The 1990s will forever be defined by Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G. and according to Future, Jay Z was in their shadow.
“Jay Z wasn’t great when Tupac and Biggie were alive,” the Atlanta rapper says in an Instagram clip posted by Steve Stoute of a taped barbershop talk with Old Man Ebro, James Harden, Maverick Carter and sports analyst Paul Rivera.
Future’s argument is supported by the fact that Hov’s debut LP, Reasonable Doubt, dropped in 1996, the same year that Tupac died. Biggie was gunned down less than a year later. That’s not much time to build a buzz before the legends passed.
“It wasn’t hot until they died,” the Freebandz boss says of Reasonable Doubt, adding that “It’s flames. It’s hard. It’s a classic,” but it wasn’t fully appreciated upon its release.
“It’s like a classic album, they always go back for your classic album,” Future continues.
Reasonable Doubt landed at #23 on Billboard’s Top 200 albums chart when it came out two decades ago and is now certified platinum. On 1998’s “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem),” which was at the time, Jay Z’s biggest hit to date, he famously rapped: “I gave you prophecy on my first joint, and y’all lamed out/Didn’t really appreciate it ’til the second one came out” so Future’s proclamation isn’t too far off base.
Listen to Future discussing Jay Z’s Reasonable Doubt below.
He’s correct, Jay-Z didn’t start blowing up until Hard Knock Life Vol. 2. At the time I remember walking into a……Sam Goody, and Jay-Z’s album was sitting with single releases of “Make Em Say Uhhhhh”. I bought a Rob Zombie album, ahead of me was a line of people holding Jay’s album in hand, i think that was around the time of Rush Hour dropping but I could be wrong.
You talking bout buying rob zombie albums. So whatever u talking about has no place here. Jay was hot from the beginning. At the time NYC was flooded with nice rappers. Big, Big L, Wu-Tang, Redman (nj), and so many more. it’s the birth place of rap. But as they say the cream always come to the top.
How does him buying a Rob Zombie disc exlude him from making an observation of what He saw whatever PART OF THE NATION he was in? Like a mf can’t enjoy other genres.
I don’t know that side but back then here in AFRICA ..TUPAC and BIG were ahead of their game,JAY Z was totally invincible but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t appreciated.These dudes were kings in their own right
Lmmfao shut your sensitive ass up. You out here complaining that I like other music like a hoe ass hooker. Jay-Z started heating up when that Can I Get A dropped but people noticed him when he dropped Hard Knock Life.
Completely Factual
Who cares about the opinion of this brain dead mumbling drug addict dipshit?
Why are you here? Boy bye
This ninja is delusional…it was the hottest jawn on the streets it wasnt commercially sucessful …Aint no Ninja was the hottest song of 96 that summer….He is high or mad thathedidnt getthw grammy Nod…
“Ain’t No Nigga” definitely got mad radio/video play but the correlation to it being a “Reasonable Doubt” single opposed to “Nutty Professor” single wasn’t there.
if you was in the streets in the summer of 96 it was written was playing out of every car. jay didn’t become that nigga until 2 albums later with hard knock life
Ummm….California Love was the hottest song on’96. That or 2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted
Umm, Bone Thugs Crossroads was 96, 2Pac how do you want it, cali love was at the top killing it.
People also forget reasonable doubt was indie…… Jay didn’t get the push that Nas (Columbia) Pac/Snoop (Interscope) and BIG (Arista) got…. and when he did get the Major push, the rest was history
Reasonable Doubt was definitely a slept on album when it came out. By mainstream media, but niggas in the hood always knew that album was classic. It just toke the suburban folks a second to decipher the lyrics. And realize how real this album is. Future wish he could make a album half asz good as Reasonable Doubt.
Yeah and future doesn’t have a tenth of what jay z has. Whichever way you look at it. I bet he wishes he could put out an album half as good as reasonable doubt. Why bring this shit up right now?? Prolly some publicity stunt.
Nigga, this ain’t even about how trash future is or not. The nigga is speaking about classics…get ya life together bruh
Yeah ok well you’re right there, what I was saying isn’t relevant. But trust me, I ain’t no hater.
“I gave you prophecy on my first joint and yal all lamed out/ didn’t really appreciate it til the 2nd one came out”… HOV knows the album was missed out but it’s classic shoulda went triple
I’m from the Midwest from what I can remember I was the only night in grade school that was rapping some Hot back then. Nights really wasn’t on Jay-Z that Sean Carter album dropped honestly.
“I gave you prophecy on my first joint, and y’all lamed out
Didn’t really appreciate it, til the second one came out”
He blew up yes… Everyone who knows rap knows if Tupac was alive Jay Z the Hawaiian Sophie fame would never have been where he is now…. Tupac wanted to squeeze all the phonys out the rap game and guess what Jay was one….
