During the period of the Blueprint album’s release, Jay-Z was at his peak as an artist and as for the Roc-a-fella’s entire roster- the whole crew was a major force in the music game. Hip-Hop culture is about many things, some good, some not so good, but one of the things that is celebrated in Hip-Hop is “crew love”. Crew love simply describes the bond between friends, partners, colleagues and associates. The concept of crew love is: tight bond= strength and loyalty. Crew love is when friends and business partners become family. There was a 5-6 year period (from ’98 to around ‘04) when there wasn’t a tighter and more dominant crew than the Roc in the rap music game. A lot has happened since Roc-a-fella’s heyday. Roc-a-fella is now Roc Nation and other than Kanye West, the artists that were apart of that dominant crew are either in decline or completely irrelevant and unfortunately, several have had very public beefs with Jay-Z.

I won’t get into all of that because I don’t know what has all gone on behind the scenes to cause the fall of the Roc-a-fella empire. To this day, I’m disappointed that the crew isn’t the way it was. But when Blueprint came out, Roc-a-fella was at the top of the rap game and the lyrics below not only explain why, they give us insight on how we can “thug our way through” the every day grind in our lives:

All I need is the love of my crew
The whole industry can hate me
I’ll thug my way through

“All I Need”

When you have people on your team that share your vision, who each bring value to the relationship, you all as a unit can be a formidable force. Crew love can be a major factor for your success in business. Crew love can be a major factor for your success in school. Crew love can be a major factor for your team’s success in sports. Crew love can have a lifestyle changing impact on communities. If the people you build and create with are all smart, skilled, have confidence and persistence and are loyal, success is sure to come sooner than later. Never underestimate the power of support and teamwork.

I’ve been writing and marketing for years. It’s been an up-and-down process. I’ve experienced many more lows than highs. I’ve experienced some success but I’m far from where I want to be. Still, I’m in the right frame of mind and I’m confident in my ability to make things happen in spite of past failures. One of the problems I have is that I’m too reluctant to delegate to-do tasks to others. I’m the kind of guy that tries to do it all. I struggle more times than I should because I carry too much of the burden. I have people around me who give me support and those who play a role in my day-to-day grind, but I admit, I often go into life’s “battles” outnumbered or solo. Assembling and rolling with a strong, competitive and competent crew is something I need to keep more focus on.

Let me be clear here: All crews are not created equal. Friends that you’ve known since “back in the day” may not be worth knowing if they don’t believe in themselves and if they don’t believe in you. Crew love will mean nothing if those in the crew threaten to undermine progress and success. Who are you rolling with? Where are they heading in their lives? You don’t need the love or the crew if their lack of talent, confidence, discipline and perspective compromise your hustle.

Jay tells us that the love of his crew made him stronger and gave him the confidence to “thug his way through” in the music industry. You can thug your way through life without ever committing a crime. The word “thug” in Hip-Hop culture often means to be aggressive. To “thug your way through” in Hip-Hop terms means to be an aggressive go-getter, to go after whatever you want with pure passion and strong determination. Don’t underestimate your own ability to make things happen, but also don’t underemphasize the role a strong crew can play in your growth and development. Crew love is not about rolling with a bunch of hanger-ons who instead of “holding you down” (meaning: supporting you and being loyal), hold you up (meaning: keeping you from moving forward). The strength of your crew should empower you and is just another advantage you can use to accomplish great things.

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.

Jay has expressed his concerns in regards to Bean’s artistry and overall success in his lyrics:

Beans, I ain’t trying to change you
Just give you some game
To make the transition
From the street to the fame

“Blueprint (Momma Loves Me)”
Blueprint
Jay-Z

I stated earlier that Beans has the rawest talent I have ever heard in Hip-Hop. There are several meanings of the word “raw” but here’s the meaning that best fits my opinion of Bean’s talent:

Raw: untempered and unrefined

My “10 Greatest MCs of all Time” list has been the same for several years. I’ll share it with you one of these days but I can tell you right now that Beanie Sigel can hold his own lyrically with ANY of the MCs on my list. Period.

