies this further.

 

[Ghostface Trillah]

Not disregarding X at all. But he didn’t carry himself like a king. Jay always has. X was the bigger star at the time but there’s a reason Def Jam named it the Hard Knock Life Tour

Actually it was named the hard knock life tour because Jay and Dame were planning to go on tour without Def Jam and Def Jam didn't want that so they piggybacked on it. DMX was bigger than Jay and had better momentum at the time and still ended up opening for Jay because it was Jay's tour.

 

[prophecypro]

Yea those albums were below his standards but he still had a huge year. He was everywhere in 02. Which brings me back to my point that Ether wasn’t enough to knock him off the throne

I always liked Nas more but I’m not gonna blatantly lie like @Stick Up Kid did when he said Jay retired after BP2

They were close but I would say in 2002 Nas had the momentum suddenly. He was getting calls again on remixes (J Lo, Jagged Edge, Brandy etc) The whole Murder Inc thing where they were the hot chart group wanted to work with him etc, MTV was nominating his videos, Made You Look was charting on fukking TRL lol. and I think that year was the peak of the Nas> Jay convo. He was the winner of the battle so it kinda felt like he was gonna have the juice, bare him in mind hes still considered a mainstream platinum rapper in this time.
2002 to me for Jay was like Drake in 2018, hes still out there and the big artist but you could sense a shift cause while the albums were selling the acclaim was a little less. I just think Nas kinda rebelled against wanting the throne be it cause his mom passed away or whatever. That Summer Jam in 02 was the city ready to coronate him and we saw what he went with.

As for Jay retiring, I think it was smart marketing to take calculated break. It kinda was design to gain both momentum back from people who may have jumped to Nas but also to kinda get some attention off 50's year (very smart of him to tour with him that year). Taking a break can be a tricky thing but it gives you time to regroup (Drake should probably be doing the same now)

 

[BmoreGorilla]

Actually it was named the hard knock life tour because Jay and Dame were planning to go on tour without Def Jam and Def Jam didn't want that so they piggybacked on it. DMX was bigger than Jay and had better momentum at the time and still ended up opening for Jay because it was Jay's tour.

Yea like I said Jay was a boss. He was able to pull a boss move. That’s what kings do. I’m not denying X was a bigger artist tho

 

[BmoreGorilla]

They were close but I would say in 2002 Nas had the momentum suddenly. He was getting calls again on remixes (J Lo, Jagged Edge, Brandy etc) The whole Murder Inc thing where they were the hot chart group wanted to work with him etc, MTV was nominating his videos, Made You Look was charting on fukking TRL lol. and I think that year was the peak of the Nas> Jay convo. He was the winner of the battle so it kinda felt like he was gonna have the juice, bare him in mind hes still considered a mainstream platinum rapper in this time.
2002 to me for Jay was like Drake in 2018, hes still out there and the big artist but you could sense a shift cause while the albums were selling the acclaim was a little less. I just think Nas kinda rebelled against wanting the throne be it cause his mom passed away or whatever. That Summer Jam in 02 was the city ready to coronate him and we saw what he went with.

As for Jay retiring, I think it was smart marketing to take calculated break. It kinda was design to gain both momentum back from people who may have jumped to Nas but also to kinda get some attention off 50's year (very smart of him to tour with him that year). Taking a break can be a tricky thing but it gives you time to regroup (Drake should probably be doing the same now)

That’s why I said Ether helped resurrect Nas career becuz a lot of people thought he was kinda done. But it wasn’t enough to knock Jay off his throne