Six Rare Early Jay-Z Appearances
Earlier this week, the archival department over at Rap Radar unearthed some 1989 public access TV-looking footage of a pre-fame Jay-Z freestyling with his mentor The Jaz over an instrumental of E.P.M.D.'s chunk 'o funk "So What Cha Sayin'." Ever one for a sense of occasion, Jigga decided to sport a pink and white striped tracksuit for the appearance. In honor of the old man's legacy then, here's a run through some of Mr. Carter's low-key pre-fame recordings that go back nearly a decade before he dropped his "In My Lifetime" solo shot.
Fashion Killa Jay-Z
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6. "It's That Simple"
Jigga's early moves with The Jaz are often relegated to his corny cameo in the poppy "Hawaiian Sophie" (wherein he was billed as Jay-Zee), but this cut from his mentor's 1991 EP is a doozy. Prince Paul is on the production and comes through with a deliciously jangling piano sample, while for his part Jay-Z brags how "MCs are petro when Jay lets the pen flow." This was presumably before he decided to run with the schtick of not writing down his rhyming words.
5. "Good Thang (Remix)"
An early foray into the realm of R&B remix cameos, Jay snagged a guest rap on a version of crooner Glenn Jones's 1992 "Good Thang" single. Key line: Mr. Carter's description of himself as "your neighborhood Care Bear."
4. "Freestyle"
High-pitched and sounding more than a little flimsy, Jay-Z finds himself ensconced between Jaz-O and Big Daddy Kane on this vintage freestyle spar session, reputedly from some nether region of the '80s. One time Tommy Boy recording artist Fresh Gordon is the man behind the music.
See also: Decoding Jay-Z's Decoded
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