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Streets is Watching also launched the Roc’s association with DJ Clue, then New York’s hottest mixtape DJ. The accompanying album, Reasonable Doubt, put the label on the map and remains Jay-Z’s finest full-length. Roc-A-Fella was just another indie with a dream – and Jay-Z hadn’t yet abandoned his tongue-twisting Fu-Shnickens flow – but they were already perfecting their vision.īy the time Jay-Z’s ‘Dead Presidents’ hit the streets in 1996, that vision was a little clearer: the video budget’s on point, the clothes fit the man, and Jay’s slower flow bridged the gap between Nas’ cerebral musings and Biggie’s jiggy crime sagas. A closer look however hints at the canny aesthetic that would make Roc-A-Fella’s rap’s greatest empire in a few short years: the materialistic flash, the pop savvy R&B hook, and production balancing smooth soul and up to the minute trends in percussion in equal measure. In the video’s opening shot, a wire-thin Jay-Z dressed in shorts and a tank top looks like he’s barely eating, let alone balling. More importantly, while the era’s purists were quick to wag their fingers at what they considered commercial compromise, the label’s albums and songs have stood the test of time better than most – whether backpacker-approved or MTV-ready.Īt first glance, nothing distinguishes Jay-Z’s debut single from the glut of hardcore east coast rap flooding the streets in the mid 90s. Ultimately the label was undone by personal differences between Jay-Z and his partners and by rap’s shift southwards, but their vision of a self-owned rap empire founded on hustling still stands as one of hip-hop’s ultimate creation myths, birthing a generation of rap moguls dreaming of dead presidents. were both at large, but track for track, no one balanced quality music, commercial success and street credibility like The Roc. Even more impressively, they did it during one of rap’s most competitive eras: Ruff Ryders and Murder Inc. Before Tidal, before Blue Ivy, before Yeezus, there was Roc-A-Fella Records.įounded by Shawn ‘Jay-Z’ Carter, Kareem ‘Biggs’ Burke and Damon ‘Dame’ Dash, the New York City rap powerhouse rose to dominate post-Bad Boy East Coast rap, fueled not only by its star founder but also a bleeding edge production team, a roster of street level emcees, and rap’s best A&Rs.