When JAY-Z makes an appearance on social media, Hip Hop fans pay attention. On Sunday (January 16), a discussion emerged on Twitter regarding Hov’s 1997 sophomore album, In My Lifetime Vol. 1.
While many malign the album due to the video for “Sunshine” and singles such as “I Know What Girls Like,” the album is beloved by diehard Hov fans for songs such as “Imaginary Players,” “Where I’m From,” “You Must Love Me” and the album’s intro, “A Million And One Questions” among others.
Questlove took up the defense of Vol. 1, highlighting the general public’s feelings about the album revolve around Hov’s personal feelings for the project.
“Our main argument is his hate for Vol 1,” The Roots drummer said. “He is embarrassed for trying to make a monster & not putting numbers up. But ALOT of this lp contains his best moments. Fight me @sc.”
Hov quickly responded, giving a little insight into the album’s recording process at the same time.
“Agreed,” the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer said. “More so, I know what could have been, so it haunts me … streets is watching was the first song made!”
The album enjoyed commercial success in 1997, debuting at No. 3 with over 138,000 copies sold. However, it wouldn’t be until 1998’s Vol. 2 where Hov began his dominance of the Billboard 200 chart as his third album became his first No. 1 and the first of his record 14 solo chart-toppers.
Kool Moe Dee's Rapper Report Card Grading Lauryn Hill, JAY-Z, Nas, 2Pac, Biggie, Diddy + More Resurfaces Online
The revisionist history regarding the album evokes another moment of Hip Hop readjusting their views on a particular topic.
In 1999, Kool Moe Dee created a “Rapper Report Card” specifically for Ego Trip’s Book Of Rap Lists, where he levied a B or B+ toward legends such as Hov, DMX, Big Pun, Diddy, Snoop Dogg, Nas, Ice Cube and The Roots’ Black Thought.
In a recent interview with Rock The Bells, Kool Moe Dee explained why he didn’t give As to those rappers.
“In the late ’90s, Lauryn Hill, JAY-Z, a lot of those people were newcomers at the time,” he explained. “JAY-Z, Nas, Lauryn Hill, and DMX were my favorites at the time. But I said, let’s break it down a little bit further, and I was making a point to tell people that Lauryn Hill was a lot better than a lot of emcees at the time, and a lot of people didn’t give her the credit.”
He added, “To know what JAY-Z was doing in ‘98 is totally different from say ‘94 even or 2004. If I took the time to re-score it now, it’ll definitely reflect how things turned out.”
Revisit Vol. 1 in full below.
I always thought Volume 1 was hated on a little too much. But now that Nas has come out with three straight acclaimed albums, let’s not go back to try a rewrite the history of Jay’s discography. The album was decent to good. Not great.
Get off Nas dick weirdo…fuck you still pitting them against each other like it’s 2002 for?
Judging by your overly emotional reaction, you’re probably the one more likely to be on someone’s dick. Either you’re a hood rat, or that lack of emotional discipline something you picked up from your hood rat mother.
Judging by your overly emotional reaction, you’re probably the one more likely to be on someone’s dick. Either you’re a hood rat, or that lack of emotional discipline something you picked up from your hood rat upbringing.
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Don’t compare Vol. 1 to any of these 3 mid albums Nas just dropped. Is it his best work in years? Sure, but that isn’t saying much. Nobody’s gonna be bumping 40 Side or freestyling over the Store Run beat in 25 years. Nas a legend but he prob has more mid out there than anyone we discuss in our top 10s
You still playing anything of Kingdom Come of Dynasty? Jay got just as many mid albums as Nas. I know no one is still listening got 4:44 or the Carters album. But I know EMPD, Rare and a bunch of other songs from KD that will still be played. You can call the “mid” but your on an island by yourself!
Got’M.
I loved that album, regardless of it’s sales, etc.
Definitely agree on”Sunshine” and “Girls” being the worst songs on Vol 1, always skipped those tracks. Very solid album otherwise.
This is also where he samples Nas 4 the SECOND time(and mentions his name)….kinda felt somekinda way when I heard “The City is Mine”….seemed a lil disrespectful considering ur “friend” was murdered a few months prior….overall this was J @ his finest as far as real shit…he’s 20times more successful than he was back then but u will never hear another “Lucky Me”….”Imaginary Players”…. the joint wit Too $hort….Jay-Z b4 the fame…
Nas has sampled Jay Z before and recently mentioned him too. #justsaying
After Ether…#justsaying
This album was always good, it was just over hated and time has constantly revealed that. The public has done this with the albums of other artists too (this is actual history that can be googled), so it’s not like Jay is getting some special treatment.
cosign…popular opinion can out-weigh true talent or a “great” album
It is one of my favorite albums from Hov. I think it has some of his best and most potent lyrics to date. It was released during a time when hip hop was transitioning from underground anthems to more mainstream radio spins. Many people were closed minded back then by not appreciating a high quality album that has both radio cuts but is still street. That album has like 5 classic songs on there lol.
Top 5 Jay Album, more or less. Imaginary Players is timeless
“You Must Love Me” is arguably Hovs best song and that shit follows “Where I’m From”, one of his hardest bangers. Your man spazzed over like 5 epic beats on a fucking intro. What more can I say? Classic, shoulda went triple
That album sucked donkey d!ck. He did redeem himself with Vol. 2 thou. Big time. That’s a classic album unlike the aforementioned crapfest.
I thought so too…the statement about Vol.2 but as I studied the album (and its D0pE!) the features kill it. People excuse that notion bc they say it was it “last album” but anytime u have features on every record it’s less work for the artist….take away the features and how many verses does Jay-Z have on that album? Not hard to calculate at all…
Jay never made great albums. I think the dissatisfaction with it from the public was because the commercial songs seemed to be reaching so hard but didn’t take off for him like they did on Volume 2 or most of the rest of his catalogue. However, he’s only made two great albums in his career, Blueprint and The Black Album.
RD aint a classic, or even great album?! Ha!