Rocafella Hot 97 Freestyles- January 2001

Beanie Sigel Feat. Oskeno Sparks and Freeway Freestyle 1

One of the most legendary freestyle sessions ever recorded on live radio. The Rocafella crew was feeling particularly feisty on that January night. They repeatedly told Funk Flex to throw on beats from Queens artists then proceeded to rip them to shreds over and over again. With Jay-Z playing hype man in the background, it almost begins to take on a Brooklyn vs. Queens vibe even though most of the rappers spitting are from Philly. This session grabs the attention of other Queens emcees like Prodigy who stepped up his subliminal war of words against Jay-Z and helped set the stage for Summer Jam.

Summer Jam – July 2001 – “Freestyle”

Jay-Z – Takeover At Summer Jam 2001

After eviscerating Prodigy, Jay-Z laid a masterful trap for Nas with the following bars that set the Hip-Hop world on fire:

“Y’all niggas don’t want it with Hov/Ask Nas he don’t want it with Hov”

At this point, the stage was set for the main event. Casual fans may have had no idea why Jay-Z was calling Nas out but everyone was on the edge of their seat, wondering how Nas would respond. Up until this point, Nas had generally been the aggressor during their subliminal war of words. Summer Jam marks the first time Jay-Z takes the steering wheel and publicly comes down on Nas with the full extent of his power. Jay-Z flew off the stage in a helicopter with Michael Jackson, not exactly the same as dropping some subliminals on a DJ Clue mixtape. As a result, Nas was backed into a corner and forced to respond publicly which is precisely what Jay-Z wanted.

[pro-player width=’530′ height=’253′ type=’video’]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zsd3Em6icc4[/pro-player]

“Paid in Full/Stillmatic Freestyle”- August 2001

Nas – Stillmatic – Paid In Full Freestyle

At this point the whole world knew about the Nas vs. Jay-Z battle even if no one fully understood the reasoning behind the beef. Nas quickly regrouped from Summer Jam with these bars from his “Paid in Full/Stillmatic Freestyle”:

“All this fast shit and fly jewelry/now makes my eyes teary/N Y City, grab a hold and ride with me/Rip the FREEWAY, shoot through MEMPHIS with Money Bags/Stop in Philly, order cheese steaks and eat BEANS fast/And bring it back up top, remove the fake king of New York/You show off, I count dough off when you sample my voice/I rule you, before, you used to rap like the FU-SHNICKENS/NAS designed your BLUEPRINT, who you kidding?/Is he H TO THE IZZO, M TO THE IZZO?/For shizzle you phony, the rapper version of SISQO/And that’s for certain, you clone me, your wack clothes line/I’d rather Sean John, bore me with your fake coke rhymes/And those times, they never took place, you liar/Un was your first court case, you had no priors/You master fabricated stories of streets and sound slick/Have you surrounded, you and the faggots you down with/Why they riding NAS, trying to boost their careers?/Corny as CORMEGA, all you Hip-Hop queers/Since ILLMATIC, IT WAS WRITTEN, I AM, NASTRADAMUS/That’s the answers to the puzzle I gave you, now here’s a promise/My next few albums, instead of projects/They’ll be a difficult test inside the cover for the mind’s optics…”

This effort left Nas vulnerable to the attack Jay-Z had waiting for him with the Blueprint coming just a few weeks later.

Blueprint -“Takeover” – September 2001

Jay-Z – Takeover

Jay-Z unloaded on Nas with this flurry of haymakers that would have finished off the career of 99.9% of rappers.

“I know you missin all the – FAAAAAAAME!/But along with celebrity comes bout seventy shots to your brain Nigga/You a LAAAAAAAME!/You’s the fag model for Karl Kani Esco ads/Went from, Nasty Nas to Esco’s trash/Had a spark when you started but now you’re just garbage/(Bitch) Fell from top ten to not mentioned at all/To your bodyguard’s “Oochie Wally” verse better than yours/Matter fact you had the worst flow on the whole fucking song/But I know, the sun don’t shine, then son don’t shine/That’s why your LAAAAAAAME!/Career’s come to a end/ There’s only so long fake thugs can pretend/Nigga, you ain’t live it you witnessed it from your folks pad/You scribbled in your notepad and created your life/I showed you your first tec on tour with Large Professor (Me, that’s who!)/Then I heard your album bout your tec on the dresser/ So yeah I sampled your voice, you was usin it wrong/You made it a hot line, I made it a hot song/And you ain’t get a coin nigga you was gettin fucked then/ I know who I paid God, Serchlite Publishing/Use your – BRAAAAAAAIN! You said you been in this ten I’ve been in it five – smarten up Nas/ Four albums in ten years nigga? I could divide/That’s one every let’s say two/Two of them shits was due One was – NAHHH/The other was “Illmatic”/That’s a one hot album every ten year average/And that’s so – LAAAAAAAME!/Nigga switch up your flow your shit is garbage, what you trying to kick knowledge?/ (Get the fuck outta here) You niggas gon’ learn to respect the king/Don’t be the next contestant on that Summer Jam screen/Because you know who (who) did you know what (what)/With you know who (yeah)/But let’s just keep that between me and you”

