During the courtship of Lebron James, the New Jersey Nets put up a larger-than-life billboard on the side of a building not far from Madison Square Garden featuring images of billionaire owner Mikhail Prokhorov and Jay-Z (part owner) with the words, “the blueprint for greatness” at the top. Lebron joined Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh on the Miami Heat. But this post ain’t about the NBA, however, the words at the top of the Nets billboard seems like a fitting title for parts I & II of this post and the hot-as-fire freestyle that Jay-Z performed back in 2006.

I don’t know if Lebron would have been the missing piece to the Nets’ blueprint for greatness in the NBA. But I do know that if you want to HEAR the blueprint for greatness, Jay-Z gave it to you 4 years ago in studios of Hot 97 in New York City.

Where were you when you first heard this freestyle?

I been crushing the buildings since Izod socks
I’m so independent, shit I might buy Koch
I might not stop, places to cop
76 floors you can call me the Doc…

Inspired by Basquiat, got my chariots of fire
Everybody took shots, hit my body up, I’m tired
Build me up, break me down, to build me up again
They like, “Hov we need you back so we can kill your ass again”
Hov got flow though he’s no Big and Pac… but he’s close

How I’m supposed to win they got me fighting ghosts…

Same sword they knight you
They gone good night you with
Shit, that’s only half if they like you
That ain’t even the half what they might do
Don’t believe me, ask Michael

See Martin, see Malcolm
See Biggie, see Pac
See success and its outcome
See Jesus, see Judas
See Ceasar, see Brutus
See success is like suicide
Suicide, it’s a suicide
If you succeed prepare to be crucified

Hmm, media meddles, niggas sue you- you settle
Every step you take they remind you, you ghetto
So it’s tough being Bobby Brown
To be Bobby then, you gotta be Bobby now
Now the question is: Is to have had and lost
Better than not having at (all)… man.

Everybody want to be the King til shots ring
You laying in the balcony with holes in your dream
Or you Malcolm X’ed out getting distracted by screams 

Everybody get your hands off my jeans!
Everybody look at you strange, say you changed- 
Uh,
Like you work that hard to stay the same- 
Uh,
Game stayed the same, the name changes
So it’s best for those to not overdose on being famous 

Most Kings get driven so insane
That they try to hit the same vein that Kurt Cobain did

New dangers
So strangers invited to the inner sanctum of your chambers, low chained them,
The enemy’s approaching so raise your draw-bridge and 
drown him in the moat
In the spirit I’m evoking Kurt with…

“Hot 97 freestyle”
Jay-Z

I remember this freestyle very well… who doesn’t, right? When I first heard this freestyle I was completely blown away. Since I’ve revisited this freestyle, listening to it several times over the last 24 hours, I gotta say…

I’m speechless!

Well, not really, I mean, I have plenty to say and plenty to write about but as you listen to this freestyle, it’s really challenging to keep up! You hear what he’s saying, but do you HEAR what’s he’s saying??

You’ll see what I mean as you continue reading…

The “problem” (and it’s a good and a necessary one) with some of Jay’s most profound lyrics is that they require the listener to THINK and some of us are “intellectually lazy” (to be kind) and don’t believe that music has any other purpose but to entertain.

Even some of us sharper cats can slip in the mental game and not get a full grasp on insights, concepts, theories, practices and systems that can be game-changing for our minds and our lives.

This freestyle was so potent (so much so, I had to break it down into 2 parts) that it was literally game changing; in rap music/Hip-Hop culture, the music industry as a whole and in the corporate world.

Could this freestyle be a game-changer (well, at least play a small role) for your hustle?

I’m about to dig into the lyrics but let me give some brief context behind the freestyle:

Jay-Z performed this freestyle live on Hot 97 in New York in late 2006 a month or so before the release of his “Kingdom Come” album. Kingdom Come was seen as his coming-out-of-retirement album. It would be his first album after the break-up of the Roc- at least the version that we all had come to know dating back to 1996.

So, basically, in 2006, 10 years after his debut album “Reasonable Doubt” came out, Jay is moving forward in his career without his partners, Dash and Biggs, and there are questions whether he can continue his success.

“Kingdom Come” was a good album, not a great one. It wasn’t one of my favorites though a few of the songs on the album (such as “Lost Ones”) are in heavy rotation within my personal collection. The album received mixed reviews but was a success.

The freestyle that he did on Hot 97 was sort of like the preliminary to the main event; the Kingdom Come album. In my opinion that freestyle is easily more profound than any song on the Kingdom Come album.

Let’s do this…

I been crushing the buildings since Izod socks

I’m so independent, shit I might buy Koch 

I might not stop, places to cop 

76 floors you can call me the Doc… 



Jay is claiming independence in this lyric. Though I already knew what the word meant, I looked the word up:

Independence: freedom from control or influence of another or others

(http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=independence)

Now I don’t know the inside details of the inner workings or Roc-a-fella Records back then or the breakup. Dash hasn’t said much and Biggs has said almost nothing. Jay himself hasn’t gone in too much depth in interviews about it, so, as fans, our best bet in learning more about the fall out is to listen for clues Jay-Z’s music.