Beans gave two of the most vivid lyrical performances I’ve ever heard on these classics:

This record is quite insightful about, ironically, betrayal, and really shows Beans’s lyrical brilliance.

Beans paints the picture of prison so vividly in this song. This record is like cinema. Hey, it pretty much made up mind to never get locked up!

It seems like Beans’s career has suffered and stalled because of bad judgement and a lack of discipline in his artistry and in his business. The talented brother has had some success the “issues” he’s had in his personal life are long and well-documented. I’m pulling for him to get things right but it wouldn’t be a stretch to suggest that some of his personal issues have had an adverse impact on his artistry and business interests.

Unless you don’t follow Hip-Hop that closely you’re aware of the “beef” Sigel has with Jay-Z. Beans has made what seems like an album’s worth of diss songs directed toward Jay. Beans’s main problems with Jay seem to be business-related and not personal.

If I could ask him a couple of questions in regards to his beef with Jay, they would be:

Why do you think making diss songs every other day directed toward Jay will increase the likelihood of resolving your business disputes with him?

and

How does dissing Jay over and over and over again advance or revitalize your career?

Some may say that Nas’s beef with Jay-Z revitalized the great Queensbridge MC’s career. I agree. But there’s a major difference between Nas’s beef with Jay back in the day and Bean’s beef with Jay: Jay shot first and Nas responded, strongly, I might add.

And also, the timing for the Jay-Z/Nas showdown was right. Hip-Hop was clamoring for it. Not too many people seem to care all that much about Beans vs. Jay. No one segment of Hip-Hop’s audience has that much emotionally invested in the beef.

The streets have some interest but it’s far from being at a fervor pitch and the conflict is barely on the mainstream audience’s radar.

(Speaking of the Jay vs. Nas, I might go in-depth about the legendary battle one of these days. You might be surprised by my opinion. But of course, when and if I write about it, I’m going to come hard with insight NOT emotion.)

If Beans looked at the flawed strategy that other MCs have unsuccessfully used: taking shots at Jay, calling him out over and over again with no or very little response from him, he would had realized that his all out assault is very unlikely to re-ignite his career.

Beans’s many diss songs at Jay may generate so-called “buzz” on YouTube, Twitter and on Hip-Hop sites on the Internet but that doesn’t mean that people who watch, read or listen online are even remotely interested in his actual career.

In the long list of Jay’s foes, Nas stands alone.

(Of course Jay and Nas are cool with each other nowadays. I want to hear more Jay-Z/Nas collabos!)

Unfortunately, Beans comes across as “just another MC” who has dissed Jay-Z.

If we go down the long list Jay-Z attackers and compare each one of them to Hov…

Who is relevant?

Who is not?

Beanie Siegel is a good MC with great talent who is undisciplined, consistently makes poor judgment and has a flawed artistic and business strategy.

Sigel could be completely justified for having beef with Jay (I don’t know one way or the other) but his constant, redundant verbal attacks on Jay-Z essentially makes him look like a bitter, disgruntled employee which is really too bad because Beans’s talent is too great to be confined to the way too common “pro wrestling” beef strategy that MCs with much less talent than him use to get attention.

I won’t go into detail, but I think a much better strategy for Beans would be to try to do as many features and collaborations as possible giving passionate, insightful and skillful lyrical performances and then try to capitalize off that buzz.

In now way am I indicting Beans (no pun intended). I love his talent. I missed the Roc the way it was and it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if Jay is truly the one who deserves the most blame for the crew’s dismantle. I absolutely loved the collaborations between Jay and Beans. Those two cats had great chemistry. I miss that- a lot. Beans is definitely the kind of MC and man that you want with you in battle- for real. Jay-Z has given Beans “game” (guidance) throughout his career but as Jay stated in “Blueprint (Momma Loves Me)”, Beans have had a difficult time fully making “the transition”.

(Watch from the beginning up to 1:50)

“If my life is a movie then Sigel be the sequel”

“It’s On”
Jay-Z

The transition from the streets to any kind of legitimate success is a challenge but MUST be done.

You won’t sustain your success, or even succeed at all with raw talent alone.

Is there someone, such as a mentor, giving you “game” on how to make the transition in your life?

