Artist: Jay-Z
Song: My 1st Song
Album: The Black Album (2003)
Embodying the rags-to-riches rap dream, Jay-Z pulled himself up by his bootstraps as a youth to eventually become the reigning rapper of New York City and, in turn, a major-label executive following his short-lived retirement from music-making. In the wake of his 1996 debut, Reasonable Doubt, Jay-Z's albums sold millions upon millions with each release, and his endless parade of hits made him omnipresent on urban radio and video television. He retained a strongly devoted fan base and challenged whatever rivals attempted to oust him from atop the rap game, more
If The Black Album is truly Jay-Z's last statement before retirement, he at least goes out near the top of his game. While it probably won't be remembered as his best album, The Black Album is his most personal to date and features some of his most compelling writing. Jay-Z is defiant and defensive here--he's trying to make sure his legacy is properly acknowledged, although he can get a bit heavy-handed at times. Still, he's rarely been more incisive or insightful in his rhymes, exposing his own childhood struggles on songs like "December 4th" while slapping at his haters with "What More Can I Say" and the cutting "Threat." Longtime Jay-Z collaborators Just Blaze and Kanye West churn out outstanding production, especially Blaze, whose beats for "December 4th" and "Public Service Announcement" are among the album's best. Newcomers Aqua and the Buchanans represent well also but Eminem's minor-key drone for "Moment of Clarity" is mired in mediocrity. Jay might fade to black after this one but his last shot doesn't miss. --Oliver Wang
"My 1st Song" is the last song on Jay-Z's The Black Album. In a sample of an interview with Biggie Smalls at the beginning of the song, the late rapper is heard saying he tries to "treat everything like it's [his] first project." Hence, the name of the song, which Jay-Z is apparently calling his "first song," even though it is the last song on what was to be his last album, as an allusion to what B.I.G. said in the interview.
The song describes Jay-Z growing up on the streets of
My 1st Song" - The outro track, the one that defines the whole album, well, it defined it pretty damn good. Has a fitting beat with lyrical GOLD. Has a line from Notorious B.I.G at the beginning, which fits it very well. Basically, its short but to the point. The last minute or so is just Jay yelling out shout-outs like a typical outro-style track.
[Notorious B.I.G. interview]
I'm just, tryin to stay above water y'know
Just stay busy, stay workin
Puff told me like, the key to this joint
The key to staying, on top of things
is treat everything like it's your first project, knahmsayin?
Like it's your first day like back when you was an intern
Like, that's how you try to treat things like, just stay hungry
[Verse One: Jay-Z]
Uhh, uhh, yes, yes
Y'all wanna know, why he don't stop
Y'all wanna know, why he don't flop
Let me tell you pe-eople why
Came from the bottom of the block I
When I was born, it was sworn, I was never gon' be shit
Had to pull the opposite out this bitch
Had to get my ri-ide on
Eyes on the prize, Shawn knew I had to
Had to had to get these chips
Had to make moves like Olajuwon
Started out sellin dimes and nicks
Graduated to a brick
No exaggeration, my infatuation with the strip
Legendary like a schoolboy
Crushin merely nearly every every chick
Heavy shit - that's how schoolboy got whipped
And got left on some "Just +Me, Myself and I+"
On some Trugoy shit
Had your boys threw place up, to a place of no return
Had to play with fire and get burned
Only way the boy ever gon' learn
Had to lay way in the cut, 'til I finally got my turn
Now I'm on top in the spot that I earned
[Chorus]
It's my life - it's my pain and my struggle
The song that I sing to you it's my ev-ery-thing
Treat my first like my last, and my last like my first
And my thirst is the same as - when I came
It's my joy and my tears and the laughter it brings to me
It's my ev-ery-thing
[Verse Two: Jay-Z]
Like I never rode in a limo
Like I just dropped flows to a demo
Like it's ninety-two again and
And I got O's in the rental
Back in the Stu' again, no prob' livin was a whole lot simpler
When you think back, you thought that
you would never make it this far, then you
take advantage of the luck you handed
Or the talent, you been given
Ain't no, half steppin, ain't no, no slippin
Ain't no different from a block that's hidden
Gotta get it while the getting's good
Gotta strike while the iron's hot, 'fore you stop
Then you gotta bid it, good riddance
Goodbye, this is my second major breakup
My first was, with a pager
With a hooptie, a cookpot, and the GAME
This one's with the stool, with the stage, with the fortune
Maybe not the fortune, but certainly the FAME
[Chorus]
It's my life - my pain and my struggle
The song that I sing to you it's my ev-ery-thing
Treat my first like my last, and my last like my first
And my thirst is the same as - when I came
It's my joy and my tears and my laughter it brings to me
It's my ev-ery-thing
Treat my first like my last, and my last like my first
And my thirst like the first song I sang
[Outro: Jay-Z]
Woo! It's like the blues - we gon' ride out on this one
Ta-tah, be-hah
Yo Hah, 'member you was makin them dashes
for them niggaa at radio and shit?
Clark
Carlene - who ever thought we'd make it this far homey?
Sha, they can't stop us, knahmsayin? Lenny S
Dame whattup? Robbin the bank
Niggaz thought we was crazy man, 'member uhh
You had that fucked up ass handwritin
You was writin all the numbers that we was spendin now
for the videos we was doin ourselves, whattup?
Original Flavor, your accountant was crazy wrong and shit
But we we still put it together
Bigs, whassup? 'Member we went to St. Thomas and uh
But y'all my nizzle, your dog peed on homey leg and shit
at his crib - I think that was Rudy
And they was havin a lil trouble with the pool
You and Ta-tah was laughin
Emory was there, whattup Emory? What up Ta?
Hip-Hop, whattup man?
Ay, ay Hobb, you ain't, you ain't have no uhh
You ain't have no muh'fuckin seat on your, on your bicycle
Now you uhh, the head of black music
That's what I'm talkin bout right there homey - G, whattup G?
Yessir, e'rybody in the Roc
Hey Guru, I know you spoiled man
I be takin them shits in one take
You gon' have to punch niggaz shit, STICK IT, you gon' be tight
OG One, whattup?
I'm a little upset that you wasn't involved in this whole process
But it's all good - whassup Dash?
My whole family, my nephew, cousin Angie, whassup? Te-Tee
(B, B, B, B) Mom, you made the album, how crazy is that?
Bob Allah, rest in peace
My pops, rest in peace (Sup A.J.?)
Biggie Smalls, rest in peace
Uh-uh, uh-uh, uh-uh, uh-uh
Nigga, I'm bout to go golfin man
Ay, I might even have me a cappuccino, fuck it!
I'm goin somewhere nice where no mosquitos at nigga
Holla at me - it's your boy!
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