The Jay-Z news cycle’s sped up in anticipation of The Blueprint 3, between “Death Of Auto-Tune,” replacing the Beasties at APW, and having MGMT guest on the new LP. Get used to it. And while the auto-tune eulogy came as an early leaked mission statement, it’s the poppy “Run This Town” that figures as the new LP’s first official single. Rihanna’s got the hook, Kanye takes a verse, and to his long list of titles you may now call Jigga “Caesar.” Hear it:
The Blueprint 3 is out 9/11 via Roc Nation/Atlantic.
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sounds like auto-tune’s still kickin, caesar
people are into crap like this?
why are jay z and rihanna on this blog?
Because they are great. That is why.
Do you have no appreciation for what Jay-z has done for rap music. He’s the best rapper alive. Go listen to the Blueprint and try to explain why he isn’t a great artist.
it’s interesting that use the moniker Bob Dylan’s Dream. Bob himself has stated that music after 1970 is nothing but static.
Interesting to use the moniker autotune…Bob Dylan himself has admitted that autotune sucks.
If you paid attention to the rest of my posts you would know I’m not a fan of autotune.
the point is the post doesn’t belong on this blog. AC/DC made Back in Black and sold more copies than any other album except Thriller. That doesn’t mean there should be AC/DC posts on this blog.
This blog has been bought by the label that is in charge of Jay-Z, Rihanna or Kanye Fishstick. End of Story. http://paidcontent.org/article/419-interscope-universalmusic-takes-stake-in-buzznet/
woah crazy. did you end up making the police force?
quote from the about section of STEREOGUM.COM:
About Us
Welcome to Stereogum
Since 2002, Stereogum has been the leading online community for indie and alternative music news, MP3s, trends, and gossip.
INDIE AND ALTERNATIVE MUSIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IS JAY-Z INDIE OR ALTERNATIVE???????
Pitchfork is the same way. They used to be pretentious just about indie and rock music, but now that they have big sponsored I-Tunes banners on their homepage, they have to be pretentious about rap too. Here’s a quote: “(the new Jay-Z song) leaked this morning, and it bangs”…. “late summer jam alert!”… Would we have seen shit like this circa 2001? I think not. Pitchfork and Stereogum sold out a long time ago. I wish they would quit trying to “hip”.
sold out? how much do you pay to visit this site and bless us with your comments.. this is just news. bitch.
Yeah he bought his contract from DefJam a couple of months ago and is now a solely independent artist.
It’s too bad you talk like an idiot, because you make a valid, if not crucial point.
Sometimes you gotta bust up a sidewalk to make people gather round.
obviously all three of these artists have considerable interest directed towards them by “the type of people” who also happen to like indie/alternative/pazz & jop/critic-rock. you’re seriously gonna give stereogum flack for posting a jay-z song in 2009? we settled this shit back in 2003 or whatever.
omg heavenstabetsy a summer banger from one of the most respected rappers of all time where the fug is the fuzzbox?
Thank you.
yeah. let’s turn this into MTV.com!! Where’s the Britney Spears and Avril Lavigne and Katy Perry posts?
The point is this is not a mainstream forum. Underground rap exists, so why not post about that? Dr. DOOOM, JAYLIB, etc.
Sorry, JAY-Z does not need anymore promotion.
Where’s the Britney Spears? Ummmmmmmm….have you read stereogum before?
Sean:
I would just like to say that I have been reading through the posts on this thread, and yours have consistently been fantastic.
Thanks.
Because pitchfork posted it first.
yeah, how DARE you offend our pretentious, closed, elitist minds with a short post about something outside of our realm!? how DARE you.
now i know i’m posting on stereogum here which isn’t particular reknown for its open-minded, insightful commentators, but shit is getting ridiculous:
1. steve, do you actually have any understanding whatsoever of what the word “pretentious” means? If “leaked this morning, and it bangs” and “late summer jam alert!” are examples of pretentious writing than any clear channel dj must qualify to lecture at a professorial symposium on solipsistic viewpoint and existential crisis in eastern bloc cinema 1952-57.
2. You wouldn’t have seen “this shit” in 2001 because online indie-rock journalism was still stuck in the dark, musty underworld of mothers’ basement and absurd notions of “authenticity” reigned supreme. Those idolator popists have been pretty annoying the past few years but they served a very important utility back in the earlier part of this decade.
