The build up to the confrontation between Jay-Z and Bleek grows in intensity in the second verse of “Coming of Age (Da Sequel)”. There’s a lot we can learn about our own relationships when we listen to the lyrics in this verse. It may seem like the story takes place another world, conflicts in the drug game is no joke, that’s for sure! But I think the tension between Jay and Bleek in this crime story has striking similarities with relationships that become strained in our lives. I believe that conflict can strengthen relationships. Don’t get me wrong, conflict can (and often does) destroy relationships, but conflict often brings out an element that is vital to the state of any kind of relationship- the revelation of truth.

In “Coming of Age (Da Sequel)” Jay and Bleek continues the criminal underworld story, which highlights the mentor/protégé relationship. In the original “Coming of Age” off the Reasonable Doubt album, Bleek is a young hustler, hungry to succeed in the drug game but lacks direction. Jay, a smart, experienced and successful hustler schools Bleek and makes him apart of his enterprise. Fast forward to the “Da Sequel”, Jay and Bleek are both very successful in their criminal enterprise but a confrontation is looming when Bleek begins to develop animosity toward Jay. This is a dynamic that often occurs in mentor/protégé relationships, business partnerships, friendships and families.

I’ve stated before that the fall out between Beanie Sigel and Jay-Z disappoints me. Bleek is Jay’s protégé, the once 15-year old kid that is now a grown man still riding with Jay. If you’re going to see Jay-Z live you’re likely to see Bleek right there on stage with him. While Bleek is Jay’s loyal protégé who has always had great potential, Beanie Siegel is (or was) Jay’s enforcer. I’ve always said that Beanie has the rawest talent of any MC in the history of Hip-Hop. As far as lyrical ability Beans is right there with the best (including Jay). He has all of the tools of a great MC but it seems like he lacks certain important qualities that hinders his development as an artist.

I believe that the mentor/protégé relationship is one of the most important bonds in the personal growth and development process of an individual. The lack of this important relationship, within the black American community for example, I believe is having a devastating impact on the lives of the youth, ESPECIALLY that of young black American boys. A mentor can be a parent, an older sibling, a teacher, a businessperson, a minister, etc. But a mentor often ends up being anyone who receives certain level of respect and admiration and gains influence over someone else who is in need of guidance. When there’s a lack of “positive” role models in a young kid’s life, often times the mentors end up being the Dope Boyz.

Instead of digging into Jay’s lyrics this evening, allow me a few minutes to share why I’m writing “The Book of Hov”. It’ll give you a chance to learn more about me. But also, once I go into detail of how I approach a Jay-Z rhyme, maybe it’ll help you get more out of Jay’s lyrics and the lyrics of other MCs, and get more out of art in general. I’m in my early thirties and I’ve been listening to Hip-Hop since I was a kid in the mid 80’s. I loved everybody from Run-DMC to N.W.A. but when I was a kid my favorite MC was Big Daddy Kane. Kane was known for his lyricism and to me he’s one of the top 10 greatest MCs of all time (it’s a claim that I think is hard to dispute if you listen to his classic record, “Raw”).

Not long after I published my latest post about Jay-Z’s verse on the “Go Crazy” remix (around 2:00am), Kanye West tweets that the remix to his new song, “Power” is complete and ready for the world to hear! I was anticipating the release of the remix because the song was rumored to feature no other than Kanyeezy’s “big brother”, J-Hov himself. So, there I was, in the wee hours of the morning, one of few (or one of several hundred thousand- who knows), listening to the “Power” remix, another “cutting edge” collaboration between two of the biggest and most insightful MCs in the rap game. And to no surprise… I was blown away!

I started publishing “The Book of Hov” in June and when I took a look back at my previous posts, I noticed that most of my writings thus far have been about Jay-Z’s verses from collaborations he’s done with other MCs. Now, there are plenty of great, insightful lyrics by Jay performed on his official solo albums. But the fact that I have already written extensively about Jay’s contributions on other peoples’ projects demonstrates his ability to make the projects of others hot (or hotter), while sharing with them and their audiences his profound insights about life and the hustle.

Let me first say that the Jay-Z/Kanye West collabo is truly special. Kanye, the talented producer and MC is the most artistic cat in the rap game and Jay is one of (if not THE) greatest lyricist the rap game has ever heard. They both are at their best on “Diamonds from Sierra Leone” remix. They both just “get it” when it comes to creating music that entertains and inspires. Frankly, I could get in-depth on Kanye’s lyrics in this remix because his words are just as profound as Jay’s. But while Kanye’s rhymes actually fit the premise of the song, Jay-Z goes “off-topic” yet manages to deliver one of the best lyrical performances about having the will to succeed in the midst of uncertainty.