How will you receive that “game” and how will you respond?

I remember reading Cedric Muhammad’s 2-part column on how-to market Beans and let’s just say that I thought it was a rather ambitious plan (meaning: unrealistic. Lol). Me and Cedric had a laugh about that in a conversation we had a couple of months ago. Though I think it’s unlikely that anyone currently around Beans or Beans himself have the kind of vision Muhammad laid out in the 2-part column, I agree with Muhammad’s general premise:

Beanie Sigel is a MC with great talent and potential whose career could be revitalized and even be greater than his days with the Roc if he (and the people around him) fully commit to artistic, business and even community activist excellence.

Some of you may want to know:

Why won’t Jay-Z respond to Beans’s attacks?

He did, for like 2 minutes…

Many believe that part of Jay’s verse on Drake’s “Light It Up” is directed at Beans. I agree. Of course, there have been several MCs no longer down with the Roc that have dissed Jay, so his lyrics could be directed toward all of them collectively:

Drake, here’s how they gon’ come at you
With silly rap feuds trying to distract you
In disguise in the form of a favor
The Barzini me, watch for the traitors
Uh, I done seen it all, done it all
That’s why none of these dum-dums could done him off

One of my first pieces published on “The Book of Hov” was about Jay’s lyrics on “Light It Up”.

“Silly rap feuds” not only distract those they target, they distract those who do the “shooting”. Beans’s tireless verbal attacks toward Jay are done in hopes of rattling him. Beans continuously baits Jay in hopes that he will respond. Jay, I think wisely sees a response as a distraction from his ambitious grind. What I don’t think Beans realize is that his verbal attacks toward Jay serve as distractions from his own ambitions.

I think Jay’s indirect responses at his attackers are actually insightful and show how strategically sound he is as an artist and businessman.

Jay has so many attackers that it doesn’t make sense to create specific diss songs for each MC who attacks him. He would waste a whole year just responding to any and everyone who takes a shot at him. Responding to everyone who disses him is a waste of his artistic talent. It also doesn’t make much business sense because diss songs may generate millions of plays on YouTube but don’t sell.

Jay is at the point in his career where he simply does not need a “pro wrestling” beef strategy to generate interests in his projects.

The summer’s ours, the winter too
Top down in the winter, that’s what winners do
And to these niggaz I’m like, Windows 7
You let ‘em tell it they swear, that they invented you
And since no good deed go unpunished
I’m not as cool with niggaz as I once was
I once was, cool as the Fonz was
But these bright lights turned me to a monster

I didn’t talk about this in my previous post about these lyrics but I think it’s interesting that Jay states that “no good deed go unpunished”. It seems like he’s basically saying:

People are often unappreciative of the guidance and support you give them and will even attack you (verbally and/or physically), particularly when they’re going through a tough time.

This unfortunate dynamic in relationships (such as the mentor/protégé relationship) is why Jay states:

I’m not as cool with niggaz as I once was
I once was, cool as the Fonz was
But these bright lights turned me to a monster

Jay seems to have greater perspective on the motivation and meaning behind Bean’s verbal attacks toward him than Beans does himself.

This kind of fall-out may happen in your mentor/protégé relationships and in other relationships that you have with those in your life.

Jay’s lyrics can give us some insight on how and why things go wrong in both our personal and professional relationships and what to learn from conflicts in order to become even more determined and focused as we move on and move forward.

What to look out for next week: We’ll dig further into the mentor/protégé relationship taking a look at Jay-Z and Memphis Bleek’s lyrics on “Coming of Age (Da Sequel)”. Also, I’ll share the song that I believe is the best rap collaboration ever made, reveal the similarities between that song and the great tradition of jazz music and how the song can serve as inspiration for YOU and ME as it relates to the “collaborations” in our day-to-day lives.

