Time To End The Narrative That Jay-Z Was Never The Top Rapper In The Game

[Homeboy Runny-Ray]

You’re right about Coolio. That soundtrack debuted at number one and went triple plat in a few months 100% behind that Coolio song. So 3 million people bought the soundtrack, 3 million people bought the single, then another 2 million people bought Coolio’s album.
Unless I’m forgetting someone or some group, Coolio had to be the biggest rap artist/group/whatever in 95. And I’m including Bone in that because Bone had a whole second run in 96 with the remix.

his album went triple as well, iirc.

i think youre forgetting the fugees.

 

[TheDarceKnight]

I think its debatable if X outshined him. I mean X was a BEAST in 98 but Jay-Z sold Five Million Records and HKL was EVERYWHERE. That song and Money Ain’t A Thang we’re UNSTOPPABLE smash hits.

Yeah he and X were neck and neck in 98. I was in 8th grade and I definitely remember most of the debates in school everyone had them about even. Vol 2 and Hell is Hot were the undisputed king albums that year. They both got mad love. Now I was in the south, and I think the raw energy and hypeness of X probably gave him a slight edge in our neck of the woods. I don’t know what it was like up north.

Both albums were fire and the other big ones that year in my state were Aquemeni, Venni Vetti Vicci, and Blackout

 

[Low End Derrick]

Big
Pac
DMX
Em
50
Kanye
Wayne
Drake
Kendrick

>>>>

Jay-Z

 

[ThirdAct]

Camel Warriors on the internet acting like Jay was not a "pop" rapper.

Camel warriors

 

[Cloud McFly]

Yeah he and X were neck and neck in 98. I was in 8th grade and I definitely remember most of the debates in school everyone had them about even. Vol 2 and Hell is Hot were the undisputed king albums that year. They both got mad love. Now I was in the south, and I think the raw energy and hypeness of X probably gave him a slight edge in our neck of the woods. I don’t know what it was like up north.

Both albums were fire and the other big ones that year in my state were Aquemeni, Venni Vetti Vicci, and Blackout

I was in 8th grade at the time as well, so I saw it just like you did but from Detroit. Can’t speak for all, but Jay had the slight edge with people I was around, probably due to Jay being more the cool hustler type, but X was right there.

What’s crazy is that of all the albums you just mentioned, all the artists were on the Hard Knock Life Tour, except for OutKast. I’m still sick about missing that shyt to this day.

 

[mobbinfms]

his album went triple as well, iirc.

i think youre forgetting the fugees.

I checked and it was double.
Fugees was 96.

 

[TheDarceKnight]

His longevity is not given enough credit, and he had a run when him on your track meant gold between hard knock life and when he dropped the black album was his height, rap wise

Yep. I remember his albums were always the heaviest bootlegged and again I should mention this was NC. So we weren’t biased for the north.

Not counting crews or groups, and just solo artists (because OutKast, cash money, no limit, and ruff ryders were all huge in our state)

- in 98 was a tie with him and X.

- in 99 I’m leaning to say Vol 3 put him on top again. I remember it came out at the end of the year and it seemed bigger than I Am and Then There Was X

- in 00 Dynasty was bootlegged heavily. That shyt was a massive album in high school. I don’t remember if Stankonia was 99 or 00. Huge album in our area, but again it was a group. Oh, We Are the Streets was a big album for us too. But again, group album

- in 01 Blueprint reigned supreme. I bootlegged it and made a good amount of coin. Yes, Jay lost the battle to Nas, and everyone loved Stillmatic at the end of the year. But Blueprint reigned over the high school parking lot, house parties, etc.

- In 02 blueprint 2 was a letdown but it still made noise and I can’t think of a bigger solo artist that year. Jay also had killer guest verses on What We Do and Welcome to New York City with Cam. If The Carter dropped in 02 then Wayne maybe took this year. If not then Jay did.

- In 03 I’d say 50 Cent took it. Black Album was huge. No doubt. But the world had 50 fever, and 50’s album ran all year and not just the final month. Also, the G-Unit album dropped the same day as black album.

So in that entire run Jay was either the #1 or #2 solo rapper

 

[TheDarceKnight]

I was in 8th grade at the time as well, so I saw it just like you did but from Detroit. Can’t speak for all, but Jay had the slight edge with people I was around, probably due to Jay being more the cool hustler type, but X was right there.

