Reasonable Doubt [PA] - Jay-Z > Reviews > Reasonable Doubt: Cinematic and Brilliant

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Groundbreaking
Lyrics	Sublime
Quality and consistency of tracks	Flawless
Value for Money

Advantages:	Deep and Virtuous Lyricism and Storytelling; Production Brilliance; Cinematic and Thought - Provoking Concept
Disadvantages:	The fact that Jigga never, ever came close again .  .  .

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

While I don't despise Jay-Z, plain and simply: I'm not a fan. Ever since his crossover success, he has become nothing more than an egotistical rapper who overrates himself and has plain and simply lost "it". "It" is basically, his hunger. Granted he's still got that charismatic flow, and at times reverts to the times of old even in this day-in-age (see "My First Song", "Meet the Parents"), he has never ever, in my humble opinion, been able to capture the same essense and depth in his music that he had in the earlier years of his career. In 1996, Jay-Z released Reasonable Doubt, which is one of the greatest albums in the history of music. After this immortal piece of work dropped, Jay-Z rapidly descended into the pits of commercialism. No longer did we hear the witty Jay-Z tell us tales of growing up hustling and conveying emotions through music that few artists could hope to capture; instead we were left with a money-hungry CEO who resorted to making every other song on his albums a club song so that he could feast upon the almighty dollar of the foolish mainstream fans who don't know what's good for them. Jay-Z always had one or two great songs on his future albums, but everything else post-Reasonable Doubt has been the exact opposite of the masterpiece he crafted all those years back.

Regardless of how much you can love or hate Jay-Z, it's been universally accepted that his masterpiece, his magnum opus, is, and always will be 1996's Reasonable Doubt. On Reasonable Doubt we have a young, charismatic and confident emcee who is blessed with the God-given skills to be unbelievably deep on the microphone, yet spit his lyrics out with the venom and fury of a South American serpent. Please, do not be fooled by the majority of Jay-Z's work. Reasonable Doubt stands head over shoulders above the rest not only for the brilliant lyricism conveyed, as well as the masterful production, but for the underlining depth found within it's fifteen tracks. Reasonable Doubt is an incredibly deep journey through the mind of a rugged young black man, living in the slums of Brooklyn, relying on his skills as a street trader to get him by. Jay-Z paints an vivid picture of this kind of dangerous life, and manages to give us the good, the bad, and the ugly about being a hustler. Each track acts as a different memory and different emotion that he expresses to the listener with his complex and deep lyricism. Hell, listening to Reasonable Doubt is like listening to a black and white mobster film being played inside of your head and narrated by Jay-Z. You see it from HIS point of view, and although you may not agree with it, you are indeed guaranteed to be entertained.

Track List & Rating

1. Can't Knock the Hustle f/ Mary J. Blige (5 Stars)
2. Politics as Usual (4 1/2 Stars)
3. Brooklyn's Finest f/ Notorious B.I.G. (5 Stars)
4. Dead Presidents II (5 Stars)
5. Feelin' It f/ Mecca (5 Stars)
6. D'evils (5 Stars)
7. 22 Two's (5 Stars)
8. Can I Live (5 Stars)
9. Ain't No Nigga f/ Foxy Brown (4 Stars)
10. Friend or Foe (5 Stars)
11. Coming of Age f/ Memphis Bleek (4 1/2 Stars)
12. Cashmere Thoughts (4 Stars)
13. Bring It On f/ Big Jaz & Sauce Money (5 Stars)
14. Regrets (5 Stars)
15. Can I Live II f/ Memphis Bleek (4 Stars)