Jay’s debut album, “Reasonable Doubt” is the first time that I heard criminality (particularly the drug trade) intellectualized in music on a high level. During the time of its release, I can remember talking with hustlers in the drug trade who I was “associated” with that told me that “Reasonable Doubt” captured the essence of their lifestyle from both a physical and mental perspective

Here are the lyrics we’re going to discuss:

“I came into this motherfucker a hundred grand strong
Nine to be exact, from grinding G-packs
Put this shit in motion ain’t no rewinding me back
Could make 40 off a brick but one rhyme could beat that
And if somebody woulda told ‘em that Hov would sell clothing
Not in this lifetime, wasn’t in my right mind
That’s another difference that’s between me and them
I’m smartened up, opened the market up
One million, two million, three million, four
In eighteen months, eighty million more
Now add that number up with the one I said before
You are now looking at one smart black boy
Momma ain’t raised no fool
Put me anywhere on God’s green earth
I’ll triple my worth- motherfucker…
I-Will-Not-Lose!!

I’ll sell ice in the winter, I’ll sell fire in hell
I am a hustler baby, I’ll sell water to a well
I was born to get cake, move on and switch states
Cop the Coupe with the roof gone and switch plates
Was born to dictate, never follow orders
Dickface, get your shit straight, fucka this is Big Jay
I… WILL NOT LOSE, EVER!”

“U Don’t Know”
Blueprint
Jay-Z

Now, I know there are many who disagree and point out other albums released before “Reasonable Doubt” that covered the criminal world with just as much insight and perspective…

Please share because that’s a stimulating debate that I’ll love to have.

Keep in mind: I didn’t say it was the only album that intellectualized criminality, I’m saying that, in my opinion, it was the first album I heard that really challenged my mental game in regard to the criminal underworld.

On the “Blueprint”, I think Jay gave us more insight into the drug trade, but even more noticeably, he gave us more of his personal experiences and observations when he was in the streets.

I’m going to be writing an in-depth analysis on “Can I Live” off the Reasonable Doubt album at a later date but in that song Jay tells us not to be fooled, his “game is mental”.  I think what separates albums like Reasonable Doubt and Blueprint from its contemporaries, is that the songs on both of these albums put a bright spotlight on the mental game needed to succeed in the street hustle.

In the second part of “U Don’t Know”, Jay shows us how to play the mental game in order to make the transformation that will change our life’s situations.

I have more to say (as you have probably realized if you’ve read my past writings), but let me go ahead and just jump into these lyrics so that we can do some building…

I came into this motherfucker a hundred grand strong
Nine to be exact, from grinding G-packs

Jay rhymes that he was “successful” when he came into the music game.  I think he is speaking to two audiences in this lyric.

First of all, he’s distancing himself from his peers who make claims and try to attach themselves to experiences that they’ve never had in order to create an image that they (and their record labels) believe will help them sell more CDs.

Jay states that he brings experience and real insight to the music game.  Yes, he claimed to be stable financially before the rap game, but I think more importantly, his experiences prepared him for success in the music game.

It’s the rap game is like the crack game thing…

Put this shit in motion ain’t no rewinding me back
Could make 40 off a brick but one rhyme could beat that

Jay is telling us that though he was in the drug game, he’s moving forward to bigger and better things.  We shouldn’t dwell on our past failures or success.  It’s all about moving forward not backwards. When he rhymes about putting “shit in motion”, I think he’s telling us that the hustle is a continuous grind.

You rest when you’re dead.

To all those caught up in the streets, pay close attention here:

Jay rhymes that even though he could make a significant amount of money moving kilos of coke, he could earn even more moving rhymes through music.  Once again, this statement is not just financially driven- it’s about solid judgment, making the right choices and taking advantage of greater opportunities.

If you’re in the streets doing your thing, you have to ask yourself: What is the goal of my hustle?

More on this in the next line…

And if somebody woulda told ‘em that Hov’ would sell clothing
Not in this lifetime, wasn’t in my right mind

This line in my opinion is the most important part of the song.  Why? Because it reveals how not having “the right mind” can keep you from maximizing your full potential.

Jay states that he could not have even conceived the opportunity to get into the fashion game because he wasn’t in his “right mind”.  That doesn’t mean that he was crazy, Jay is telling us that he wasn’t focused, he wasn’t open-minded to the possibilities in life.

Not being in the right frame of mind could easily apply to the period when Jay was in the streets.  In fact, Jay has talked about this in interviews.  You can be so caught up in what you’re trying to accomplish that you miss out on better opportunities.

