Released: December 28, 1999

Songwriter: Jimi Hendrix K-Rob JAY-Z

Producer: K-Rob

[Verse]
Who ever thought young Shawn Carter would change the game?
Used to rap to the raindrops off my window pane
Duckin' the plain cops, pushin' endo and 'caine
At the kitchen table, late night, no pen, just my brain
First album, niggas love me 'cause they thought I was poor
Guess I'm successful; industry don't love me no more
Well I'm the same nigga from your corner, bubblin' raw
Skully tilted, pants saggin', damn near touchin' the floor
And I come with doo-rags to your so-called awards
T-shirt with my chain out like fuck y'all all
Retrospect ain't been the same since I lost my dad
He's still alive, but still fuck you, don't cross my path
A&R's had me feelin' like Moss in the draft
So I turned the league out with Reasonable Doubt
Get your CD's out, let's go, song for song
I'm the illest nigga doin it 'til y'all prove me wrong
Do you believe?
It's Hova the God, uhh, uhh, uhh..

JAY-Z

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.