Jay-Z on Hot 97

-- live from uzbekistan

The layers. Obviously it's him comparing himself to Superman, but it works on a couple of levels:

1) He's now CEO of Def Jam records, but he's still "Superman" underneath the suit (mild mannered clark kent, etc.)

2) "Superman is alive" -- this references the Death of Superman. Jay-Z *retired* recently, but he's still the best.

I'll close-read ANY Jay-Z lyric, bitches, so don't step!

Scroll down a bit for the link. It has shitty sound though -- sounds like someone held up a tape recorder to the radio.

You plan to bang, I plan to bang too
You playin the games, I'm seein the thing through
You sayin my name to entertain ya crew
I don't play no +Games+, when shots exchange you're through
Fresh off probation I gotta charge to throw away
My lawyer say for eighty large it'll go away
And that ain't no money to Jay
So you could get it broad day on broadway while TRL's tapin'
You playin the game you know you aight gon win
Quit playin them childish games with grown men
I don't give a fuck about cars or chrome rims
I got apartments you could put your home in
Can I live?

"Do not put my verse on yall records dog"

The boy trap money like bear hunters
Dear Summer, I know yall gonna miss me
Couldn't go together like Nike Air's and Swiss T's
S. Dot's and Polo Fleece's, purple label shit with the logo secret
Gimme a couple of years shh I might just sneak in
A couple of words and like Peaches & Herb we'll be reunited and it feel so hood
Got the whole world sayin "how he still so good"
Or I do this in my slumbers Summer
I ain't none of these half-ass new comers, you know how I do Summer
I drop heat when you bring the sun up
The combo make niggas act up I pick the gun up
Niggas back up they know I ain't no fronter
I don't talk shit I just flip and "Un" ya
Sorry Lance I'm just tryna advance my quotes
I ain't makin you the butt of my jokes
Let's not stray from what I came to say
The mob'll love it, think we need some time away
They say they love it
You should let it out the cage, if not fuck it
If it comes back you should know it's there to stay
It's tuggin, at my heart but this time apart is needed
From the public, should've gave me the Pulist
But instead gave me they ass to kiss
But you know me thuggin till the casket dips
But still shine light down on all my peers
I know they weirdddd
Some queer, I still want them to share
And all the success I receive, I know you can't believe
I still love'them but they don't love me
They like the drunk uncle in ya family
Though they lame it's still the same still you love'them the same
Like when cats make subliminal records
Know they can't directly direct it at me I don't respect it
And you don't really want it with Hov for the record
I put a couple of careers on hold you could be next kid
You keep entering the danger zone
You gonna make that boy Hov put your name on a song
If you that hungry for fame cocksucker c'mon
Say when, take ten paces and spin
But on another note I'm bout to take another va-cay on another boat
Goddamn a mufucka rode his way out the hood
And I pray that I stay out for good
But any day you know a *racist slang* could try to play like he Suge
Then I gotta pull it like Dutch Schultz
You pass the Dutchy I'll blast you trust me
Niggaz can't fuck with me
I'm in a good mood yall lucky
I'm in a good groove
And I ain't tryin to mess my thing up
But I will lay down a couple green bucks, get you cleaned up
Non pulp-fiction, Cult 4-fifthin
Young niggaz that blasphemy (blast for me), no religion

I had to take off the blazer, loosen up the tie
Step inside the booth, Superman is alive

!!!!

My thoughts exactly.

Maybe he's starting to see himself as old money and showing disdain for noveau riche

Still, dope as fuck.

!!!!(in a good way)

People who freestyle say it's just something you become good at after years of practice. You make up rhymes for years and you get better and better at coming up with it on the spot. I don't think it's impossible that Jay could have made that up on the spot, since he's basically the best rapper alive. Miles Davis didn't write down his solos either.

i'm not expecting the guy to style like mikah 9 with his freestyles, but come on, name some other new york rappers who are confident enough to walk into Hot 97 and do 32+ bars off the top.

"Non pulp-fiction, Colt 4-fifthin
Young niggaz that blasphemy (blast for me), no religion"

that is actually hot as shit.