OP got a classic thread without even trolling

You never heard beyond a reasonable doubt

@op is a hustler

Took a break while I move into my new apartment, but I'll start listening to Vol. 2 tomorrow. Expect a mid week thread update

Pretty cool thread

I'm starting to feel the distance now.

✨

I hit her up because I didn't want to close off communication... but she ain't really respond like that.

I've been looking at other women, to potentially date, work with, or just observe.

And I know she is too (with men). But really what I'm liking is, having my own space. Understanding myself better. Different things that I'm noticing again about me. A more firm sense of what I want.

I notice other girls would do s*** that I like about my girl. Like her empathy or the way she does her face in a certain way or whatever.

The things I love about my girl are a reflection of me, not a reflection of her. Everything about this world is a reflection of how I see it.

(Though you were so beautiful to notice, in this world speeding by me...)

🌎

And now I see more of it. More of me. I'm seeing less of her and seeing more of the inspiration that she was for in my life. Is that what she was for? Is that all it was? For her to be a springboard to lead me to achieve what's meant for me in my life?

Alone?

When I think of the life I want for myself and the life I'd want to give for her... from what I can give, of my corner of the Earth... I still see her. I still see her flourishing and happy.

And that's why delusion is quite the incredible thing. It's so selfish--wonderfully, beautifully so. To think that a man can be so powerful as to remove from himself the reality that governs us all, even just to capture, or bear still, a moment with another person.

I know it was to end but I crave her still. I have so much love to give.... I'm in tears knowing that I'll be good with or without you. You're a desire that I long for, here in my life.

🌌

...

...

...

I'm heartbroken over you, Kristen. I'm here outside now and I can't hide it.

I didn't know what this was. To name it, to identify it. I'm heartbroken over you, Kristen.

So much love and flowing from this... this heartbreak. I have so much inner strength. I have so much wisdom and understanding. I'm so in love, because the only way I can have this now, is by experiencing this heartbreak.

Time... time... time.......!!

🌌

..

..

...This world is about you, after all. Everything about your reality is a product of your goals, needs, understanding, and desire.

And your patience. And your willingness to take a path to achieve those goals. What are your true goals?

These are the thoughts I was thinking as I rode to the gym. A tear dropped down my eye, just another cutting of the leaf of delusion, one I held so close to my heart.

And that's the next song came on.

Reservoir Dogs.

We had a beautiful love.

I always thought he was wearing a leather jacket on the vol 1 cover but it appears to me now it’s a satin blazer?

Good eye. That s*** is tough

Very prophetic post

Getting older is realizing that Jay Z is goated

This thread’s convincing me to do the same

Enjoy possibly the hardest posse track ever

Yep

Thread bonus:

Down With Me, Lil Tecca

Going thru with my situationship, might have to try this

I appreciate y'alls patience, fellas.

Moved into a new place last weekend. Had the house party last weekend and it was dope. All my friends came. I sent out 9 invites, one guy said he couldn't make it, but all 8 showed up plus one more I wasn't expecting!

I'm in my own place now. It's the first time I've truly had a space to my own to think, to absorb my own energy. To be in solitude and understanding with yourself.

It took 30 years to get here.

And now I feel like I can have anything I ask God for.

I feel very peaceful inside.

Here's a Thread Bonus: the playlist I've been bumping over the last week alongside listening to Volume 2. I'll also post the playlist from the house party. I have Apply Music, Spotify, and Tidal versions of the house party playlist. It'll be Apple Music only for the Reminder playlist.

NOW OR LATER?

• Apple Music
• TIDAL
• Spotify

Reminder

• Apple Music

I'm writing the Vol. 2 review now, and I'll go ahead and move onto Vol. 3. Truth is, I really enjoyed this album, a lot more than I expected. Honestly was really just feeling it and the vibe and didn't want to rush the process of completing the review. I felt really comfortable and free with this album. There was nothing in me that wanted me to be anything but patient with absorbing the music, so I'm excited to head onto the next and listen to a lot more of Vol. 2 later.

I'll Post the Vol. 2 review in the OP, and post the previous Vol. 1 review here in the thread for archives.

Review: In My Lifetime, Vol. 1

In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 (1997)

Growing up, my first exposure to Jay-Z was The Black Album. Kingdom Come was the first album of his that I purchased. I basically went on from there and never looked back, other than to check out a few tracks from The Blueprint. I've never really heard much about the Life and Times series, so it always felt like to me that these were his least acclaimed albums, at least comparatively to the career that came after.

I checked out Reasonable Doubt, so I'm listening to his sophomore album for the first time. In My Lifetime, Vol. 1.

🎵 Track 9, "Who You Wit 2"

After I heard the album the first couple of times, I read some of the comments from this thread and the anticipation for the In My Lifetime review. I knew from there that I wasn't going to review this album as highly as some of you might expect. But alas, let's get right to it.