Now, to be fair, there are some opportunities that are pretty difficult to conceive due to your physical circumstances.  But the point Jay is making is that the right mindset opens up the door to opportunity.

That’s another difference that’s between me and them
I smartened up, opened the market up
One million, two million, three million, four
In eighteen months, eighty million more
Now add that number up with the one I said before
You are now looking at one smart black boy

Jay reveals that the difference between he and others is not just his swagger, his lyrical prowess or the amount of money in his bank account- it’s his mindset.

Some many of us (myself included) are self-sabotaging are our own personal growth and development.  Jay tells us that he “smartened up”; he came to the realization of what he could accomplish if he put his mind to it.

When Jay rhymes that he “opened the market up”, first he had to broaden his horizons and by doing so he was in the right place both mentally and physically to recognize great opportunities and take advantage of them.

Once Jay took advantage of the opportunities his net worth skyrocketed to millions.

We will always limit our own potential and opportunities until we smarten up.

Momma ain’t raised no fool
Put me anywhere on God’s green earth
I’ll triple my worth, Motherfucker –
I-WILL-NOT-LOSE!

Jay shares his mother’s influence and impact on his hustle.  “Mama ain’t raised no fool” is a popular saying but its meaning is profound within the context of “U Don’t Know”. Jay is actually crediting his mother with his success (also see “Guess Who’s Back” verse 1, which I’m going to analyze soon).

Jay’s confident in his ability to “triple his worth” in any place, at any time and in any circumstance because he’s in the right frame of mind; able to recognize opportunities and take advantage of them…but his mom laid the foundation that he built his success upon.

There are people in our own lives who play a role in our success.  Seek wise and experienced people around you for guidance.

Jay has several profound sayings that I think we can all use in our own lives but the one that I like the most is:

I WILL NOT LOSE!

It’s a simple but powerful statement that demonstrates strength, confidence, determination and persistence.

The proclamation is all about- mindset.

“I Will Not Lose” is actually the title of the manuscript I wrote a couple of years ago about how to find inspiration in Jay-Z’s lyrics.

We have to be strong, confident, determined and persistent if we want to achieve sustained success in our lives.  This is something that I struggle with in my own life.  No matter how tough life gets we have to believe that- we won’t lose!

I sell ice in the winter, I sell fire in hell
I am a hustler baby, I’ll sell water to a well

Here, Jay is simply telling us that he has the confidence in his own ability to make extraordinary things happen.  Extraordinary actions are first conceived in an extraordinary mind.

I was born to get cake, move on and switch states
Cop the Coupe with the roof gone and switch plates

Jay truly believes that he was born to succeed and then he goes on to describe the lifestyle associated with his hustle.

Were you born to succeed?

Too many of are led to believe that we’re born to struggle and ultimately fail because of such factors like where we grew up or the color of our skin.

Don’t fall for that.

You can succeed regardless of your circumstances, in fact, the struggle can make you stronger and actually give you greater determination to succeed.

Was born to dictate, never follow orders
Dickface, get your shit straight, fucka this is Big Jay
I… WILL NOT LOSE, EVER!

While most listeners will zero in on words like “dickface” in this line, Jay is ending “U Don’t Know” rhyming about being a leader and independent.

How can we apply these lyrics to our lives?

The pivotal point of “U Don’t Know” is that in order to succeed you must first get your mind right.  Once you’re in the right frame of mind you’re able to focus, seize the moment and succeed.

WE  WILL  NOT  LOSE…  EVER!!