3. ya mang, ya “SOLD OUT”. How dare stereogum and pitchfork highlight great music wherever its found – don’t you know you’ve got a format to maintain?!?! Why focus on this mainstream pap at the expense of discovering a new BLACK KIDS or CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH or ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI or BLOC PARTY or SOME OTHER GOD AWFUL INDIE-BY-NUMBERS MADE BY SWEATY WHITE PEOPLE FOR CONFUSED REASONS OF AUTHENTICITY OH MY GAWD I GUESS THIS TOPIC IS GONNA GET LIKE A HUNDRED COMMENTS NOW RIGHT OK
4. Nice beat
You are funny. Nice beats do not equal great music, contrary to popular belief. Only people that have no musical ability think that.
I didn’t say the quote was pretentious, their attitude about music in general is. And I suppose because rap is the dominant musical genre socially, online indie journalists should cram it down our throats too? Leave mainstream rap in the mainstream, otherwise, how is it indie rock journalism? They may as well be Rolling Stone. That’s what they are on their way to being anyway.
I’m gonna disagree with you there. Lots of people like “beats” and have “musical ability”. I, however, doubt that you have the latter in addition to lacking “taste”. But, I might be wrong.
i don’t know. i kinda like this guy.
I’m sure if you wait long enough they’ll post something about Atlas Sound or whatever. No need to get in a huff over the rap music the kids are listening to these days.
Death of Auto Tune? Rihannas voice? Am I missing something here?
Everybody needs to shut the fuck up. Jeez louise. So much whining!
- Totally merits posting.
- Jury out on Rihanna / Auto-Tune use. She might just be singing like that. It’s not blatant, but certainly suspect.
- Not Jay’s finest work, especially for a long-awaited summer jam / lead single.
- All that said, if Kanye’s verse didn’t make you grin at least 5 times, you don’t have a pulse.
“All that said, if Kanye’s verse didn’t make you grin at least 5 times, you don’t have a pulse.” I guess I have no pulse. This is just more crap that all 3 of these so-called artists seem to put out. They need a new formula. The rappers with the girl singing a verse is kinda old no?
But who will sing the verse? I think they should get old men to do it.
BAWWWWW, why is Jay-Z and Rihanna here, were’s mah hipster garbage???
yeah. let’s turn this into MTV.com!! Where’s the Britney Spears and Avril Lavigne and Katy Perry posts?
The point is this is not a mainstream forum. Underground rap exists, so why not post about that? Dr. DOOOM, JAYLIB, etc.
Sorry, JAY-Z does not need anymore promotion.
Well said Billy. I think Kanye is a talentless idiot. Why is it all the rappers these days have to team up all the time? Maybe because they don’t have enough talent to carry an entire song, cd or show by themselves.
thats not auto tune. its rihanna’s voice. and its a great late summer song. whats the problem? I always thought this site was for music lovers not music snobs. that shit is so annoying.
Why is everyone crying “sell-out” because Pitchfork and Stereogum have both posted the new Jay-Z single? I mean, Tom Breihan wrote the fucking thing, and anyone familiar with his now-defunct “Status Ain’t Hood” column in the Village Voice knows that he’s been writing about hip-hop, mainstream or otherwise, for years. This isn’t some blatant cash grab. And the reactions to this post have only reinforced why I’ve been so fucking bored with the “indie” music scene for over a year now.
You people are unbelievably lame. Go listen to Wavves
Yes – these people buck at anything that’s not included in pitchfork’s best new music section and then they’ll go on about how they hate pitchfork.
I’m thinking about running to a million different computers to thumb up that comment as many times as possible.
I wonder if Jay Z will address that little bitch The Game’s diss of him. Did The Game not get the memo, YOU ARE NOT ON JAY’S LEVEL.
And this song would be so much better without Kanye’s verse. My god that shit is awful.
“Where’s the Britney Spears”
First of all, welcome newcomer and, to answer your question, try looking at Steregum at its beginning – constant Britney coverage. Oh, you kids and your newfound indie discovery…it’ll get easier as you grow up, develop your own personality and stop caring about belonging to a “scene”. Relax and enjoy whatever you want, dude.