With this one verse Nas was effectively left for dead. Jay-Z attacked Nas from the perspective of an enraged fan. Some the most damaging lines sounded as if they could have been ripped from angry Nas threads on message boards. Jay-Z also scored points by shrewdly highlighting his advanced business acumen and attacking Nas’ street credibility. These were not glancing blows, these were career ending haymakers. Nas was already facing an uphill battle by positioning himself against a more commercially successful rapper in the prime of his career. To make matters more daunting, Jay-Z was also seasoned in the art of battling. He had acquitted himself well in legendary pool halls, clubs, and cafeterias while trading blows with the likes of DMX and LL Cool J over the years. Finally, by threatening to put his relationship with Nas’ baby momma on the table, Jay-Z laid another trap for Nas. It was a warning, a threat that there was even worse to come if Nas dared to respond.

Stillmatic – “Ether” -December 2001

Nas – Ether

After “Takeover” even the most loyal fans doubted if Nas could come back. Nas also had to consider that responding would certainly mean Jay-Z would make good on his threat to expose his relationship with his baby momma. In order to have any chance at winning this battle, he was going to have to strike back with a definitive battle ending blow. Nas named that blow “Ether” because as he said, “I was told a long time ago, ghosts and spirits don’t like the fumes from ether, and I just wanted to affect him with my weapon and get to his soul.” This is precisely what he did.

“[2Pac talking]
(“Fuck Jay-Z”)
What’s up niggas, ay yo, I know you ain’t talking ’bout me dog
You, what?
(“Fuck Jay-Z”)
You been on my dick nigga, you love my style, nigga
(“Fuck Jay-Z”)

[Chorus]

(I) Fuck with your soul like ether
(Will) Teach you the king you know you
(Not) “God’s son” across the belly
(Lose) I prove you lost already

Brace yourself for the main event/Y’all impatiently waiting/It’s like an AIDS test, what’s the results?/Not positive, who’s the best? Pac, Nas and Big/Ain’t no best, East, West, North, South, flossed out, greedy/I embrace y’all with napalm/Blows up, no guts, left chest, face gone/How could Nas be garbage?/Semi-autos at your cartilage/Burner at the side of your dome, come outta my throne/I got this, locked since ‘9-1/I am the truest, name a rapper that I ain’t influenced/Gave y’all chapters but now I keep my eyes on the Judas/With Hawaiian Sophie fame, kept my name in his music/Check it

[Chorus]

[talking]
Ay yo, pass me the weed, pour my ashes out on these niggas man (no doubt)
Ay, y’all faggots, y’all kneel and kiss the fucking ring

[Chorus]

I’ve been fucked over, left for dead, dissed and forgotten/Luck ran out, they hoped that I’d be gone, stiff and rotten/Y’all just piss on me, shit on me, spit on my grave (uh)/Talk about me, laugh behind my back but in my face/Y’all some “well wishers,” friendly acting, envy hiding snakes/With your hands out for my money, man, how much can I take?/When these streets keep calling, heard it when I was sleep/That this Gay-Z and Cockafella Records wanted beef/Started cocking up my weapon, slowly loading up this ammo/To explode it on the camel, and his soldiers/I can handle this for dolo/And his manuscript, just sound stupid/When KRS already made an album called Blueprint/First, Biggie’s ya man/Then you got the nerve to say that you better than Big/Dick sucking lips/Why don’t you let the late, great veteran live?

[talking]
(I…will…not…lose)
“God’s son” across the belly/I prove you lost already/The king is back, where my crown at?/(Ill…will) Ill Will rest in peace, let’s do it niggas

[Chorus]