There have been at least 5 defining moments in Jay-Z’s 14-year music career:
-The release of his debut album, “Reasonable Doubt”
-The release of “Vol. 2 Hard Knock Life”
-The release of “Blueprint”
-The release of “The Black Album”
-The release of “Blueprint 3”

Here are the lyrics for this discussion:

I’m from the streets where
The ‘hood could swallow a man
Bullets’ll follow a man
There’s so much coke that you could run a slalom
And cops comb the shit top to bottom
They say that we are prone to violence
But it’s home sweet home
Where personalities clash and chrome meets chrome
The coke prices up and down like it’s Wall Street homes
But this is worse than the Dow Jones
Your brains are now blown
All over that brown Brougham
One slip you are now gone
Welcome to hell where you are welcome to sell
But when them shells come you better return ‘em
All scars we earn ‘em
All cars we learn ‘em like the back of our hand
We watch for cops hopping out the back of van
Wear a G on my chest, I don’t need Dapper Dan
This ain’t a sewn outfit homes, homes is about it
Was clapping them flamers before I became famous
For playing me y’all shall forever remain nameless
I-Am-Hov’

Sure I do, I tell you the difference between me and them
They trying to get they ones
I’m trying to get them M’s
One million, two million, three million, four
In just five years, forty million more
You are now looking at the forty million boy
I’m raping Def Jam ’til I’m the hundred million man
R., O., C.

“U Don’t Know”
The Blueprint
Jay-Z

Jay-Z officially introduced himself to the rap game on “Reasonable Doubt”.  That album, widely considered a classic, was not just a defining moment in Jay’s career, it’s also considered to be one of the most important albums apart of the movement that began in the mid 90’s; the coke rap sub-genre that Cedric Muhammad goes in-depth about in one of his latest columns.

“Vol.2 Hard Knock Life” was in my mind, Jay’s breakthrough album. He was an experienced MC in the rap game up to that point, but that album established him as a superstar.  That album had several bonafide hits and street anthems.  If you hadn’t heard of Jay by then, you did after the success of that album.

“The Black Album” was Jay’s going away party in the rap game.  The “retirement album” (how did that work out?) was Jay making the statement that he was going out on his own terms- on top.  The reception the album got showed the love and respect our generation had for the God MC from Brooklyn.

“Blueprint 3” was Jay’s “Yes, I still got it” album.  He showed that not only is he still relevant, he’s still, RIGHT NOW, one of the best MCs in the game.

Just like athletes in pro sports, most MCs “lose a step” lyrically in the rap game as they get older.  Jay’s one of the few (the very FEW) that can only hold his own with the younger MCs- he still has enough game and credibility to school them.

The “Blueprint” album was Jay at his peak; he was in a zone.  He was Michael Jordan, game 1,’92 NBA Finals dropping 35 points in the first half against the Trailblazers.

For those of us that were hungry for the “old Jay” we discovered with his debut album, “Reasonable Doubt”; Jay didn’t disappoint when Blueprint came out.  Jay gave us what we wanted but he also gave us what we needed; in taking it back, he moved us forward.

Jay was in a zone on several of the songs on Blueprint (“Never Change”, “Renegade” and “All I Need” to name a few).

But on “U Don’t Know”, Jay-Z solidified his legacy in the rap game.  I think Jay wanted to clearly show why he was at another level than the average MC (or even above average) on “U Don’t Know”.

He took us back to where it all started (the past), showed us how he got to where he was at during the time of the release of the Blueprint album (the present) and predicted (accurately, I might add) where he was going (the future).

“U Don’t Know” was THE record on the Blueprint album that I think opened (or reopened) peoples’ eyes to Jay’s genius.

Of course, I’m going to share with you how “U Don’t Know” can help you find and use YOUR genius.

Let’s do this…

I’m from the streets where
The ‘hood could swallow a man
Bullets’ll follow a man

Jay takes us into the environment where he grew up.  All poverty-stricken communities around the world share common traits; crime, violence, hopelessness and despair… and resilience.  The streets can “swallow” you whole. Yeah, we all know what the word “swallow” means, but I looked it up anyway and the meaning particularly struck me:

swallow: engulf and destroy

There is a never-ending game of high stakes on the streets where winning or losing means life or death.

There’s so much coke that you could run the slalom
And cops comb the shit top to bottom

In most ghetto ‘hoods around the world, the number one industry is the drug trade.  Drugs are a major part of the street economy.  It’s an very unfortunate fact of life.  There are more drugs in the ‘hood than often there are jobs.  Law enforcement invests a lot of time, energy and money to shut down the biggest moneymaker in the ‘hood.