…as pitchfork gives it a 7.5 or higher.
haha, yeah Stereogum is some real underground shit. l guess this so-underground-its-melting-at-the-earths’-core blog should be defined by a few confused commenters who don’t entirely grasp that musical quality isn’t contingent on maintaining a firm distance from the apparent overground, but rather by, you know, the people (dude?) who operate and maintain this blog. hasn’t stereogum been posting mainstream-y songs of distinction for years now?
Blogs like these aren’t here to shower “promotion” on “worthy” subjects – they’re here to inform their readership about quality music. like the majority of people reading this blog, i never really ever listen to the radio. how am i supposed to stay informed about quality mainstream music if not through channels like this? does it offend your sensibilities so much that stereogum would post a good jay-z/kanye/rihanna song that you would banish me to slog through the wasteland of mtv.com to find the few diamonds in the rough (like this song) that materialize every year.
Listen, i get it. you’re in grade eleven, you’re relatively new to this whole indie-rock world, and that abercrombie-wearing jock douchetard and his girlfriend who looks like an extra on the hills nearly run you over in the school parking lot while lil wayne is heaving out of their dad’s borrowed bmw.” those are the kinda idiots who listen to that kind of music”, you say to yourself, “not like me, I listen to music that has genuine value and meaning. Music that is a true reflection of being, of feeling, of musical virtue. Music like the Decemberists and Of Montreal”. then you get home, log onto arguably the most obvious/prominant/recognizable zack braffishly indie blog in existence and there is that music again! that music made by robots and corporate executives or something and with absolutely no regard for the fact that good music can only be produced with picks hitting strings and sticks thumping toms!
Well put.
I don’t listen to any of the music on this blog. It’s all shit. Everything after 1980 is shit. I read this site in hopes that one day someone will do something with merit and get promoted for it. Someone with a sense of duty and musical history. That day has yet to come. Until then, give me Buddy Holly.
“Everything after 1980 is shit.”
What?
learn your music history son. Nothing new has been done since 1980. Everything is a regurgitated turd.
Learn my music history? Really?
Just for kicks, let’s take a little stroll through my post-1980 music collection:
This Heat – Deceit
Brian Eno & David Byrne – My Life In The Bush of Ghosts
Television Personalities – …And Don’t The Kids Just Love It
Black Flag – Damaged
The Clash – Sandinista!
Kraftwerk – Computer World
X – “Wild Gift”
The Gun Club – Fire of Love
Mission of Burma – Vs.
The Human League – Dare
Bauhaus – Mask
New Order – Power, Corruption and Lies
The Cure – Pornography
Madness – The Rise and Fall…
Kate Bush – The Dreaming
Talking Heads – Stop Making Sense
ESG – Come Away With ESG
Elvis Costello – Imperial Bedroom
Bruce Springsteen – Nebraska
The Birthday Party – Junkyard
Violent Femmes – Violent Femmes
REM – Murmur
THE THE – Soul Mining
Tom Waits – Swordfishtrombones
Echo & The Bunnymen – Porcupine
U2 – War
Hüsker Dü – New Day Rising
Meat Puppets – II
Minor Threat – Out of Step
The Replacements – Let It Be
Minutemen – Double Nickels on the Dime
The Fall – This Nation’s Saving Grace
Cocteau Twins – Treasure
Mekons – Fear and Whiskey
Big Black – Atomizer
The Pogues – Rum, Sodomy and the Lash
The Smiths – Meat is Murder
The Jesus & Mary Chain – Psychocandy
Rites of Spring – Rites of Spring
Dexy’s Midnight Runners – Don’t Stand Me Down
Billy Bragg – Talking With The Taxman…
Talk Talk – The Colour of Spring
Sonic Youth – EVOL
Throwing Muses – Throwing Muses
XTC – Skylarking
Bad Brains – I Against I
And that gets us to about 1986. I could go on, but typing that much was enough. Enjoy your “Eagles: Their Greatest Hits” or whatever it is you grade papers to.
Bob Villain is right. Your whole list is regurgitated. Iggy Pop, Joy Division, The Velvet Underground are all the originators of the type of music you list. Sorry dude.
Iggy Pop, Velvet Underground and Joy Division.
Okay.
Did you just get into punk last month? Because there is a whole world beyond those three you just mentioned.
