I honestly could care less about Jay-Z's music, but there's no denying his impact on rap. He came out with some real anthems you could only avoid by living under a rock, including but not limited to: Hard Knock Life, Big Pimpin, and 99 Problems.

As a Phillies fan, I hated myself for listening to the song "Empire State of Mind" (featuring Alicia Keys) during the World Series, but I did it anyway. The song is that good. Alicia really belts out that chorus line.

I also appreciate Jay-Z's story. Here's a guy whose response to being repeatedly shunned by the big-time labels was to create his own, with his own money, which he made not by selling drugs but by selling LPs of his own music on street corners.

RIA could have a rating of negative infinity stars and it would still be too high.

Its a shame he's a blasphemous jackneck.

AIGHT

GOOD

Best of all of them

I LIKE U A LIL

5

bad ass mofo!

great lyricist but he aint all that

Lost his umph.

YE THAT FLOW =D

He used to be a lot cooler than he is now. I think that he worked better retired! Sometimes in life you should just play your position. At this stage in JayZ life he should own the team and be somewhere offsite doing whatever it is that rich old men do.

well well well, i av read all these comments and cant understand where u all dissin jay are coming from, now is there anybody out there disputing the credibility of reasonable doubt? now that didt sell at the time, so he puts more hooks to appeal to more people does dat make him weak? look guys music is his job, he went in it to make money like 99% of rappers out there so don't beef that he achieved dat. we should blame ourselves for not supporting his first album as much. how many of us do jobs we don't like so we can make money to make ends meet. pls people its a business that us peeps influence so don't blame jay, we should blame ourselves.

biggest corporate sellout of all time. horrible rapper. i have no clue how a moron like him could become so famous and rich.

I am a true Hip Hop fan, and I can tell you that Jay-Z is not all that! I don't understand his appeal still to this day, really. His delivery is so rehearsed, it's funny. He seems so stiff and robotic, I can't get into it. He gives me the creeps when his I see his lips moving, and you ALL can agree that if he had no money or fame, Beyonce would not give him the time of day. For real, there are at least 50 other rappers worth listening to more than Jay-Z. The only reason I gave him 2 stars is for the 2 songs I actually like from him, and thats because of the music and not the lyrics.

I was reading through this redneck and just plain ignorant comments and its just a shame. I'd bet most of ya'll leaving negative reviews ain't even listen to Jay-Z. Ya'll just know he's a rapper, and ya leave an elitest comment. Jay-Z, like him or lump him, is a business man, and makes x10 times as much money then all of us, stop hating

The Blueprint was his best cd yet. It had no flaws at all! That's rare in cds today, at least for rap. Also, he's one of the hardest-working guys in the industry, and that is how he built his empire-by good 'ol hard work. He's real, and also stays away from "b*tch*s" all the time.

I think he's an ok singer, but calling yourself the greatest of all time and pretending to be some awesome businessman? What a joke, I'm sick of these gangsters turned businessmen. Get an education punk. He and Damon Dash have to be both pretty reprehensible people.

Hi kids, can you say "NO TALENT"

PLEASE READ THIS, BECAUSE THIS IS THE TRUTH ABOUT JAY-Z Jay Z???? Somebody tell me why everyone thinks he so great. He lies, he has said that he has never written a rhyme in his life, so why when he was freestyling on rap city HE SUCKED, man it was horrible it was like he peiced together a line from some of his latest songs and called it a freestyle. People say that he has tight beats, all of his good beats were mad by Kayon West or Parrell. The publicity stunt, at first I thought all the people that said he was the greatest was just from New York, but then I realized nobody called him the greatest before he called himself the greatest in that dust your shoulders off(by the way that song was already made by earlier rappers) similar to T.I nobody called him the king of the south untill he called himself the king of the south, anybody thats not from new york that says he's the greatest is just going along with what everyone else is saying. And the final thing HES BETTER THAN WHO? I know I havent heard people say he's better than Tupac. If he's anywhere close to tupac how come when they had beef Pac dissed him and Jay Z stopped rapping for years,Jay Z isnt as deep as Tupac either, what song has Jay Z made that can compete with Pac's Dear Mama, So many tears, Changes,I anit mad at ya,Brendas got a baby need I go on. It really makes me mad when people label themselves as near or better than Tupac. Tupac is more than a rapper he is a poet, people that have never read poetry in there lives can learn the same thing from Tupac. Not to mention that Dr. DRE, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, and Tupac have sold more records than Jay Z. P.S Tupac would be the king of the rap game right now if he was'nt killed. R.I.P Tupac

jay z is not the best rapper of all time, 50's first two albums will sell more then all of that ugly peice of **** has sold his entire career

Nothing but 5 stars for this guy. An absolute legend.