Facts. He was second or even third tier artist when he came out. No one was looking for that album until after he went commercial.
Everybody controls their own destiny. This whole thing that Jay-Z wouldn’t be huge if Big and Pac was alive is hilarious. He would have blown up regardless…. you have to remember a few things:
1. Reasonable Doubt was released when both Pac and Big were alive – If you believe it is a classic, then Jay released a classic when those 2 were alive
2. Jay-Z already had a few records with Big — This just to show that he was in with the big boys without having a record deal
3. There was already tension between Pac and Jay — If Pac was that big (excuse the pun) and Jay that insignificant they would have never crossed paths… Pac wouldn’t have bothered.
4. Reasonable Doubt was only slept on with the public — Other artists were well aware of what it took to deliver such an album
I am pretty sure that if DMX and Nas had passed in the late 90’s the argument would have been that Jay would never have been this big if DMX and Nas were alive.
I understand what you said but keep in mind that Jay-Z was also – in a certain way – overshadowed by DMX in the late 90’s. DMX was huge back then. In my opinion Jay-Z reach a certain level of success only when he joined forces with pharrell and kanye and started to hang with popstars like chris martin from coldplay. And of course like 50 cent said his marriage with Beyonce helped it too. All those events helped Jay-Z to draw attention of a wider audience to his music and reach a so called “goat” title.
Thats my point… Jay-Z went through the DMX and JaRule wave…. the Eminiem and 50 Cent wave… the Nelly wave…. it’s fair to say these guys came and went and Jay is still on top. Probably even after the Drake and Kendrick wave…. why are we so sure he wouldn’t have made it in a PAC and Big wave?
Do you listen to music or do you just skim through it? Jay-z was huge… how old are you?
When DMX was at his peak Jay sold 5million records at the same time HARD Knock Life Vol 2, then went multi platinum again with Vol 3, Kanye,Pharell, Beyoncé and Chris Martin were not around! By the time Dynasty came out Jay was a brand in his own lane everybody you named benefited from him as well including 50 cent
Fax! People forget that Pac dissed Jay for being affiliated with Big even though we would later learn from Clark Kent that their relationship was more business than personal. In hip hop back then you had to conquer two areas before anywhere else and that was NY and Philly-period! It’s the reason that Roc signed dam near every artist coming out of Philly. Doing Will Smith numbers or Snoop numbers was never going to be on the cards with a street album like RD. I was around during that period and Jay most definitely impacted the culture with that album and we were really asking who’s the best MC? Biggie, Jay or Nas? Fax! Future is showing his age and also the south cats we’re trying to get on because only thing popping from Atlanta back then was OutKast
I didn’t fully appreciate Reasonable Doubt until two years after its release. The Fugees, Pac, Nas, Outkast, Wu, and B.I.G were running the game back then. Too much other dope shit was out that caused Reasonsable Doubt to be slept on for a while.
Outkast ended up being larger than Jay then and now. Jay didn’t really take over after Big and Pac. Outkast did!
Truth
One of the most overrated ‘classics’ in the genre. Second half of the album is incredibly average.
What song? Can I live, IMO, is the best song he ever did. Still. Friend or foe is classic, coming of age, classic. Bring it on, classic with one of his top 5 verses. Regrets is nothing but real shit, and ain’t no is classic too. Niggas just be talking to talk. Top to bottom, that album is damn near flawless, just stop it bruh…
Overrated Classic! ..lmao what’s a underrated classic? A classic album is just a timeless peice of work 20 years and it’s still up to date !lyrics, flow, content, metaphors the emotion in the storytelling this nigga got lifetime quotables that will outlive him
Reasonable doubt is a hustlers point of view the average person could not relate to what he was saying politics as usual, regrets, d evils, friend or foe. He talked of moving keys and making money but also gave you the dark side also. Just think how many rappers come out with a first album thats slept on but blow on the next. Jay was ahead of his time and still is, Future dick face of the year. Jay set the bar very high for “trap music” 20 years later niggas gonna be like future who
Actually, people like UGK, E-40 and Master P were doing “trap music” before Jay did. Pocket Full of Stones is possibly the first ever “trap” song.
Whether you like future or not he is talking facts. RD WAS SLEPT IN WHEN IT CANE OUT. This id the truth. You had to be there to know. Even IWW by Nas was slept on too. Ecerybody wanted another Illmatic. Jay did not get his respect until Vol 2 of IMLT. He had some real gutter hits. Future is telling the truth !!
it dropped #23 on Billboard fuck you mean?