Reasonable Doubt opens with the untouchable classic "Can't Knock the Hustle". If Nas achieved the apex of street poetry with his classic Illmatic, then one can say that Jay-Z took the Kool G. Rap/Raekwon style of mafioso, street-hustle hip-hop to new levels which have yet to be reached by anybody thusfar. On "Can't Knock the Hustle", Jay-Z wastes no time in telling us early on that he means business, and that his way of life isn't exactly for anybody, but he doesn't appreciate it if somebody begins to badmouth the street trading industry (if it's even fair to call it an industry). Jay-Z attempts to explain to the listener that although his way of life is dangerous and illegal, it puts food on the table and makes him and those around him happy, and that's all that matters. He attempts this by educating us on everything that the so-called "hustle" has done for him. One can confuse this for bragging, and indeed it is, but Jay has a MUCH deeper meaning behind it. The song is surprisingly light-hearted in atmosphere, and laid-back musically, which makes it an easy listen for anyone, even those who don't like hip-hop. Mary J. Blige drops an absolutely beautiful chorus fitting with the motiff of the song ("I'm taking out the time, to give you a piece of my mind). Producer Knowbody outdid himself with one of the most relaxed, beautiful pieces of music ever. However, Jay-Z being the confident, brashy man that he is, steals the show with his honest, intelligent lyricism:

"Last seen out of state where I drop my slang
I'm deep in the South kickin up top game
Bouncin on the highway switchin fo' lanes
Screamin through the sunroof - money ain't a thang
Your worst fear confirmed...
Me and my fam' roll tight like The Firm
Gettin down for life, thats right, you better learn
Why play with fire, burn
We get together like a choir, to acquire what we desire
We do dirt like worms, produce G's like sperm
'til legs spread like germs
I got extensive hoes, with expensive clothes
and I sip fine wines and spit vintage flows
What y'all don't know?"

"Politics As Usual" finds Jay-Z showcasing a much darker side of street hustling. Jay-Z begins to explain that although this kind of life pays off much quicker than your standard way, it has a dark side. Jay-Z's honest lyricism takes the stage on this one, explaining to the listener that sacrifices must be made before achieving his level, and that few could possibly dream of getting that far. My only real problem with this track is that Jigga brags far too much and loses focus on his storytelling, which is what really made Reasonable Doubt such a standout album. However, the street-smart honesty and description here is definitely something to behold.

Jay-Z teams up with his best buddy the late Notorious B.I.G. for a brag-fest on "Brooklyn's Finest". On this track, Jigga and Biggie play two street kingpins (like they did for most of their early work anyways) who are basically lyrically competing against each other to see which is flashier, richer, and more a "playa". A lot of people consider Biggie one of the best rappers ever, and it's quite funny to hear Jay-Z pretty much outshine him on here. The chemistry between these two emcees is at it's peak here and would never be duplicated (not even on Big's second album). The beat is a sparkly, flashy piece of production which is basically one huge big-up to Brooklyn.

Perhaps Jay's magnum opus when it comes to individual songs comes when listening to "Dead Presidents II". This is my all-time favorite Jay-Z song right next to the original version (click here for a review of that). Without a doubt this is one of the most emotional songs ever written in hip-hop.

"Dead Presidents" finds Jay taking us once again into the world of organized crime, explaining all of the sacrifices he has made to achieve to that throne and that he won't be giving it up soon. Jay explains a huge history beginning with the early days of his entrepreneurship, and the pain he felt when he lost some of his closest associates, but vowed to avenge their downfall: "On the Uptown high block he got his side sprayed up, I saw his life slippin, this is a minor set back, Yo, still in all we livin, just dream about the get back, That made him smile though his eyes said, "Pray for me", I'll do you one better and slay these niggaz faithfully, Murder is a tough thing to digest, it's a slow process... and I ain't got nothin but time". Brilliant. Jay goes on to brag a little bit, educating the listener that to achieve his status, one will need a certain knowledge of the street hustle and learn the ways. He also confidently states that until he quits, there's no taking his place, as displayed with the following lines: "In due time when crime flees my mind, All sneak thieves and playa haters can shine, But until then I keep the trillion cut diamonds shinin brilliant, I'll tell you half the story, the rest you fill it in, Long as the villian win". The lyricism exhibited from Jay is breathtaking, forcing hip-hop heads like me to take repeated listens to fully decipher the complexities within his words. When it comes to the production, Ski laces something that's simply gorgeous, interlacing a soft melancholy piano loop mixed with drum and bass, and that familiar Nas sample from "The World is Yours".