What’s crazy is that of all the albums you just mentioned, all the artists were on the Hard Knock Life Tour, except for OutKast. I’m still sick about missing that shyt to this day.

No doubt!

Jay definitely had the bigger hits and I remember all the girls loved Vol 2 a little more too.

Football culture was real big down here though and among the guys I’d say X was always playing to get people hyped up.

I don’t want to split it among gender lines but now that I’m thinking I’d say that Vol 2 was bigger Witt the girls and at school dances. Hell Is Hot was bigger with the guys and at tailgates.

 

[Bolzmark]

Eminem And Pac are the biggest rappers of all time.

Jay never eclipsed either.

Hell, DMX in his prime was bigger than Jay.

You’re at a real hip hop party or club...please name the Eminem records you expect to hear. Because I’m at zero.

 

[Izanami]

He gets knocked down a peg or two for the 2000’s because he lost the battle with Nas.


But objectively speaking either the Hard Knock Life Era (98) or ironically 03 (Black Album) are probably the best arguments to make that the was the undisputed “Top” rapper.


“Top” rapper doesn’t just mean sales. Its sales/cultural relevance/influence/etc. Jay has ALWAYS maintained his cultural relevance and was extremely influential, alongside his sales.

in 98 X was hotter than Jay. Bigger Buzz

In 2003 50 Cent and Gunit were bigger than Jay. 50 was massive that year.

 

[TheDarceKnight]

Jay was talking retirement after RD & Vol 2. And even in “retirement” he released 2 collaboration albums

I hate replying to this after making the case for Jay, because I don’t want to come off overly biased. But this is true.

Originally Jay wanted to drop one album and be done. And then like you said with Vol 2. He was positioning Bleek to take his spot. Jay ironically never claimed to want the longevity he ended up having. And even in the Dynasty era he seemed like he wanted to back off.

He did most of Blueprint in a weekend and he met Guru talk him into a double album before retirement on Blueprint 2 because, “all the greats had a double album.”

So Jay was always flirting with retirement

 

[malbaker86]

Y'all rewrite his career like Kobe as far as being the undisputed best in the game more years than they really was.

 

[Homeboy Runny-Ray]

Y'all rewrite his career like Kobe as far as being the undisputed best in the game more years than they really was.

i just gave jay 2 or 3 years.

i agree with you about kobe. he never was #1.

 

[DropTopDoc]

Yep. I remember his albums were always the heaviest bootlegged and again I should mention this was NC. So we weren’t biased for the north.

Not counting crews or groups, and just solo artists (because OutKast, cash money, no limit, and ruff ryders were all huge in our state)

- in 98 was a tie with him and X.

- in 99 I’m leaning to say Vol 3 put him on top again. I remember it came out at the end of the year and it seemed bigger than I Am and Then There Was X

- in 00 Dynasty was bootlegged heavily. That shyt was a massive album in high school. I don’t remember if Stankonia was 99 or 00. Huge album in our area, but again it was a group. Oh, We Are the Streets was a big album for us too. But again, group album

- in 01 Blueprint reigned supreme. I bootlegged it and made a good amount of coin. Yes, Jay lost the battle to Nas, and everyone loved Stillmatic at the end of the year. But Blueprint reigned over the high school parking lot, house parties, etc.

- In 02 blueprint 2 was a letdown but it still made noise and I can’t think of a bigger solo artist that year. Jay also had killer guest verses on What We Do and Welcome to New York City with Cam. If The Carter dropped in 02 then Wayne maybe took this year. If not then Jay did.

- In 03 I’d say 50 Cent took it. Black Album was huge. No doubt. But the world had 50 fever, and 50’s album ran all year and not just the final month. Also, the G-Unit album dropped the same day as black album.

So in that entire run Jay was either the #1 or #2 solo rapper

shiiid i think he arrived with hard knock life, he had some pop with in my life time with the Foxx brown joint, but on hard knock, he had can i get what what, and jigga what, and of course hard knock life, shyt my moms liked that song, and he had the song on the corrupter soundtrack which was mainstream Asian underworld movie with mark whalburg

 

[Izanami]

From Dynasty to Black album jay z was the biggest rapper in the game

...And then there was X 700K first week. 5X platinum

Dynasty Roc La Familia 550K first week. 2X platinum


I’m not even going to put up Eminem and 50 numbers during that time period