Everyone shitting on King HOV and Reasonable Doubt clearly aren’t from the streets. You niggas saying he wasn’t hot, but the real ones were bumping Dead Presidents and Ain’t No Nigga, both of which went Gold. And Reasonable Doubt went Gold in October of 96, look it up. So yes, King HOV was enjoying commercial success as well. He wasn’t flopping and being laughed at for rapping about drug dealing, like broke ass Nas was at the time. *cough*ItWasWritten*cough*cough*
Ask Russel Simmons
Ask Russell Simmons what? Why Nas lost and King HOV became his boss? All you imbeciles use that reply like it’s some genius comeback. You and the 15 bastards that hit the fire button can go back to sucking Nas’ dick.
Come to qb so I can smack u
Jay ain’t better than Nas. Kill that shit. Nas came out around 16 yrs old with heaters. Jay ain’t make till his late 20’s AFTER the goats, big and Pac, died.
Preach! As a matter of fact, the reason that Hov calls Philly his second home is because you couldn’t get through a block without hearing dead presidents or coming of age! Pulling up to the club, you had on Hov or Biggie but nobody and I mean nobody drove around blasting Tupac in that setting. Tupac was always good headphone music outside of Hail Mary
You must be richer than Nas to call him broke… I really dont beleive in hatting, so to call a 3x Platinum album a flop, I will assume you sold 9x Platinum or something… You must be 2Pac or Suge.
What would you know about the streets? Aren’t you some white kid that lives in his parents basement that take about sucking off King Hov? Or how the ROC sign is the perfect way to start off a BJ on a guy and that you’re not gay? SMH.
That album is by no means a classic.. its like Nas said When Tupac and Biggie were selling records Nas was selling records but Jay was in their shadow
That has nothing to do with the project though. Because Jay wasn’t considered elite at the time doesn’t mean he didn’t put together a timeless piece of work.
Yeah, cuz Jayz is a biter. But his whole style off of big L and biggie.
He didn’t say it wasn’t hot as in the material he’s talking about how it was received Jay was like Jordan in the 80’s he was nice but Magic ,Bird and Isaiah was running shit (PAC Biggie and Nas)
Shit, it was hot to me. Niggas need to stop looking for gas for validation…
Jay Z isn’t as great as people make him out to be. That shit be killin me, he good and all but the greatest? Child please, go kiss the baby. How many of his albums actually went platinum if we talk selling records? Krayzie and bizzy bone, scarface, killer mike, E-40, Tech N9ne, Mystikal, DMX, Method Man and Redman and the list goes on that’s better than J. Pastor Troy Face Off was the hardest Album in 01 and was slept on. I declare war we ready would smash any J Disk.
Everybody u name has Jay in their top 5 and for the record all of his albums went platinum except for Reasonable Doubt which eventually went double platinum later. He 12 #1 Albums with only one #1 single ever in whole career. Arguably 5 Classics under his belt. The people you named are great also you’re saying they are better is your opinion but don’t discredit this guy’s greatness as one of the greatest MC’s ever
FACTS
Liar. Jayz is not in DMX top five. Dmx dislikes Jayz. Jayz stated he was jealous of DMX because his stage presensece was so strong, and he sold crazy records at one point
HOV is Dmx’s top 3!!! Watch the Backstage movie, 54 minutes into Dmx says ” in every interview if they ask me the top MC’s besides myself, ITS JAY Z and SCARFACE, EVERYTIME!” These are words out his mouth and it’s footage of it, get back to me as soon as you dig it up if you don’t wanna take my word for it.
Imagine dropping your independent Album after 2PAC dropped “All Eyes on Me” (Feb.96) and Also NAS “It Was Written” comes out a month later (July96) and then BIGGIE “Life After Death drops 9 months later (March 97) it doesn’t matter how dope his Shit was, it was too much going on to pay attention to the drug dealer in the white Lexus. But HOV 20 years later though …Damn! He made it!!
Fuck HHDX always giving misleading headlines if Future was dissin Jay and thats not true.
Then stop talking about Pac you all acting if he was a god. Lyrically, flowwise etc. pac couldnt fuck with Big, Nas or Jay no hate.
If Big would have lived today then Jay would been that large today.
Jay in 2016 is a lame rapper who is doing songs with lame artist like: DJ Kahaled, Ross, Future, Kanye and other homosexual rappers.
2016 R.I.P. hiphop
You seriously just said Pac couldn’t fuck with Jay, NAS or BIG? Lmfao. You don’t remember Pac calling out all three by name with no real responses? Jayz could barely get by when pac and big were around, because both were better by a log shot. There’s a reason the only rapper to outsell pac is Eminem.
You must be richer than Nas to call him broke…
I really dont beleive in hatting, so to call a 3x Platinum album a flop, I will assume you sold 9x Platinum or something…
You must be 2Pac or Suge.
Facts,Shout tkFuture for having an opinion.