"Feelin It" is one of the more feel-good tracks on Reasonable Doubt, not unlike "Can't Knock the Hustle", and probably an antonym to "Dead Presidents II". Ski returns once again to lace the boards with another beautiful piano melody and Mecca singing an awesome chorus to boot. If you remember the video, Jay raps on a yacht about his riches and how he achieved them through hustling. Plain and simple, this is the feel-good style of Jay-Z at it's best, and even then, his lyricism was incredible. Hell, I miss the Jay-Z who had an extensive vocabulary and was witty all the damn time as opposed to some of the time: "What y'all ain't heard that nigga Jay hot?, The Cristals they keep me wet like Baywatch, I keep it tight for all the nights my mom prayed I'd stop, said she had dreams that snipers hit me with a fatal shot... those nightmares mom". However, the song after this is perhaps the opposite in overall feel. The Legendary DJ Premier drops one of his trademark classic beats for "D'Evils". On this masterpiece, Jay-Z basically admits that what he does is indeed evil, and that he asks for forgiveness. The emotion here seems pretty real for the character that Jay portrays on here. The song is pretty much Jay confessing his sins on wax, which is very interesting considering all of the examples he uses to explain himself. When it comes to pure lyrical skills, this is simply awesome:

"Whoever said illegal was the easy way out couldn't understand the mechanics
And the workings of the underworld, granted
Nine to five is how to survive, I ain't trying to survive
I'm trying to live it to the limit and love it a lot
Life ills, poison my body
I used to say 'fuck mic skills'
And never prayed to God, I prayed to Gotti"

When we arrive to "22 Twos", Reasonable Doubt takes a break from the storytelling and focuses on pure emceeing. This is just sick freestyling from Jigga, but he also gives it an amazing touch, specifically on the first verse. As the title implies, Jay spits 22 twos, or in other words, uses the word to, two, and too twenty-two times. Confused yet? Just listen to the bitch.

After that intermission, we return to the hustle with "Can I Live", which acts as another highlight. On here, DJ Irv samples the Isaac Hayes classic "The Look of Love", seeping the instrumental with soft horns and violins, giving the song a real guttery feeling. When it comes to complex lyricism, this is perhaps the biggest highlight of the album next to "Dead Presidents II". The focus here is Jay-Z telling the paparazzi and those who continue to antagonize him to basically leave him alone. He takes his time with a powerful two verses of spilling his guts about the street trade and how he would've give it up for anything, but demands peace. Well, it's probably best to just show a sample from the horse's mouth: "My mind is infested, with sick thoughts that circle, like a Lexus, if driven wrong it's sure to hurt you, Dual level like duplexes, in unity, my crew and me commit atrocities like we got immunity".

"Ain't No Nigga" is the pop-ish lead single which is instantly recognizable by anybody and despised by most. Honestly, I sort of like it. The beat is pretty nice, the hook is catchy, Foxy Brown's guest spot is decent, and Jay doesn't slack on the lyrics. Not a bad song, but skippable compared to the rest of the pieces on here.

The final half of our tale begins with "Friend or Foe". DJ Premier is once again dropping the ill beat. The song clocks in at about a minute and a half, which is rather short, but a fitting interlude to kick off the final few chapters. We continue with "Coming of Age". Jay is joined by then-upstart Memphis Bleek, who was incredible back then... but quickly faded into mediocrity after his spots on this album. This song pretty much acts as a sequel to "Friend or Foe". Whereas the former was Jay speaking to his soon-to-be apprentice, on "Coming of Age", Memphis Bleek assumes the mantle of the apprentice, as the two trade verses ala Scarface and Manolo. Jay plays the role of the intelligent teacher, explaining the street trade and telling Memph that now it's time for him to assume his role. DJ Clark Kent delivers a dark, bass-driven production to fit with Jay-Z and Memphis Bleek's rhyming. Now we can see the final chapters of the story of Reasonable Doubt take place, as the "Godfather" Jay-Z is already searching for his replacement before he retires. Truly an innovative concept.

