Jay Z Quotes:

“If you’re havin’ girl problems I feel bad for you son / I got 99 problems but a b***h ain’t one.”*

Jay-Z’s major influences:

Marvin Gaye (1957-1984)  – Jay-Z grew up listening to soul legends such as Gaye. Listen to the shimmering, soul-funk of Jay-Z’s The Blueprint to hear echoes of Gaye’s ambitious sprawling ballad-style.

Donny Hathaway (1945-1979) – On classic Hathaway soul tracks such as “The Ghetto” precursor’s of Jay-Z’s smooth grooves abound.

Notorious B.I.G. (1972-1997) – B.I.G.’s explicit gangsta-rap held a large sway over Jay-Z’s earlier harder-edged street style.

De La Soul (formed 1978) – Jay-Z’s eclectic tastes and wide scope owe much to the ground-breaking hip-hop trio. Listen to the jazzy vibe of Jay-Z’s “Marcy Me” alongside De La Soul’s “Eye Know.”

Puff Daddy (b 1969) – Puff Daddy’s lush, relatively more accessible style guided Jay-Z toward a slicker, radio-friendly and melodic approach.

Nas (b 1973) – “I had the Illmatic on bootleg, the s**t was so ahead, thought we was all dead,” sings Jay-Z on 2009’s “A Star Is Born” – an explicit reference to the classic Nas album.

Diana Ross (b 1944) – According to Jay Z, seeing Ross perform live at central park ranks as one of the greatest moments of his life. Jay Z name-checked Ross in his song “Intro/A Million and One Questions/Rhyme No More.”

Jay-Z Photo by Joella Marano Creative Commons 4.0

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