Yesterday, Jay-Z made a move to bolster his streaming catalog, moving to bring three beloved cult classics onto TIDAL for fans to enjoy. And while the trifecta isn't technically new, it does feel appropriate to shine a light onto these deep Jigga Man cuts. Especially for those who have grown accustomed to hearing him labeled a GOAT without fully comprehending the scope of what he's accomplished. Despite having no shortage of polished bangers to his name, the Sauce Money and Memphis Bleek assisted "From Marcy To Hollywood" is the epitome of raw rap music, pairing the emcees with a simple yet effective boom-bap beat.
"Old heads said I thought more like a soldier than a leader, In order to succeed I had to slow my speed up," he reflects, in his opening bars. "Didn't listen to stuff took another puff of the cheeba / They said believe us or not trust is something you earn, with every mistake you make back to us you return." It's cool to see Jay-Z speaking on his days as a hustler, without being so far removed as to feel like a "back in the day" type of reflection. For those who do have a TIDAL subscription, be sure to give "From Marcy To Hollywood" a listen, if only to experience some golden-age Jay-Z alongside two of his former collaborators, Memphis Bleek and Sauce Money.
QUOTABLE LYRICS
As a youth I used to hold the weed up
Old heads said I thought more like a soldier than a leader
In order to succeed I had to slow my speed up
Didn't listen to stuff took another puff of the cheeba
They said believe us or not trust is something you earn
With every mistake you make back to us you return