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

[L. Deezy]

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

Stop glossing. I said it effects his aesthetics he was so dominant..and yeah it would have continued on. It didnt get a chance because he eliminated it by getting Stoute to dead it wit Nas

If Ja would have got 50 to dead everything after Wanksta... it wouldnt have helped him in the long run?

 

[prophecypro]

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

And I’m saying he had it for a year lol

 

[StoneColdSteveAustin]

2014 was a struggle year

 

[BmoreGorilla]

And I’m saying he had it for a year lol

I can agree to disagree. I can definitely see why yall say that.

 

[Ziggiy]

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.

Even though Nas is the GOAT you gotta admire Jay’s determination and gumption. Telling the label “fukk you” and setting up a tour on his own and the label has to get you to sign off on their biggest artist to basically open for you is some boss shyt.

 

[Ziggiy]

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

You can’t resurrect what was never dead. The man was coming off TWO platinum albums his last go round.

 

[Liu Kang]

That Max B back to back KONY is one of the worst hip hop takes I have ever witnessed Breh had to have posted that for shock value

 

[Tunez]

I'm out

 

[ISO]

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

I’m not mad at Nas or Cam being selected. I put Nas.

But yeah Jay was still the king realistically. It’s deeper than rap.

 

[Metal Face]

French was not hotter than Rocky and Jay in 2013

 

[BmoreGorilla]

You can’t resurrect what was never dead. The man was coming off TWO platinum albums his last go round.

Yea but those were the days when people was still fiending for another Illmatic. Nas had kinda lost that aura with the next three albums and the Firm album. Even tho I think he was at his peak lyrically. Yea he was at his peak mainstream but the feeling was off. There’s a reason he named his fourth album Stillmatic. He knew what time it was

 

[Conan]

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

First time you gave me a straight answer to this question I owe you rep

And for the purposes of this conversation, what particular social group would you say defines NYC hip-hop culture?

 

[ISO]

French was not hotter than Rocky and Jay in 2013

In a mainstream hip hop nationwide sense maybe not.

Locally French was hotter than Rocky they represented different demographic

 

[Conan]

NYC officially died once they shut down La Marina

 

[Ghostface Trillah]

Even though Nas is the GOAT you gotta admire Jay’s determination and gumption. Telling the label “fukk you” and setting up a tour on his own and the label has to get you to sign off on their biggest artist to basically open for you is some boss shyt.

Rocafella was built to become a Def Jam like label. That was always the objective. Why Jay-Z was only going to drop reasonable doubt and then fall back. Dame,Biggs, and Jay were going to do their thing regardless of anyone else. Def Jam knew this and wanted a piece of it. It wasn't a fukk you, it was moreso we're going to do what Rocafella set out to do and Def Jam saying we could all get more money together and already have the business relationship in place. That argument between Dame and Kevin Lyles in Backstage was just one of many and probably the only one on video about Def Jam piggybacking. At the end of the day it made sense for Def Jam and Rocafella business wise but like I said when dudes were debating LL in 87,why would I sponsor a tour and not have my guy headline? Didn't matter if DMX was hotter.