And I would wager that certain early 70′s Krautrock releases by bands like Neu!, Faust and Kraftwerk were a pretty big influence on Joy Division and the production styles of Martin Hannett. Does that mean Joy Division were just “regurgitating” the past?
Every band has influences, certain bands take those influences and do something great with them. Kind of like every band on that list I wrote above. Talking Heads, Sonic Youth, The Smiths, My Bloody Valentine, Hüsker Dü, Pavement and countless others have contributed more to music and culture than you have or ever will.
you’re right. Music history is going to be Elvis, The Beatles then Husker Du.
It’s funny that you talk about “just getting into punk” on a Jay-Z post because every white suburban idiot that thinks he needs to listen to rap goes out and buys a Jay-Z album.
According to “Stuff that White People Like”…most white people listen to Wu Tang and really like Mos Def. I figure if you’re going to throw overtly blanketed statements at least get your sources right.
As for this song, it get’s a “meh”. C’mon Jay, you can and have done better.
Man, I only listen to Ancient Greece music – everyone else totally ripped off the notes A, B, C, D, E, F and G…
And while I’m on the subject, if you’re gonna watch a movie, don’t bother with anything other than “Birth Of A Nation” – everything after that is SO copping D. W. Griffith’s idea of a narrative plot, complete with editing and a musical score. Word.
everyone on the internet sounds annoying as hell this morning.
i know what you mean Billy Side, i go to taco bell every day even though i think the menu is revolting and they haven’t made a decent soft taco in 29 years at any of their thousands of locations (i would know because i’ve been to every single one). everyone i know thinks this is “absurd” and wonders “why you waste any of your preciously short life with such a moronically illogical pursuit” but i’m just holding out hope that someday, somewhere someone will make a taco grande so grande, and so clearly indebted to the grande tradition of taco grandes, that world will pause and consider what its lost.
Sean, you were obviously an English major since you write with such triteness and empty pride. I would love to hire you for a job except no one gives a shit about the English language or books anymore. Have fun being an unemployed douche with a liberal arts degree bumping your Jay-Z in your Jetta.
So yeah, this is kind of awesome.
i’m actually really looking forward to my trite and emptily prideful future as someone who is able to afford a jetta while unemployed with a liberal arts degree.
Everyone knows people who drive Jettas had their parents buy them. Move out of the basement and grow up dude. Get a girlfriend then you won’t be on Jay-Z’s nuts all night. You’re hilarious.
If there was any money in journalism I would recommend it to you.
U mad
Is the line where Kanye asserts that HE IS NOT GAY really necessary?
I think you meant something like: “Is Kanye really necessary?”
‘no homo’ isn’t homophobic, it’s a variation of ‘that’s what she said’
fishsticks?
So, is it okay if I don’t like this, not because it’s mainstream, but simply because I don’t? I’m all confused now…
If you ever wrote a song in your life feel free to criticize, if not then keep your pretentious comments to yourself and go make your own blog. Then you can rave about all the crappy reverb soaked indie bands you want. Why can’t music just be music. This is a music blog, of course there’s going to be hype about the Blueprint 3. Didn’t you see this coming Jay Z hasn’t made an album in a while. Peace.
Ok bitches I’m going to straighten this shit out. Jay-Z on this blog is a like a pock mark.
1. Jay-Z on this blog is like a Paris Hilton nipple slip on the cover of the New York Times.
2. Jay-Z on this blog is like going to an authentic Mexican restaurant and being served Taco Bell-Thanks Sean for bringing this to the table.
3. Jay-Z on this blog is like posting Chevrolet Camaro news on a Ferrari blog.
4. Jay-Z on this blog is like Jay-Z on Pitchfork….wait that already happens.
5. Jay-Z on this blog is like Sarah Palin praise on an Obama forum.
If you can’t see these facts, YOU HAVE NO TASTE!!!!
1. Rihanna isn’t using autotune; Jay-Z took everything with autotune off his album after DOA.
2. Anyone who doesn’t think that Kayne’s verse is good…well…it’s fantastic; just appreciate it. He also produced it, meaning that he is singlehandedly responsible for the best two parts of the song (his verse and the beat).