Jay cleverly rhymes about being so independent that he might purchaseKoch, one of the biggest players in the independent record label game. When considering what was going on in Jay’s career during that time his proclamation of independence in the midst of doubts shows the intensity level of his self-determination. Having greater control over one’s destiny is empowering.

Ok, let’s keep going…

Inspired by Basquiat, got my chariots of fire 

Everybody took shots, hit my body up I’m tired 

Build me up, break me down, to build me up again 

They like, “Hov we need you back so we can kill your ass again”

Hov got flow though he’s no Big and Pac… but he’s close

How I’m supposed to win they got me fighting ghosts…

I admit, I didn’t know who Basquiat was until I looked him up. Jean-Michel Basquiat was an artist, becoming the first painter of African descent to gain popularity internationally. He started out doing graffiti and then moved on to Neo-expressionist work. His life has been the subject of films, poems, and books.

And he was from Brooklyn.

I think it’s telling that Basquiat started out doing graffiti, which is as much a part of Hip-Hop culture as MC’ing. He became an influential international star but he started out immersed in Hip-Hop culture on the streets of Brooklyn.

Sounds familiar?

Fast-forward to 2010 and it’s quite clear that Jay-Z has become the international star, born and bred in Brooklyn, that he inspired to be when he performed this freestyle on Hot 97.

When Jay rhymes about “chariots of fire” I don’t think he’s talking about the film, instead, I believe he’s referring to scripture in the Bible in which a chariot of fire appears taking the prophet Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind.

Jay states that people are taking shots at him and though he literally means through words, figuratively, he’s stating that his foes are trying to take him out in a physical sense, which supports the “chariot of fire” reference (he’s using double entendre).

Next, I think Jay is actually referring to the critics (media) and a disloyal and unappreciative public when he talks about being built up, brought down and built up again. He’s telling us that we want him “back” (remember, Kingdom Come was his “comeback” album) just so we can try to bring him down…again.

All great artists face this gift and curse. He is exalted for his talents but at the same time subjected to an intense level of scrutiny because of his talents.

Every MC who has come in the game are compared to Biggie and Tupac, two of the greatest MCs in Hip-Hop history who both were murdered within months of each other and will forever be linked due to their accomplishments and infamous beef.

Jay has certainly been compared to both of these legendary greats. In fact, it seems like he has faced resentment from some of Pac and Biggie’s most rabid fans since he rose to the top of the game just after their murders. Jay acknowledges this in his lyrics stating that there’s no way he can compete (no matter how great his lyrical prowess) with Hip-Hop’s great immortals who are beloved by millions.

Ok, let’s continue…

Same sword they knight you
They gone good night you with 

Shit, that’s only half if they like you 

That ain’t even the half what they might do

Don’t believe me, ask Michael

Here, Jay states that “they” (meaning the media and the public) will hold you in high esteem and then be the same ones who destroy your career. As bad as that sounds, Jay reveals that the final outcome could actually be much worst, citing Michael Jackson as the perfect example.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, we all know Michael Jackson. I personally believe that he was the greatest musical talent the world has ever seen. He was adored by millions all over the world and yet he was relentlessly crucified by the media up until the day he died (and ever since).

(This freestyle was 3 years before Michael’s tragic sudden death)

Let’s keep it moving…

See Martin, see Malcolm 

See Biggie, see Pac
See success and its outcome 

See Jesus, see Judas 

See Ceasar, see Brutus 

See success is like suicide 

Suicide, it’s a suicide

If you succeed prepare to be crucified 


I love this entire freestyle but this is one of my favorite parts. Here, Jay is basically displaying “exhibit A, B, C…”; giving us examples in history of great people who have been brought down in some shape or form.

Martin Luther King, Jr.: Black Christian minister who was a great civil rights leader (maybe the greatest person America has ever produced). He was assassinated.

Malcolm X: Minister with the Nation of Islam who was a great human rights activist and black nationalist leader. He was assassinated.

Notorious B.I.G.: Considered one of the greatest MCs who ever lived. Representing Brooklyn, he was given the title, “King of New York” by many during his heyday. He was murdered in early 1997 at the age of 24.

Tupac Shakur: A revolutionary MC and social activist who is widely believed to be one of the greatest of all time in Hip-Hop. He was murdered in 1996 at the age of 25.

“See success and it’s outcome”…

Jesus Christ: The son of God. The Messiah. A gift from God to the world to give salvation. He was crucified on the cross and died for the sins of mankind.

Judas: One of Jesus’ apostles. He betrayed Jesus leading to the Son of God’s arrest and crucifixion.

Julius Cesar: Arguably, the greatest dictator of Rome. He was also a great military leader. He played a critical role in the Roman Republic’s transformation into the Roman Empire. He was assassinated by his political opponents.

Marcus Junius Brutus: Considered to be a friend of Cesar, Brutus was a politician of the Roman Republic who led in the conspiracy to assassinate Julius Cesar.

A little history lesson, huh?