I agree with Future,” ReasonableDoubt” was a great album, but it was overshadowed by the East Coast -West Coast beef. Not to mention Nas had just dropped ” It Was Written”. Jay-Z was outsold by all 3 of those artist until years later. Big up to Future for knowing his history, unlike most of his colleagues.
right on the Head Jay started popping when Pac and Big died then started getting west coast production from RickRock
For every niglet running around there’s a single mom out there, stop the cycle get these dirty criminal animals castrated.
what are you even talking about?? sit down somewhere sharp, impale yourself and never get up.
DX loves to discredit Jay Z in anyway possible. I personally think it’s because Jay Z doesn’t care to pay for these sites for attention. Second, I love hearing everyone’s view on hiphop but I hate hearing some kid speaking on situations that happened before they were born. If you weren’t present when shit popped off then how are you gonna be the one to discuss what happened? lol smh Also these people can try and discredit Jay but his first album was a classic and his second album made him a star. It sucks that biggie and pac weren’t around to see how it would have unfolded but it is what it is. Jay has turned himself into the overall Micheal Jordan of hiphop.
It wasn’t… can’t hate on someone for speaking the truth. Jay didn’t get big until he hit the formula of over flooding an album with features of who was popular at the time. “Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life”
Reasonable Doubt started it all and is still relevant to this day.. Not sure what the hell Future is talking about, like someone said before his second album made him a star but Reasonable Doubt was nothing but the truth from day one. Real and I mean Real Hip Hop Heads know that for fact. Straight Classic!
The only “truth” Reasonable Doubt had from day one was it wasn’t a great album for the time.
so rapper opinions are news?
Mike Jordan of rap… Outside Jay workin….. Now watch how quickly I drop 50…. Compared to this Lamar Odom ass nigga… “My piss coming back dirty I’m just being honest” don’t speak on Jay.
Future is right,back then Jay Z was a nobody bcuz u had 2PAC AND Big! If those guys dont die Jay Z never becomes as famous as he is now!
Reasonable Doubt isn’t a classic. Not sure why anyone is surprised by this fact.
You are all my children, and will bow before me – HIPHOP
I remembered buying Reasonable Doubt the day it came out and being pissed In My Lifetime wasn’t on there and he changed up Dead Presidents. The album was fire though and I had shit on repeat for a long time. His 2nd album was good though too and hella slept on though it had pop-like tracks.
Not sure why this is a controversial opinion. Jay Z even said it himself that people didn’t feel his first joint.
I am 80s baby and I remember Reasonable doubt coming out and it really didn’t light the streets on fire. However, at the time there was so many good albums out that it was easy for Reasonable Doubt to get missed but to be fair I personally don’t think its no where near being one of the greatest albums of all time.
No one really started listening to Jay Z until he had a billion features on his album and went more pop. I don’t understand why people think you need to have the classic right off the bat to be a good MC. I mean RD is still a good album but it didn’t land with same impact of artists first album.
Also, 2+2=4 …. water is wet… the sky is blue. Thank you Future for stating the obvious.
Jay Z was great, but he was overshadowed by them.
Jay-Z has had a amazing career. 20 years plus and he in the top five. So at this point if your not trying to top his success your just talking.
Future aint old enuff to recall that album lmao…Thats Rico and Nem filln meathead with this!!! The ryhmes were mostly cray and some lame…he did however get BODIED on that Brooklyns finest trak…go bak and listen..Big ate that mans lunch!!
future is in his mid-30’s breh… he was in high school when RD came out.
I don’t understand the point of this…so we’re saying that 2 already established artists overshadowed a new one? Does somebody expect to get points for that opinion? What does Pac and BIG have to do with RD’s classic status. Albums become classic becuz of the content not what it sold, we all know that already. No wonder hiphop sucks now, these guys are actually retarded. Rap is like the special olympics now
Only reason why people call Reasonable doubt a classic is because its Jay Z’s first album not because of content or what it sold. At the time there were so many good groups and albums out that were better than Jay Z at the time.
Arguably it wasn’t even the best Hip Hop album released that year. The production was ass on Reasonable doubt that why it wasn’t popular on release. Also, look at the album released that year: ATliens, Ironman, The Score, All Eyez on Me, Muddy Waters, Firing Squad, Stakes is High, Beats, Rhymes and Life etc…
Reasonable doubt was nice i agree that it was a hot album but with all being said all eyes on me wasnt either people hype that album up it was cool and had a few cuts but i think pac was powerful on his own without death row
That’s why the 90s was the greatest era in hip-hop. There were so many dope artist and albums out that a classic like RD got slept on. Look at hip-hop now, if future or a drake tried drop the bs they putting out they would have been laughed out of existence.
Future doesn’t have any classics. None. Zero. Never will. He’s a wack ass Max B knock off with more autotune and drug talk, and less rawness to his art. No talent.
Fuck you
Why is this news anyway?