Hey it's Hasan Minhaj, I'm here to take The Genius Test to find out how much I know
about Jay-Z
I'm a big fan of hip-hop and basketball right, so as a child of
immigrants I feel like, especially Indian kids, hip-hop and basketball are the two
things that we just are obsessed with. I don't know what it is. I think it's just
like we vicariously like being obsessed with things we can never accomplish or do.
I started listening to Jay-Z in 1998, so Volume II, Hard-knock Life that was my
entry point. So eighth grade it was my third album that I had bought. My first
two were Boys II Men and my second was LL Cool J All World.
Third, I was like here we go, Hard Knock Life. My favorite Jay-Z song of all time
would have to be Public Service Announcement. That's a great song.
Public Service Announcement is probably the best intro song ever.
Alright, favorite Jay-Z album, I think there's a Holy Trinity. You got Reasonable
Doubt, you have Black Album and you have Blueprint.
I think it's those three. Those are your three and it makes up the Roc diamond.
That's your sort of Trinity of J-Hova Witness right there.
D, UGK.
I'm not even gonna say I was like that hardcore of a hip-hop head when Big Pimpin' happened. I
was like "oh that's feat. UGK."
I'm a hustler baby, I sell water to a well.
By the way internet, comments, that was
with no music. How would I sell water to a well? I would go up to the well and
I would be like "Hey, well this is water brought to you by Virgil." and the well
would be like "Oh shit, I need that Off White H20!"
Jay-Z grew up in C, Marcy houses.
I've done a lot of comedy shows in Bed-Stuy. Brooklyn is now a bunch of just
alternative comedy shows. So when I drive around there I'm like,
"Did Jay sell crack in front of the Starbucks at Barclays? Or maybe in front of the Shake
Shack that's across the street? It's changed a lot. It's changed a lot.
He sampled Nas' voice because he was using it wrong.
He actually made it a hot line and Jay-Z made it a hot song.
You don't even to go through it. In 2006, Jay-Z came back with Kingdom Come
and it was an average album at best.
Let's keep going.
I'm gonna get this wrong. Alright
I knew that Jay-Z wrote on Chronic 2001, so we have Still D.R.E., we have
Forgot About Dre. Forgot about Dre is with Eminem.
And I don't know if Eminem wrote those lyrics. You know what. I'm gonna use just my
process of elimination skills here. Still D.R.E.
I'm so proud of myself.
You have no idea and what's crazy about Still D.R.E. is like, it's a very West
Coast record for Jay-Z a New York guy to be like, "Yeah I can I can talk about that."
Who would I choose to ghostwrite my album? So I just take the I would use the
Mount Rushmore hip hop I would take Eminem because of his lyricism. I would
take Nas, Jay-Z, Biggie for his storytelling and Tupac for his message.
In 99 Problems, he got pulled over for going 55 in a 54, which isn't even possible
There's no place that's a 54.
He would have been doing 56
in a 55 but it wouldn't have rhymed.
The last time I was pulled over is when I
lived in California. So I've lived in New York now for five years. I haven't driven
a car in five years. I was a horrible driver too, by the way. I was pulled over
like a week before I moved to New York.
Takeover was produced by Just Blaze.
What?! But I thought Kanye doesn't do diss records.
So Pusha-T and Jay those are his two diss records.
Okay so with the rap battle between Jay-Z and Nas, I personally
thought, at the time, because I was in high school, it was Ether 'cause whoever
curses the most in high school has won the argument. And then when I actually go
back and listen to it Takeover, with the real estate that it has, he goes after
everybody. He sort of finishes Mobb Deep and he's like alright now I'm done
with you guys. Lemme move on to Nas. So I actually think Takeover is a better diss
record in hindsight now, but when I was in high school you couldn't tell me, I was like, "he won."
Yeah, I think it's pretty clear. 4:44 is post- Lemonade. He's apologizing to his wife.
I love Jay-Z, but I don't care about the love lives of celebrities. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Jay if
you're watching this, I wish you nothing but the best, but let's be honest, I don't
think you care about my life right now as I live in an apartment with my wife
and 11 month-old baby.
Alright, I already know this. The album cover that doesn't include
Jay-Z's face is Blueprint 3. It's just a bunch of musical instruments on a white
backdrop.
My favorite cover, I don't know if it's objectively the best, but my favorite is
Volume II Hard Knock Life because I went into Tower Records and I convinced my
dad to buy it. And if you have immigrant parents you know that them spending $15
on a compact disc, that says parental advisory explicit content, is pretty impressive.
Can I Get A...
I knew it. I knew it.
What does that come to?
@Phillyfreeway, ten for ten.
Memphis Bleek. I'm waiting for your comment. Tata. Lenny S, talk to me. I'm available.
Do I still think I'm a Jay-Z Genius? I'm disappointed in myself I
should have gotten a 12 out of 10. It was disappointing. So I'm not a Jay-Z genius.
I got to go home and revisit my holy scriptures.