3. If you’re going to bitch about Jay-Z being on this blog, there’s a simple solution–don’t read this post, listen to the song, or comment! Wow, problem solved!
obviously you’re deaf. There is autotune ALL OVER THIS. idiot.
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1612158/20090526/jay_z.jhtml
Apparently you know something that someone who is one of Jay-Z’s closest friends in the industry, who produced a significant number of his tracks for the album, and who is ON THE TRACK doesn’t. Congrats, I’m sure that the US government could use your superb hearing capabilities.
even better. i own a studio and a copy of autotune as well as melodyne. Yes, I know what it sounds like.
Has anyone noticed that this song sounds dated? It may have been acceptable in 2006, but this doesn’t sound fresh at all. And why the hell is old man Carter still rapping anyway? Why are people getting excited over a new Jay-Z album and song? So many questions…
Wait, let me just get this straight- Billy Side, Steve and co. are upset that a piece of music has been posted on a music website
OH MY GOD-RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!!!!!!!!!!
UP IS DOWN!!!!
BLACK IS WHITE!!!
THE WORLD JUST DOESN’T MAKE ANY SENSE ANYMORE!!!!!
you’re missing the point. We come to stereogum so we don’t have to see mainstream, generic, autotuned cookie-cutter music like this. If we wanted Jay-Z news, we would go to MTV.com, Rollling Stone or Underground Hip-Hop. There should be a filter in place. Which, by the info on this site as an alternative, indie blog, there IS supposed to be one. The question is HOW DID THIS SHIT GET THROUGH THE INDIE ALTERNATIVE FILTER?
Because obviously there’s an interest, such is why there’s been so many comments on here but I don’t really understand all the fuss here. I’ve always thought that to truly love music, you need to have at least some interest in all kinds of music regardless of genre or whether it’s mainstream or alternative. Although Stereogum describe themselves a leading online community for indie or alternative music but I don’t think Stereogum have held back on giving interest to those artists that work within the mainstream or a bit different to what’s usually on here and I think that’s what makes this blog so great. So Jay-Z has been posted on here, so what? Music is music and to be angry at this is not only pointless but stupid too.
so where does it end? Bring on the Jonas Brothers! Where’s the Miley Cyrus? Didn’t Neil Diamond just release an album?
You and I both know that if that stuff was on Stereogum, we wouldn’t be reading it.
You and I both know that if that stuff was on Stereogum or even began to put it on here, we wouldn’t be reading it.
There’s is no difference to me between Jay-Z and Miley Cyrus. Someone makes a song for them and they rap/sing over it.
So do many other artists as well, but did Miley Cyrus create Reasonable Doubt? no
no one cares about a rap album that came out 13 years ago. As others have pointed out, this song sounds like it is from 1996.
No, you mean “you” don’t care about it but whatever, this argument has become tiring
That being said, why can’t I find my Taylor Swift updates on here then? BECAUSE IT IS NOT HIP TO LIKE COUNTRY, BUT IT IS HIP TO LIKE RAP. Is Taylor Swift not music? That is a poor excuse why Pitchfork and Stereogum should be shoving MAINSTREAM RAP down our throats.
Where did I mention anything about hipness?
woof woof
Garden State is like five years old. Juno is a year and a half old. Where are all these new hipsters com– AW, I knew (500) Days of Summer would haunt us!
hipsters originated in the 50′s.
Wait, people actually like Rihanna? Sorry, but eurgh.
That intro beat sounds like a sample of a live rooster hitting a drum.
Again, I wish Stereogum wouldn’t post any hip hop, if only so I wouldn’t have to be exposed to this shit storm of ignorance.
is it not ignorant to disregard an entire genre of music?
so you are the poo storm of ignorance. come home now, and have diarrhea, sucka.
I meant ignorance on the part of Stereogum readers who don’t know anything about hip hop. I mean, have you read these comments? There are people on here that still think ‘rappers have no talent.’ Even my 80 year old Grandmother liked 8 Mile.
I’m not against hip-hop but i think Stereogum should only post indie rock and not gay stuff like this song.
the comment section here is such a hot mess
I liked Auto-tune, but I don’t dig this. Very radio friendly, though. I’m sure it’ll be a hit.
you guys are fucking haters. jay z is fucking amazing. get over youself. dont be jealous.