The first time I heard the album, I'll be honest--I wasn't fully impressed. I wasn't absorbed into the sound and music the way I was with Reasonable Doubt. With his premier album, I really felt like the lyrics and the uniqueness of his personality as a rap star stood out. Having knowledge of how his career would play out, Reasonable Doubt really felt like something that was very unique to Jay.

With his follow-up album, you immediately have a different sound, one that in my opinion is more reminiscent of the 90's. Judging by the title, Jay is wanting to give us some introspection to his life, and on this album you hear a lot more about women with tracks such as Who You Wit 2, I Know What Girls Like, (Always Be My) Sunshine, and lyrics abound that reference his relationships with women.

Some of the standout tracks for me were You Must Love Me, a great ending track (superior to Reasonable Doubt's ending track) that references the infamous incident in which he shot his brother. Really received Kingdom Come vibes from this track. Imaginary Players is also a solid track, and you have some more introspection with Lucky Me.

One thing that I wasn't as into with this album is that I feel like the beats overpower his voice and lyrics in a lot of tracks, though there are some where this isn't the case ("Imaginary Players" being an example). It was more difficult for me to really lock in on the message of a lot of this album as a result--harder for me to really focus while listening and be able to grasp the message of what I'm listening to the way I was able to on Reasonable Doubt and some of the other albums I've listened to before this review project. However, I will say that I really feel where we're starting to transition to the Jay-Z that'll give us tracks in the future such as Izzo, Hard Knock Life, Money Ain't A Thang... but we're just not there quite yet. I appreciate the development, but this album to me feels more transitional, more developmental. This was Jay's first project after Biggie died in 1997, so the guard had already begun to change during the development of this album. I think you feel the effects of that there.

Best beat on the album was I Know What Girls Like, and I also appreciated production from A Million And One Questions / Rhyme No More, and Who You Wit 2.

My favorite moment from the album is the skits from the end of (Always Be My) Sunshine and Who You Wit 2.

Some other tracks that I did appreciate from the album but didn't download to my phone are as follows: Streets Is Watching, Real N****z, The City Is Mine.

Due to this album receiving so much acclaim in some areas but not quite hitting for me the way I expected, I'll add a new clause to this review project. After every Jay-Z collab album, I'll be allowed to re-rank albums based on the information we've received up until that point. So we'll allow for a re-rank starting with 2000's The Dynasty: Roc La Familia, and then again with the 2004 album with R. Kelly, Watch The Throne in 2011, and The Carters, 2018.

ALBUM RANKING: 7/10

Tito's Track Rankings:

1. Who You Wit 2
2. A Million And One Questions / Rhyme No More
3. Imaginary Players
4. I Know What Girls Like (feat. Lil' Kim & Puff Daddy)
5. Streets Is Watching

• 7 of 14 tracks downloaded

Vol. 3 review coming up soon.

I've been finding myself going back to Vol. 1. It sounds so fye now that I've heard more work lol

Streets is Watching and Rhyme No More

Who You Wit II: One of Jay's best tracks. I wonder if there are more hidden gems I know nothing about still on the way.

I Know What Girls Like is also a really good song. And yes indeed, Vol. 1 does have an incredibly hard album cover. Jay really knew how to pose for this one, and even the Vol. 3 cover is very boastful and you can see feel it ushering in the new era of the 2000's. Amazing. Jay's stage presence on his album covers is something that isn't talked about much, but I'm glad they gave homage to it through this commercial.

Oddly enough, after this, he never graced the album cover again. Blueprint 3, Watch the Throne, Magna Carta, 4:44, The Carters, and the Jay Elec album feature covers feature no image of Jay.

I'll give Vol. 3 a few more spins but honestly the biggest effect it's had on me so far is going back to Vol. 1. This is some clean and smooth Jay.

I'm looking forward to the re-rank when we get to his first collab album, which I've never heard any songs from before. Vol. 1 will definitely get some points back. Before that, The Dynasty is next which is also an album I haven't heard much from. So I'm excited to start delving into something new.

Vol. 3 reminds me of Eminem Curtain Call a bit, as well.

I've always enjoyed Vol 3 the most out of all of em. I think it's the most underrated album in his discog

been in rotation lately

Damn, I didn't know this had a video. Great find

This song is so underrated

1 was always my favorite and I was never as crazy about 2 and 3 (still bumped them heavy)

It’s just recently that I realized how good Vol 3 is. Jay albums have a funny way of aging because this s*** has become another classic to me. There was times I didn’t like a couple of the softer more mainstream joints but as a full package what an insane album and mic performance.

S*** got gems in it that I relate to more as a grown man than I did as a kid