Anyway, Jay compares success to suicide. What’s the correlation? Jay is simply showing the relationship between construction and destruction. Another way of looking at it is that both joy and pain can be self-inflicted.

In the last line of this part of the lyric, Jay warns us that success often begets harsh criticism or worst.

Tired yet? Come on, let’s keep digging…

Hmm, media meddles, niggas sue you- you settle 

Every step you take they remind you, you ghetto 

So it’s tough being Bobby Brown 

To be Bobby then, you gotta be Bobby now 

Now the question is: Is to have had and lost

Better than not having at (all)?… man.

Jay rhymes about how the media “meddles”, intruding in on the privacy of people who live much of their lives in the public eye. He then tells us how anybody, from a nobody to a big shot, can bring frivolous lawsuits against him that he settles out of court.

I like this next part…

Jay cleverly uses the title of one of Bobby Brown’s most popular songs to show how the media and the public judge those in the public eye. He states that the media/public consistently watches a star’s every move and characterizes him based on his background.

Jay uses double entendre to make his next point. Bobby Brown has had a music career filled with highs and lows. His life has been a rollercoaster ride; success in music, bouts with drugs, scandals with women, serving jail terms, etc., all played out in the mainstream press and tabloids for the whole world to see. I’m sure that Bobby would agree that it’s tough being Bobby Brown.

I think Jay is making two points here:

On the one hand he’s saying that you are who are. You have to be who you are regardless of where life takes you and in spite of the pressures to be someone else in an effort to appease others.

But on the other hand, Jay could be telling us that even if you change (for the better) some will always see you the way you were “back then”. People will typecast you based on the past completely disregarding your evolution.

We’re heading toward the final stretch…

Everybody want to be the King til shots ring 

You laying in the balcony with holes in your dream 

Or you Malcolm X’ed out getting distracted by screams 
Like you work that hard to stay the same- 
Uh,
Game stayed the same, the name changed 


Jay references the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X to give insight on how some people seek success at the highest level but unwilling to sacrifice or take on the risks that always accompanies ambition.

Let’s close it out…

Everybody get your hands off my jeans!

Everybody look at you strange, say you changed- 
Uh,
Like you work that hard to stay the same- 
Uh,
Game stayed the same, the name changes

So it’s best for those to not overdose on being famous 
Most Kings get driven so insane 

That they try to hit the same vein that Kurt Cobain did 
New dangers
So strangers, invited to the inner sanctum of your chambers, low chained them
The enemy’s approaching so raise your drawbridge and 
drown him in the moat 

In the spirit I’m evoking Kurt with…

Jay tells everybody to stop trying to get all they can get from him. He rhymes that some who knew him before all of the success make claims that he has changed. But instead of rejecting their claims, he acknowledges that he’s worked hard and HAS changed…

Wouldn’t you?

He warns those in the game not to “overdose on being famous”. Jay reveals how some who reach the top lose their minds and souls and self-inflict pain and even total destruction on themselves (think back to the “success is like suicide” line).

The Kurt Cobain reference is certainly not used in a way to defame the legendary Grunge star but to give imagery of how success can be self-destructive.

Jay rhymes about how success breeds “new dangers” (think: “Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems). When you’re in full pursuit of success, highly motivated to get out of your current situation, you don’t think about the negative impact success could have on your life. It’s not to say that success is bad, of course it’s not. It’s just about being able to put even the good things we seek in proper perspective. Jay tells us that those new dangers could be in the form of “strangers” (those we don’t know AND those we think we know) who we let into our private places, both physically and mentally.

Jay states that you’re putting yourself at grave risk when you allow those who you don’t know and/or can’t trust to have access to your valuables (your mind, your network, your loved ones, your skills, your property, your money, etc).

Once again, here’s another brilliant double entendre:

Jay warns us that your enemies are always approaching and on the attack and that you must always be in defense mode with every intention of taking them out.

Jay evokes the spirit of the great Kurt Cobain…

Now, finally, you ask:

“How can we apply this lyric to our lives?”

As you can see, Jay says A LOT in this freestyle and you can discover the knowledge he drops just from the in-depth analysis I attempted to do line-by-line.

But I will say that I think this lyric is cautionary in nature regarding the sacrifice of greatness. This first part of the long Hot 97 freestyle is about getting your mind right in preparation of greatness.

I think Jay brilliantly puts ambition in historical context to show us that greatness has an impact that is life changing. Those who pursue greatness and achieve it will often lose it at the hands of others or due to self-inflicted wounds.

Always remember that some of the ones who lift you up will be the same ones who bring you down.

The first part of this great freestyle is focused on putting your mind to work, (“Don’t be fooled, my game is mental” Jay-Z, from the song, “Can I Live”) understanding the intricacies of greatness.

In part 2 of the freestyle, Jay shows us how to apply what we know to the hustle.

*Thanks to one of the readers, “JMobile” who sent me an email asking to me tackle this infamous freestyle Jay-Z did on Hot 97 in NYC almost 4 years ago.

Next up: “The Blueprint for Greatness” (Part 2): Mastering the art of corporate thuggin.