While "Cashmere Thoughts" seems like a typically boring, Jay-Z brag-rap where all he does is rap about his liquor, jewelry, and cash, one has to remember that this is all a part of the kingpin lifestyle that he's portraying on this album. This is one of the few times where I can honestly say that an emcee is rapping about materialistic possessions and actually comes off sounding great. However, this song is just a prelude of what's to come.

DJ Premier laces his final beat on Reasonable Doubt with the masterpiece "Bring it On". This is one of those tear-jerking compositions that only Premier can do. Soft mafioso violins play throughout the song backed by sombre trumpets, giving it a depressing, mobster feel as if the film is close to it's end (and it is). Complete with an ill Fat Joe sample, this is Premier at his absolute best. Big Jaz (a.k.a. Jaz-O, Jay's mentor) drops a guest spot along with Sauce Money, who would both return for later Jay-Z appearances on future albums, but none could measure up to this one. This song slowly begins to showcase clues as to what Jay's future holds. It appears to me that he is basically giving up a life of crime to become an emcee and make songs about what he did, which is exactly what Reasonable Doubt is... get it now? Jigga and his two partners stress that it'll be hard for them to give up the life and honestly are appreciative of what "the hustle" has done for them.

"Mannerisms of a young Bobby DeNiro, spent spanish wisdoms
in a whip with dinero, crime organized like the pharoah
I cream, I diamond gleam
High post like Hakeem, got a lot of things to drop
Brooklyn to Queens, I gotta keep my steam
Niggas wanna try to hem' my long jeans
Uptown fiend for Jay-Z to appear on the scene
In the meanwhile, here's somethin dope for y'all to lean
Liason for days on in...
Money make the world go around so I made songs to spin"

Since Jay already contemplated retirement, "Regrets" pretty much puts a closure to the cinematic album that is Reasonable Doubt. Just as the title implies, Jay-Z wants to put all of the "D'Evils" he has commited behind him and wants to move on with his life, regretting some of the acts he commited. Jay digs deep inside of himself here, pulling out some of the deepest lyrics of his career, analyzing what it took to get him there and how he thanks his guardian angels for guiding him. If anybody is still skeptical that this album isn't a cleverly masked story of a hustler, take a gander at these powerful closing lyrics, which find Jay-Z giving it up: "This time they got us on tape, exchangin dope for dollars, Make me wanna, holler back at the crib in the sauna, Prayin my people bailed out like Time/Warner, Awaitin call, from his kin not the coroner, Phone in my hand, nervous confined to a corner, Beads of sweat second thoughts on my mind, How can I ease the stress and learn to live with these regrets, This time... stress... givin this shit up..."

"Can I Live II" is a bonus track, of course, that wasn't on the original version of Reasonable Doubt, but rather on the re-release which everybody has. Jay and Memphis Bleek retell more street stories which really don't fit with the overall storyline exhibited by the core of the album, and is simply there as an extra.

Hopefully I have proven with this rather big review that Reasonable Doubt is a special album which is worth much more than you would like to believe upon first listen. Reasonable Doubt is a cinematic tale of a street hustler, how he came up, what he did, what this kind of living is like, all the way until he retired, sat back and contemplated all of the things he did. Perhaps nobody sees it as strongly as me, but to those naysayers I invite you to take another gander at the LP and open your mind and perhaps you will find my words the truth to you. On a more superficial mindset, Reasonable Doubt is still Jay-Z's best album ever and a true classic. Even if you ignore the hidden story, this album still displays a young, hungry Jay-Z with unfathomable lyricism, the crispest production, and true honesty. Indeed, this is a classic in every sense of the word. Smack yourself if you claim to be a hip-hop head and don't have a copy of this one. Well, actually, it's ok, as long as you don't knock the hustle. Cause if you knock the hustle, you'z finne get smoked. Why? Simple.

You Can't Knock The Hustle...

5 Stars