The 20 best Jay-Z songs, ranked
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There's no denying that Jay-Z has been a driving force in the cultural conversation around hip-hop over the last 20-plus years. Born Shawn Carter, he's one of the few rappers who blends top-notch lyricism and excellent production values with complex (and evolving!) subject matter. Not to mention, he's got a keen eye for talent.
As a result, selecting Jay-Z's best songs is a daunting task, so we put up some guardrails to create a list that represents the full depth and breadth of his stellar career. Only songs that are credited to Jay-Z count, so that eliminates guest appearances like "Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix)" by frequent collaborator Kanye West. We also picked at least one song from each of his 13 studio albums — otherwise, all 15 songs from The Blueprint might have landed on the list.
What Hova song will rise to the top? Check out our list to find out what made the cut.
20. "Show Me What You Got" (<i>Kingdom Come</i>, 2006)
It was hard to find a song to choose from Kingdom Come, regarded by many as Jay-Z's worst album (even by the rapper himself). But "Show Me What You Got" as the lead single is a bright spot amidst an otherwise dreary record. Built by Just Blaze using samples from Public Enemy and the Shaft in Africa soundtrack, the sprightly horns help turn this into a party jam.
You won't find too many deep thoughts here — this is Jay's comeback song from his "retirement," and he's letting everyone in town know the king is back.
19. "Anything" (<i>Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter</i>, 1999)
Following his success in sampling Annie for "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" the year before, Jay-Z again turned to Broadway, repurposing a tune from Oliver! into a sprawling 14-minute rap saga that fits nicely into his uplifting canon. He pledges his allegiance to his friends, nephews, and mother, telling her "Thanks for holding down the household when times was bad."
For years, "Anything" was only available as an imported maxi single (or weirdly, as a bonus track on Beanie Sigel's The Truth), but digital versions have updated the track list to add this sleeper.
18. "Holy Grail" (<i>Magna Carta Holy Grail</i>, 2013)
As Jay got bigger, so did the bombast around his records. His 12th LP, Magna Carta Holy Grail, can drift toward overwrought territory, with Jay-Z at times playing up his worst tendencies in beat selection and braggadocio.
However, lead single "Holy Grail" certainly captures his affinity for maximalism, what with the "Smells Like Teen Spirit" interpolation and agonizing guest vocals from Justin Timberlake It's a solid way to kick off the album and, surprisingly, it's one of Jay-Z's biggest chart hits, rising all the way to No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
17. "A Week Ago" (<i>Vol. 2 … Hard Knock Life</i>, 2009)
A Jay-Z/Too $hort pairing seemed odd at the time given that New York rappers rarely collaborated with their West Coast counterparts, especially during the height of the East-West rap feud. But the combination works wonders on this storytelling track, which finds the pair lamenting how the consequences of the drug game can derail partnerships and friendships.
The song is a not-so-subtle dis at Jay's former friend and dealer DeHaven Irby, lamenting stone cold verses — "The labeling of a snitch is a lifetime scar/You'll always be in jail, just minus the bars" — in a twinkling production.
16. "Who You Wit II" (<i>In My Lifetime, Vol. 1</i> 1997)
Originally commissioned as a soundtrack cut to the 1997 movie Sprung, "Who You Wit II" found a new life on Jay's second album with an additional verse. Producer Ski Beatz pulled an old sample from the Jeff Lorber group to give the song its groove, with beats like double dribbles and delivery dripping with attitude. Props to the music video, which not only features a player's ball concert, but also a Soul Train line and a dance fight.
15. "Murder to Excellence" (<i>Watch the Throne</i>, 2011)
The over-the-top nature of Jay and Kanye's Watch the Throne project obscured some of the great work found on the record, including this underrated track that turns a hard stare on Black-on-Black crime, poverty, and, eventually, the new Black elite. "Murder to Excellence" is also a combination of two songs with distinct samples, as producers S1 and Swizz Beatz merged their separate tracks to create this powerhouse.
14. "Roc Boys (And the Winner is…)" (<i>American Gangster</i>, 2007)
By 2007, Jay-Z was on top of the rap world, which certainly explains why "Roc Boys" sounds like a well-deserved coronation with Jay taking a kind of musical victory lap over the bouncy horns of "Make the Road by Walking" by the Menahan Street Band. "I wish for you a hundred years of success but it's my time/Cheers, toast to crime" captures the sunny side of the dope game that will turn darker later on American Gangster, foreshadowing that what comes up must come down, even for a reigning king.
13. "Run This Town" (<i>The Blueprint 3</i>, 2009)
It's hard to argue against the central logic of "Run This Town," one of Jay-Z's biggest pop hits. In 2009, you'd be hard pressed to find three musicians who were as dominant as Jay, Kanye, and Rihanna, and they're more than happy to tell you that on this cornerstone collaboration.
Jay-Z raps with a renewed energy on this song, but even the most ardent Hova supporters can admit that Kanye comes through with an all-time line here: "What you think I rap for?/To push a f----n' RAV-4?"
12. "Intro" (<i>The Dynasty</i>, 2000)
Look, if "Intro" wasn't, well, an intro, it could easily give our No. 1 pick a run for its money. The sheer elegance and eeriness of this beat — based on a sample clipped from an obscure R&B group named Kleeer — is enough to carry the song alone, and is an ample segue into his double platinum fifth studio album.
Once Jay finishes introducing the Rocafella roster, he drops some of the hardest bars of his career, referencing The Sopranos, Stevie Wonder, and Psalms. It's a near-perfect song, just one we wished had more of a life of its own.
11. "This Can't Be Life" (<i>The Dynasty</i>, 2000)
An introspective track that dwells on the hard times of his youth, Jay-Z gets an assist on "This Can't Be Life" from Beanie Sigel and Scarface, who drops a shattering verse that definitively belongs in the Guest Verse Hall of Fame.