Now, of course, that doesn’t tell the whole story.  Drug dealing and drug use destroys communities but the point Jay is making here… as a matter of fact, let me try to illustrate his point this way:

Imagine being a farmer and your cash crop is corn; its your moneymaker.  If production and distribution of corn is criminalized and the police are intent on raiding your farm and taking your corn, over and over again and shutting you down, then you’ll be out of business, broke and in jail.

(It’s not the best way to prove his point but I hope you get the idea…)

(Incidentally, cannabis is the U.S. top cash crop)

Anyway, essentially, crack cocaine is the ‘hood’s cash crop.  Now, I don’t mean to offend anyone with the above statement.  I’m just keeping it real. Cocaine isn’t literally grown and produced on inner-city streets but the “crop” is definitely plentiful.

Supply + Demand = Distribution, which = Money, lots of it.

The statement Jay is making is that the hood’s number one “industry” essentially puts the freedom of its most “ambitious” residents at risk.

They say that we are prone to violence
But it’s home sweet home
Where personalities clash and chrome meets chrome

In this line, Jay is stating that “we are products of our environment”.  People are “prone to violence” if they’re exposed to it. The act of violence is not innate, it’s conditioned based upon exposure.

The coke prices up and down like it’s Wall Street homes
But this is worse than the Dow Jones
Your brains are now blown
all over that brown Brougham
One slip you are now gone

The prices of the product; the cash crop, in the drug trade is as volatile as shares of stocks bought and sold on Wall Street.  Of course, the stakes are much higher in the drug trade on the ghetto streets than on Wall Street.

There’s a lot of money being made and lost on Wall Street every day but rarely will “one slip” mean double-digit years of incarceration or death, which is routinely the outcome of those involved in the drug trade.

Welcome to hell where you are welcome to sell
But when them shells come you better return ‘em

As I’ve stated before, the drug trade is a major industry in the ‘hood and that presents an almost necessary (at least in the eyes of many) opportunity to take advantage in order to get paid.

I like the imagery Jay is painting with this lyric.  He’s stating that even though the environment is besieged by pain and turmoil, an “industry” exists that produces a product for sale that gives its “salespeople” the chance to escape that very same environment and live a better life.

Of course the chance at a better life does not come without struggle and danger. In fact, it’s guaranteed that you won’t escape this environment mentally or physically unscathed.

All scars we earn ‘em, all cars we learn ‘em like the back of our hand
We watch for cops hopping out the back of van

While this lyric simply seems like just another clever line from Jay he’s actually revealing to listeners the “skills” and “instincts” experienced and successful hustlers must have in the drug trade.

Wear a G on my chest, I don’t need Dapper Dan
This ain’t a sewn outfit, homes. Homes, is about it

I don’t think Jay is literally boasting on his sense of style. Instead, I think Jay is simply using a double entendre to tell us that he hustles- with style, completely prepared, completely focused and on the top of his game.

Was clapping them flamers before I became famous
For playing me y’all shall forever remain nameless
I am Hov’

Jay is just telling us where he was in his life mentally and physically before the rap game.  Once again, think of it like this: This is the mindset and ‘skills’ Jay needed to have in order to succeed during the time that he was in the street.

Now let’s wrap these lyrics up…

Sure I do, I tell you the difference between me and them
They trying to get they ones, I’m trying to get them M’s

We’re going to dig into this point more in part 2, but this is where Jay starts to take you from where he’s been to where he’s at both mentally and in the physical sense.

Jay is differentiating himself from his foes and his critics. He’s telling us that what separates him from others is his vision and lofty ambitions.  We can look at it on a financial level but we can also look at this line as gauging the intensity level of drive and determination.

As I stated before, I’m going to go into this more in part 2, but what I call the “intensity level of drive and motivation” is the central message Jay is trying to send to listeners on “U Don’t Know”.

You can focus on the actual dollar figures but success is about more than just what’s in the bank account.

Let’s move on because the “money talk” gets clearer in the next few lines…

One million, two million, three million, four
In just five years, forty million more

Jay gives us a quick summation of the meteoric increase financially as a result of his hustle.

Where would YOU like to be in 5 years??