HES UGLY AND HE AINT GOT NO TALENT

He's okay. Won't listen to him without Lincoln Park or Beyonce. I love rock, so oh well. Rock rules!!!!!!!!

To the female who says Jay couldn't write a rhyme about teaching the youth how to be positive, I'd say the only truth to that statement lies in the fact that Jay-Z doesn't write his lyrics down. As far all this superficiality and materialism in music I can't really hate Jay-Z for talking about how he sold drugs and buys nice cars. The fact is that Nas, Mos Def, and Dead Prez have been putting out albums just as long as Jay-Z has. And while I love all those artists they don't sell as much as Jay-Z does because whoever controls the airplay at radio and television stations doesn't think conscience rap sells. What sells in America is sex, drugs, and violence. This is why the government takes such extreme measure to control its distribution. I've always seen Jay-Z as a business man who happened to rap. Because he was so good at it he was able to parlay that into another hustle that kept him from having to sell drugs. If you listen to his first you'll notice that eventhough he talked about D'Evils of the world it was still a lyrically well crafted, deep retelling of his life. When he put that album out he was just making a statement about who he was at the time (10 years ago). Now we've got T.I., The Clipse, and a gang of other would be rappers that think selling drugs is an internship for owning a record label. All these people are desperately trying to be who Jay-Z was. Since his first album he's tailored his style (dumbed down for his audience) to appeal to people who've never had to sell drugs to eat. Despite his hook laden songs its his talent that shines through. Truthfully it doesn't matter what he raps about because the complexity of his metaphors, and his unique style will always make him a great emcee. If you don't like Jay-Z because his subject matter doesn't seem uplifting to you then you're missing the point. To put it simply, don't hate the player, hate the game. (Though I think he and Jay Z are cool now,lol) - hate it or love it!!!

Not only is this cra* horrible and so extremely non-creative,but this guy is butt ugly

Who can't write a rhyme about so-called ho's, cars, bling-bling, and the club? You say he's better than Nas? Well let's see him sit down and write a song about something to encourage these kids and young brothers to do something positive as opposed to adding to all this superficiality and materialism our people is so caught up in. He's not a good role model at all who wants their kids going around rapping about the club and being a pimp? What these famous dudes need to do is publicize being a good dad, being married, and having respect for each other, (Praising the Father in their music would definitely help above all else). Because what are you going to do after the club is closed? Dead Prez, Mos Def, Nas, and dudes like that are dope. They give you food for thought not just a beat for cabbage patching to, lol.

a true all time great

Jay-Z is the best of all time and the only person who even goes in the same category as him is Pac...the only reason eminem has sold so many records is because *drum roll* hes white! and u will soon realize he aint as deep as Jay-Z...Eminem has run out of stuff to talk about now that 8 Mile is over and done with..all he raps now will be made up stuff or dissin somebody... that dont make u great when you can reflect on your life and rap from other ppls piont of view then you doin somethin...Jigga da best..Blueprint is the best rap solo rap effort to date...so dont hate if u hear a single on the radio and u dont like it...come here and say jay-z sucks...and i think if Jay-Z raps on yo mama can listen to it...thats a good thing...all the ppl here who think Jigga sucks prob think Lil Jon best rapper ever....and for the guy who said the How much of biggie's rhymes gone come out of jigga's lips.... post 1 line of biggie's rap jay-z has said...then talk holla

Jay-Z needs to deflate some of that air in his head. He's definitely not the greatest of all time. Pac was and still is. No one can out flow Pac. Jay-Z has alot of nerve dissing R-Kelly and Pac. He talked alot of crap about Kelly and had the nerve to sample Pac's song knowing Pac couldn't stand his meddling, fake butt. That was very obvious in 96's Bomb First. On Big Tigger's interview, R. Kelly said that Jay-Z left him hanging on a concert just to go to Usher's birthday party. He has no respect for the people that made him who he is: THE FANS!!!!! Jay-Z's a piece of arrogant crap with his Hawaiian Sophie wack-a**!!!

best rapper! hes awesome

Another reason why i hate rap.