But the most notable element of "This Can't Be Life" is that it's the first Jay-Z song produced by Kanye West, the start of a fruitful — and complicated — relationship that (sorta?) continues to this day.
10. "4:44" (<i>4:44</i>, 2017)
Jay-Z got into big trouble after his alleged dalliances came to light (Beyoncé even made an entire concept album about them on the seminal Lemonade), so the entire 4:44 record can be seen as a mea culpa with the title track as the centerpiece.
"4:44" is a heavy song: We're talking confessions of infidelity and miscarriage put front and center, a string of apologies woven between wails. It's a rarity in rap to see one of the heavyweights be so real — and that vulnerability is exactly what makes the song so powerful.
9. "Dead Presidents II" (<i>Reasonable Doubt</i>, 1996)
One of Jay-Z's earliest songs, the original version of "Dead Presidents" also came out in 1996 but never officially appeared on an album. This "sequel" uses the same beat with different lyrics, detailing Jay's quest to get as much of the titular currency as possible.
Jay asked Nas to take part in this remix, but when the fellow NYC icon refused, Hova went ahead and sampled him on the hook instead. Though never officially proven, this was the spark that fueled their years-long feud.
8. "Empire State of Mind" (<i>The Blueprint 3</i>, 2009)
This is the only solo Billboard No. 1 of Jay-Z's career, which remains surprising given his extensive discography, accolades, and influence. To this day, you can't hit any NYC sporting event or mass gathering without hearing this ode to the city, name-dropping everything from Sinatra to the Knicks.
Is it a little cheesy? Yeah. Jay delivers solid, if not spectacular lines about his hometown. But when Alicia Keys comes in with "NEW YOOOORRRK!!" you can't help but sing along.
7. "Never Change" (<i>The Blueprint</i>, 2001)
The Blueprint is the perfect distillation of Jay-Z's street-smart raps and Kanye West's soul-steeped production. "Never Change," which certainly covers familiar territory in Jay's canon, still feels like a warm blanket thanks to his confident delivery and the David Ruffin sample that anchors the track.
"I never change, I'm too stuck in my ways" may not seem like something to be proud of, but Jay is stressing that his street credentials remain despite (or in spite of) his success — and he can still make that claim in 2023.
6. "Takeover" (<i>The Blueprint</i>, 2001)
There is a long and storied history of dis tracks in rap, but very few are as harsh as this grenade lobbed at Nas by Jay-Z. Built primarily off a sample from the Doors, Jay goes scorched earth on his rival, trashing Nas' lyrics, commercial success, street cred, and anything else you can think of. He even throws some darts at Mobb Deep's Prodigy, making fun of his youth ballet career.
The two rivals would eventually make up (only after several other dis tracks were released), but "Takeover" still lingers as an example of what might happen if any rapper dares to cross Hova again.
5. "N----s in Paris" (<i>Watch the Throne</i>, 2011)
Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, Blades of Glory, Prince William, and the Brooklyn Nets all come together for a wild song that celebrates the good life and beating the odds. "You escaped what I escaped/You'd be in Paris getting f----d up too."
In what may just be one of the hookiest beats either rap master has ever conjured, Jay and Kanye's joy in performing "N----s in Paris" is palpable, often reprising the song five or more times in a row, each to rapturous enthusiasm from the crowd.
4. "99 Problems" (<i>The Black Album</i>, 2003)
Rick Rubin was one of the dominant producers of the early rap scene, but he had largely left the genre behind when Jay-Z connected with him in 2003. The result was a song that feels very much like an old-school joint, where crunchy guitars and drum samples create a cacophony of sound while the catchphrase at its center — "I've got 99 problems but a b---- ain't one" —infected popular culture for years to come.
An aside: Jay's second verse, an allegedly true tale of a traffic stop where he gets the best of a corrupt cop, has become the subject of academic study and legal writing to determine if indeed, Jay was "some type of lawyer or something?"
3. "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" (<i>Vol. 2 … Hard Knock Life</i>, 2009)
Sampling is part and parcel of the rap genre, so it takes a lot to surprise fans. But this 1998 single caught everyone off guard with its usage of the classic Annie showtune, a major departure from the usual jazz/soul/pop songs producers interpolated.
On "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)," Jay goes from, in his words, "lukewarm to hot," as the track put the rapper on the map, giving him a top 15 single, Grammy recognition, and the kind of song that everyone remembers even decades later.
2. "Big Pimpin'" (<i>Vol. 3 … Life and Times of S. Carter</i>, 1999)
At the height of the 1990s territorial rap wars, cross-geographic collaborations were rare. So when Jay-Z teamed up with Texas-born legends UGK for this song, it felt groundbreaking. And then, the beat! The sample, "Khosara Khosara" by Hossam Ramzy, was a captivating piece of music, though Jay-Z and producer Timbaland were eventually sued for using the sample.
Modern Jay-Z may cringe at the lyrical content, but this ode to the "pimpin'" lifestyle is a very effective piece of escapism — and an opportunity for many to get their first taste of one of the greatest Southern groups ever.
1. "Heart of the City (Ain't No Love)" (<i>The Blueprint</i>, 2001)
"First the Fat Boys break up, now every day I wake up/Somebody got a problem with Hov" is one hell of an opening line, and the start of Jay-Z's best song, on which he laments the haters predicting his eventual downfall.
Once again, Kanye was in his bag with the sample, a straight lift of Bobby "Blue" Bland's "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City." Jay-Z rides the beat with ease, treating his detractors as mere annoyances and proclaiming that "I told you 96 that I came to take this s--- and I did." Over 20 years later, Jay-Z still lives up to his word — and is a musical force to be reckoned with to this day.
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