Now to most of us, these figures seem unreachable but the focus should not be on how many zeros Jay claims is in HIS bank account.  The focus should be on how the right mindset + the right plan + the right actions = accomplishments that are often beyond expectations.

Ok, the last line for analysis in part 1…

You are now looking at the forty million boy
I’m raping Def Jam ’til I’m the hundred million man
R., O., C.

Jay told us what his hustle generated in 5 years and in this rhyme he reveals what his future goals are.

Jay used the word “raping” in regards to his financial goals and relationship with Def Jam Records. I think Jay simply used the word to emphasize the aggressiveness of his hustle.

How can we apply this lyric to our hustle?

Well, first of all, I think we shouldn’t try to distance ourselves from our past struggles and conditions. You can run but you can’t escape your past.  Who you were has a lot to do with who you are and who you will become.

I think Jay is making some real important points to those who are in the streets AND to those who aren’t.

I think he is trying to give those caught up in the streets some perspective.  He’s rhyming about a lifestyle that they know far too well but in a way that I think can serve as stimulation for their hardened hearts and their unstable minds.

In no way am I (or Jay) defending or condoning involvement in the drug trade.  Jay is painting a vivid picture of that lifestyle and I think he reveals the power of his intellect to understand it, navigate through it, which enabled his eventual escape from it.

To those not in the streets, Jay’s lyrics in part 1 of “U Don’t Know” can impact your hustle too.

First of all, I think he’s saying, “Hey, you might be having a difficult time but you ain’t been through this shit!” But more importantly, I think the lyrics reveal that regardless of your past the time is NOW.

Any hustle of any kind requires a specific set of skills and experiences in order to have sustained success. Embrace struggle as if it is a prerequisite for success.

In part 2 I hope to show those in the streets how a change in one’s frame of mind and the courage to seize the moment can give them the key that opens the door to legitimate success with longevity.

I’m going to share with those not in the streets how to “triple your worth” by having the very same mindset and principles that Jay-Z utilized to get out of the streets.

The Blueprint 1 is my second favorite Jay-Z album (his debut album, Reasonable Doubt is my favorite). I think The Blueprint is his most soulful album. One of my favorite songs on that album is “Never Change”. In the song, Jay goes into some detail about his experiences hustling within the drug trade and reveals that even though he’s no longer in the drug trade, he’s still a hustler.
I think “Never Change” is an insightful record because it says a lot about success and how it impacts life. Change can be good and is often necessary for growth, maturity and development. But it’s also important to stay grounded, confident, yet humbled by past experiences in your life.

Here’s the lyrics from verse 1 off “Never Change” that we’re going to take a look at:

“We all fish, better teach your folk
Give him money to eat, then next week he’s broke
Cause when you sleep, he’s reachin for your throat
Word on the skreet, you reap what you sow
Not out of fear but love, love for the game
Roc family first, we never change”

“Never Change”
The Blueprint

Always be introspective in regard to your past. You are who you are because of where you’ve been and what you’ve gone through and all of that are major factors in determining where you’re going in the future.

In this lyric Jay takes a very popular saying and gives it street cred:

“We all fish, better teach your folk
Give him money to eat, then next week he’s broke”

I like when he says that “We ALL fish” because that means unity and strength. We must strive for our own personal success and well-being but if you’ve acquire knowledge, experience, insight and a network, don’t be selfish. Share what you know with who you know.

“Cause when you sleep, he’s reachin for your throat…”

When people are “hungry” (for health, wealth and knowledge) they sometimes become desperate and desperation can lead to trouble for themselves and for others around them (YOU)…

“Word on the skreet, you reap what you sow
Not out of fear but love, love for the game
Roc family first, we never change…”

In life you do reap what you sow but it’s very interesting what Jay is saying here. He’s stating that what you reap is not just YOUR time and labor but also the time and labor of those around you who have an interest in your success…

Lastly, when you share your knowledge and time with others it shouldn’t be because of fear but for the love of “the game”, the game that is life. You are impacted in a positive way when those around you share in your exuberance for life and ambition.

*Shout out to SomeCallMeaDreamer for sharing part of this rhyme here.