Another mindless rapper peddling trash! Where's my arrest warrant for him?

ha ha!! I can't agree with maersk anymore. Jay-z Is wack, his voice sucks, his lyrics sucks..I don't what it is about people that make him out to be the greatest rapper out..He has always been garbage to me. Yes, please do us all a favor and please retire!

cant believe how many people dig this guy. gotta be the worst east caost rapper ever. and his delivery is f**kin weak

Jay-Z, due to his tight flows, historic creativity with production and longevity along with the output of albums over the past ten years seemingly allows him to retire as the best solo rapper today. Name another solo rapper who stayed on top for TEN YEARS???

I cant stand Rappers that take other songs and just talk crap during it. Its leeching just like Puf Daddy with the Police.

Jay Z sucks Talentless Moronic Styless bufoon Please spend your money on something worth bying

If I don't get to listen to my Jay-Z cd at least once a week, I start getting moody and crabby...gotta have my Jay-Z! Not only is the man sexy, but he can rap like no one's business. I really enjoy this man's music...

I heard jigga got his king kong lips stuck in pharels butt hole. cant he do a song or video by himself? Appairently not. Someone should cut off those lips and sell them to Missy as monkey chow. Someone should throw pharel off a bridge, too. sexy sexy. oh oh!

Good with Mariah Carey in the song Heartbreaker

When he is hot, he is hot but some of his stuff is pure fromage and for this inconsistancy he scores only 3stars.

Jay-Z's lips are so damn big he can roll a blunt with no hands.

Jay-Z is garbage. All these pop rappers make me sick just cuz you sell records doesn't make you nice and doesn't mean your the King Of NY. Jay-Z makes hits which makes him a sell out to the mass appeal when your moms is bumping this sh*t and Nelly you know it's wack, BumpyKnuckles AKA Freddie Foxxx is the the realest MC in NY holding it down since 89 and will rip anyone in the industry. I don't care if he sells 10 records he's still better then Jay-Z. Also 50-Cent, Eminem, garbage the Hail Mary song a disgrace to 2pac biting his lyrics and dissing Ja Rule for trying to be like pac, clowns. 50 ain't sh*t i heard him when he was underground he should have stayed at least we could choose to not here him now he's everywhere cuz the industry says hes hot and ya'll go and buy it like some f*cking robots. Anyways get the new Freddie Foxxx, Gangstar for some real NY MC's not some fag singing hooks with some shook a$$ white boy from D-town biting Esham's style so hard there should be a bounty on his head. Eminem your day is coming the Canibus is looking for your a$$!!!! Hate me if you want, but I speak Truth

"How much of Biggie's rhythms gon come out your fat lip.." -Nas, Ether.

Jigga is what rap should be all about.

Jay-z is aiight but he was supposed to be putting out diamondz in da ruff and he never did. I heard them on a couple of songs that were dope. I was anticipating the release of their album that never came out. No video, nothing that really pissed me off.

Oh my God! I used to think that Nelly was the ugliest man alive, but Jay Z just hit the top of my "top ten ugliest people chart". I don't understand: how come no one posted Jay Z's picture to uglypeople.com yet? Beyonce could do so much better... I don't know about Kelly Rowland though, she's on my "ugly people chart" as well. And no, I'm not jealous of Jay Z's looks, cuz I am a girl, and my opinion is completely not biased. What for his music, I think he is too stereotypical. Overall, he blows.

I THINK JAY-Z IS THE BEST EAST COAST RAPPER TODAY. HE WAS AND ALWAYS WILL BE BETTER THAN NOTORIOUS B.I.G.