JAY-Z

Released: November 6, 2007

Featuring: Angel Wood Idris Elba

Songwriter: Angel Wood Idris Elba

Producer: Chris Flame

[Denzel Washington from American Gangster]
"Man I worked for one of the biggest companies in New York City
He didn't own his own company
White man owned it, so they owned him
Nobody owns me though."

[Idris Elba (Angel Wood)]
(Your gangster is not defined)
Your gangster is not defined by how low your jeans fall by your waist, but more how your genes stand up to their expectations
"Never forgetting where we came from."
(Your gangster, your gangster)
Your gangster is not defined by how many rocks are in your watch
But rather how many rocks you move while owning watch
(Gangsters, hustlers, republicans, democrats, pimps and hoes)
Conservatives, labour
The seller, the buyer, the product, the producer
"See you are what you are in this world."
The gangster is absorbed and adored by those that don't understand the laws that govern the gangsterment
(Gangsterment, gangsterment)
Gangsterment allows you to make up your own laws
And create brand new words, gangster mentality
(Gangster mentality, an American way created by the white
Mastered by the black, and absorbed by the fiends
Taxed by the governmentality, governmentality (governmentality)
Charted by Forbes, if you believe in JAY-Z
Then you too can be a gangster) then you too can be a gangster
By any means necessary, by owning that dream
I mean it's a long walk to freedom
But, while deep, deep, deep inside the bush
(The war on terror screams, damn it feels good)
Damn it feels good to be a gangster, haha
(To be a gangster, swagger is not a must, it's a liability
A cliché, a bad suit, cut the bullshit
You know if it wasn't for this, there would be no that)
Which we call, the American Gangster

Having sold over 100 million records worldwide, and holding the solo artist record of 14 Billboard 200 #1 albums, Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter is possibly the most talented, accomplished and respected rapper of all-time. He has released 13 studio albums and five collaborative albums over his 30-year career.

Three of his albums, Reasonable Doubt, The Blueprint, and The Black Album, are considered landmarks in the genre, with all of them featured in Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Hov has won 21 Grammy Awards from sixty-four nominations, making him the 10th most awarded artist of all-time.

Legendary for never writing down his lyrics, JAY-Z’s flow is considered one of the greatest to grace the genre, his wordplay and metaphorical ability is unmatched, and his live shows push the envelope of what it means to be a hip hop artist. His MTV Unplugged appearance introduced the idea of having a full band (The Roots) backing up a hip hop artist at major concerts, and during his 2004 documentary Fade to Black he doubled down, selling out Madison Square Garden (in mere minutes) while featuring an enormous live band performance.

more tracks from the album

American Gangster

From the album

American Gangster (2007)

JAY-Z popular songs

Intro (American Gangster)JAY-Z

JAY-Z

American Gangster