Jay-Z: Still Spending Money from '88

By Will “Deshair” Foskey, as seen in the December issue of XPOZ magazine

The same dude that was out for “Presidents to represent him” when he entered the industry, became the President of Def Jam during his lyrical hiatus. Now that he has returned, is the ruler officially back or is he still clouded in the black he faded into?


From 9-6 to 0-6, the truest of Hip-Hop minds have witnessed to the meteoric trances ion of the Brooklyn bred emcee by way of the Marcy Projects. From Lucky Lefty to Iceberg Slim to Jigga, -- and now HOVA, Mr. Carter was equipped with a healthy amount of foresight that pushed him beyond the mental barriers of his peers. His hunger for more was only overshadowed by his hunger for growth.

Shawn Corey Carter, born on December 4, was ahead of his time from the very beginning. On the Black Album, the song that shares the same title as his birth date, is proof of that. But it was on the Blueprint, his critically acclaimed classic where certification of our shared hustle was brought to light. The title track, ‘Blueprint (Momma loves me) was recited as follows: East Trenton grew me / had me skipping school / Valencia’s boyfriend Volvo had me making moves.

Shit, this dude’s street hustle started in the same city where I wrote my first words. We’ve walked the same halls at Trenton Central High School; although my time came years after his journey back to BK. For me, Mr. Carter was hope previously birthed through hopelessness. Greatness is necessary, mediocrity is criminal.

I want you to look at Jay-Z in 2006, then try to fathom the fact that every record company at the time he was looking for a deal viewed his rapid-fire hustler’s flow as a risk. But where his counterparts would have tried to bang down the same door, he adjusted, and then opened up another door. You can’t become a success in any industry without having a sense of when to adjust and when to take risks. Mr. Carter takes on life’s challenges as if he is traveling on I-95. He commits himself to the long haul and whenever there’s a challenge ahead of him, he switches lanes and leaves that previous boundary in the dust.

As a trendsetter, Jigga was GS’ed up (Lexus) before anybody else was, in his video for ‘Dead Presidents’. While his competitors were sippin’ on that Crooked I and Moet Chandon, Jigga was sipping on Cristal. Speaking of Cristal, in 2006, new managing director for Cristal, Frederic Rouzaud was quoted to have made racist statements in the direction of the Hip-Hop community regarding urban consumption of the champagne. Mr. Carter quickly pulled all bottles of Cristal out of his clubs, raised his awareness of the statement to the Hip-Hop community and denounced Cristal as a drink of status.
Rouzaud quickly back peddled on his statements, but Jigga wasn’t hearing it. He has since replaced Cristal with his new brand of choice, Armand de Brignac.

When Jay said hello to 30, he ushered in a new era for not only himself, but for a legion of followers. He got rid of the throwback jerseys for some canvases, dark blue jeans, a crispy button up, topped off by an oversized fitted cap that hangs below the eyes. It wouldn’t be long before his upgrade blanketed the hood. What might not seem like much to the human eye spoke volumes to a community in dire need of a takeover… my mistake, a makeover.

Jay-Z stood as a role model without anyone even thinking of adding that title to his repertoire. In his smash hit, ‘IZZO’ he recites: Like I told you to sell drugs / No, HOV did that so hopefully you wouldn’t have to go through that. And in ‘99 Problems’, he taught a lesson to his community about their rights when they get pulled over by the authorities: My glove compartments locked, so is the trunk in the back / and I know my rights so you’re gonna’ need a warrant for that.

It’s more than just the music, although music is the tool Mr. Carter has chosen to get his point across. On his new album, “Kingdom Come” he has a song called ‘Lost One’ that feels like a remake of Lauryn Hill’s huge single that debuted more than 5 years ago. He opens up the song with: I heard motherfuckers saying they made HOV / Made HOV say okay so, make another HOV! You might be able to find his predecessor, but you can’t recreate an entire man. This is what makes a Jay-Z iconic. This is how you’re able to place Jay-Z in the same breath of a Tupac Shakur and not be wrong by doing so. You can not deny Mr. Carter’s track record.

“Kingdom Come” has received early mixed reviews from critics, but that was the same story when the Black Album hit stores. The Black Album went platinum multiplied by 3. It just so happened that people had to catch on to Jay’s growth as it shall have to be mimicked for Kingdom Come.
Mr. Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter will continue to open up new doors of visibility and expansion which will shine upon our culture. He is an icon in every sense of the word. Don’t be surprised if you see a Roc-a-Fella -sponsored NASCAR racecar taking the turns at Talladega in our near future. The possibilities are limitless for the “King of Kings.”

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