For much of his career, Jay Z prided himself on making retail projects and studio albums the primary way people could consume his talents. It’s that diligence that allowed him to rap something as boastful as “Please don’t bow in my presence / How am I a legend?/ I just got ten number-one albums, maybe now eleven.” Mixtapes were never really Hov’s forte, and his radio freestyles were rare. However, when you were lucky enough to catch one, you considered yourself just that. Lucky.
We’re all lucky today, thanks to the generous hand of UK radio host Tim Westwood, who’s chosen to unarchive a never-before-seen Jay Z freestyle from his loaded vaults. The year was 2000, the year Hov teamed up with his cohorts for the release of the first Roc-A-Fella compilation album, The Dynasty Vol. 1, and after the late 90’s success he’d experienced following the release of Reasonable Doubt, Jay was understandably feeling himself.
Watch the freestyle above, and keep your fingers crossed for a new album from Hov this year.