Y’all niggas deal with emotions like bitches/What’s sad is I love you ’cause you’re my brother/You traded your soul for riches/My child, I’ve watched you grow up to be famous/And now I smile like a proud dad, watching his only son that made it/You seem to be only concerned with dissing women/Were you abused as a child, scared to smile, they called you ugly?/Well life is hard, hug me, don’t reject me/Or make records to disrespect me, blatant or indirectly/In ’88 you was getting chased through your building/Calling my crib and I ain’t even give you my numbers/All I did was give you a style for you to run with/Smiling in my face, glad to break bread with the god/Wearing Jaz chains, no tecs, no cash, no cars/No jail bars Jigga, no pies, no case/Just Hawaiian shirts, hanging with little Chase/You a fan, a phony, a fake, a pussy, a Stan/I’ll still whip your ass, you thirty-six in a karate class/You Tae-bo hoe/Tryna’ work it out, you tryna’ get brolic?/Ask me if I’m tryna’ kick knowledge/Nah, I’m tryna’ kick the shit you need to learn though/That ether, that shit that make your soul burn slow/Is he Dame Diddy, Dame Daddy or Dame Dummy?/Oh, I get it, you Biggie and he’s Puffy/Rockefeller died of AIDS, that was the end of his chapter/And that’s the guy y’all chose to name your company after?/Put it together/I rock hoes, y’all rock fellas/And now y’all try to take my spot, fellas?/Feel these hot rocks fellas/Put you in a dry spot, fellas/In a pine box with nine shots from my glock, fellas/Foxy got you hot ’cause you kept your face in her puss/What you think, you getting girls now ’cause of your looks?/Ne-gro please/You no mustache having, with whiskers like a rat/ Compared to Beans you wack/And your man stabbed Un and made you take the blame/You ass, went from Jaz to hanging with Kane, to Irv, to B.I.G./ And, Eminem murdered you on your own shit/You a dick-riding faggot, you love the attention/Queens niggas run you niggas, ask Russell Simmons/Ha, R-O-C get gunned up and clapped quick/J.J. Evans get gunned up and clapped quick/Your whole damn record label gunned up and clapped quick/Shawn Carter to Jay-Z, damn you on Jaz dick/So little Shawnie’s getting gunned up and clapped quick/How much of Biggie’s rhymes is gonna come out your fat lips?/Wanted to be on every last one of my classics/You pop shit, apologize, nigga, just ask Kiss”

One of the many reasons “Ether” was so effective was the fact that Nas worked to his strengths. Relying on his introspective brilliance, he systematically dismantled Jay-Z in a fashion that would eliminate the possibility of back and forth exchanges. Nas’ dismissive tone was perhaps his most effective weapon in this regard. He addressed Jay-Z as if he were some lightweight that he’d really rather not waste any breath addressing at all. He even referred to him as his child at one point. Nas was so dismissive of Jay-Z he made him come off like a groupie. Nas depicted Jay-Z as a deranged fan who was obsessed with his approval for years. This rang true to fans who recalled Jay-Z extending so much love in his direction on multiple occasions while Nas gave nothing in return.

Nas also scored points by addressing the white elephant in the room. In 2001 Hip Hop finally began to recognize Eminem as a legitimate lyricist rather than an MTV gimmick. Jay-Z knew as much when he featured Eminem as the only guest rapper on Blueprint. Ironically, Jay-Z helped to further Eminem’s legitimacy in hardcore Hip Hop circles while opening himself up to unflattering comparisons. Even more damaging was the fact Eminem didn’t bother to craft new verses for his Blueprint appearance. He simply gave Jay-Z a “Renegade” track that previously had Royce the 5’9 on it with all of his original verses intact. Apparently, Eminem was confident that his old rhymes were dope enough to stand toe to toe with whatever Jay-Z would come up with. Nas calculated that the only way for Jay-Z to respond to this blow was to disparage Eminem and he knew Jay-Z would never risk that.

Nas also attacked Jay-Z’s physical appearance. While this is a cruel and somewhat childish approach, Jay-Z had no real means to counter this ridicule. By belittling him like this, Nas undercut Jay-Z’s stature. Suddenly it didn’t matter that he brought out Michael Jackson at Summer Jam and consistently sat atop the Forbes list because dude looks ugly. This is a wound that clearly cut Jay-Z deep. It was also a risky trap sprung by Nas that left Jay-Z no choice but to play his baby momma card with “Super Ugly.” It was as if Jay-Z was telling Nas, “If I’m so ugly, why is your baby momma my jump off?” But Nas seemed to have calculated this response as well. In a stroke of strategic brilliance, Nas preemptively chastises Jay-Z for his misogynist lyrics. So on “Super Ugly” when Jay-Z dropped bombs about leaving condoms in baby seats it echoes Nas’ misogyny claims and is considered reprehensible even by Jay-Z’s own mother. He even eventually has to apologize.

Most brazenly, Nas attacked Jay-Z’s credibility as a true friend to the late Notorious B.I.G.. Most Hip Hop heads believed Jay-Z was paying homage to Biggie by constantly quoting him in his rhymes. Nas turned this notion of paying B.I.G. homage on its ear by revealing Jay-Z believed he was a better rapper than B.I.G.. This led many to question whether Jay-Z was truly paying him homage or serving his own self interest by quoting him and inserting himself into Biggie’s throne. Finally, Nas mocks Jay-Z’s arrest and dangles a Jadakiss line calling his street credibility into question. By saying Jay-Z was forced to take the blame for a crime he didn’t commit, and alluding to Jay-Z’s apology to Jadakiss, Nas painted a picture that was very damaging in the eyes of street savvy fans

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