I love Jay Z and both Blueprint volumes he’s released but this track could do without that Rihana girl singing on it.
this is by far the stupidest discussion i have ever seen in a comments section on this website. shame on ANYONE who responded to the people that, for whatever reason, are completely dumbfounded by a rap track on this website. you guys are above that.
The point of posting Jay-Z is that Jay-Z has always been really good.
This track is also really good.
I know this will get downvoted, but I honestly think that people who have this aversion to hip-hop stems from some kind of racism. The fact that people can project themselves into Animal Collective, or Grizzly Bear or whatever is a significant part of their appeal. I think, especially for the 16 year old crowd, they’re young and look to their favorite musicians not only as musicians but also as role models for attitudes and behavior.
Then they hear something like this, NO WORSE than other music, just a style that they themselves would never embody and so they can’t project themselves into the performer and so they reject it as bad music. The fact that that one dude said that people who “like beats” lack “musical talent” is one of the many testimonies to this on this page.
They see Kanye as this blabbering black dude who can’t possibly have an incredible ear for production because only soft-spoken, excruciatingly shy and modest flannel/skinny-jean-wearing dudes like themselves have a TRUE understanding of craft.
Downvote me, whatever, fuck off. It’s not as ignorant as 75% of the shit that’s been said.
I’m not racist, but I know good music and it’s almost always made by white guys (or girls) with guitars.
And Kanye IS a blabbering black dude with no talent.
So you’ve figured out that you can steal people’s log in names? Real clever.
I AM THE REAL BILLY SIDE!
You haven’t been paying attention. As numerous people have mentioned, it is not about the genre rap. It is that Jay-Z, Rihanna and Fishstick are mainstream, cookie-cutter generic rap. I am welcome to underground rap, indie rap, experimental rap, etc.
But for some reason you’re not open to one of the greatest rappers of all time.
Makes sense.
experimental rap… fuck off.
what music? i only come here for the comments. p.s. this song is weak. p.s. doom/jaylib/some-other-underground-rapper vs. jay z comparisons are the shit stains of yesteryears tightie-whities. let. it. go.
you guys are F ing haters. all three of them have talent. suck on it. jay z’s the shit. laterrrrr.
A blabbering black dude with NO talent? your a fucking idiot. you obviously have no sense of “talent” what so ever. mainstream or not… he is one of the most talented people in the music industry and has been for awhile. dont hate you little bitch. do something with yourself other than talking shit on the internet. GO KANYE. wahoo. :]]]
this is better than about 95% of indie/alt rock today covered by Pitchfork/Stereogum
Can’t wait for the new Jay-Z to drop. Kanye/Jay-Z and Rhiana make the best pop music around today.
If you knew anything, and I do mean ANYTHING, about rap music you would not think Jay-Z was the ‘best rapper alive’. Neither in terms of skills, nor in the way that he influenced other artists in the genre is he the best rapper alive. That’s not to say he isn’t skilled and influential; of course he is, but he certainly isn’t the best in either of these aspects. He admits as much in ‘Moment of Clarity’: “if skills sold, truth be told / i’d probably be lyrically Talib Kweli / truthfully I wanna rhyme like common sense… / I ain’t been rhyming like Common since.”
Personally I think Pharoahe Monch is the most skilled rapper alive. Case in point; his verses on ‘Bring It On’, as part of Organized Konfusion, and ‘Oh No’, as a solo artist.
Great song, but oh my God even with studio magic Rihanna’s voice still sounds like crap, so you can imagine how many notches she’ll bring the song down when she performs it live. My pick would’ve been Christina Aguilera, and she if couldn’t do it, then Beyonce would be my second choice. Hell, even Amy Lee from Evanescence would’ve been a far better choice. But the problem would be shooting the video; how would you make Amy Lee look like she’s from the hood? Anyway, great song except for Rihanna’s vocals, they suck. But I know why she got the song, she’s Jay-Z’s protege and she’s had a rough year, so naturally she got what would be the equivalent of a band-aid and a balloon.
rihanna ruins this
This has improved my opinion of all my fellow readers of stereogum, pitchfork, etc. – I thought most of you guys were just idiots who listened to whatever these pretentious music journalists told you to- turns out that you do maintain own opinions though: even when almost any respectable music critic across all areas of music has acknowledged the influence and talent of Jay-Z, you still have a problem with him…