D'Evils

"Throughout my junior high years it was all friendly, but now this higher learning got the Remy in me"

He has often said that he came from the school of hard knocks, so the first obvious interpretation of this lyric would be that his early introduction to the school or hard knocks was "junior high" where he didn't know much about how the streets worked. His vision was clouded by dreams and greed, both very exciting to a young hustler.

But as time went on and he lost friends or whatever, that excitement faded away and the danger got very real. To numb this pain, many street hustlers will turn to the very substance that drowned many of their clients whether it be crack or alcohol (Remy Martin)

But there is also a movie titled "Higher Learning" which is about tremendous racial strife on a college campus in the 90's. It was directed by John Singleton who was introduced to the cinematic world by his direction of "Boyz N The Hood" (another hood classic).

In this movie a young man named Remy finds himself lost on a college campus. He seemed to be "a pleasant guy all his f*ckin life" until he ran into a group of skinheads that he identified with and was thus accepted by and initiated into.

Now this higher learning got the Remy in me...

Ignorant Shit

"That's him. I'm usually what they whisper bout. Either what chick he with or his chip amount. Cause I been doin' this since chips was out. Watchin' Erik Estrada, baggin up at the Ramada, table full of powder, AC broke bout to take another shower, in my 25th hour. Spike Lees everywhere, game or the flight"

This is classic Jay. Knowing that he's under a watchful eye. People just can't seem to believe that he really has all that he has. He is the one who really started with the Cristal in the club, the sports cars, the yachts, the women, the chains, the money. He really had it and put it in his videos BEFORE anybody, period. Nowadays when you see somebody with all that in their videos it's rented.

On "A Million and One Questions" Jay-Z says from the perspective of an interviewer "Can you really match a triple platinum selling artist buck for buck by only a single going gold" Meaning did Jay really make as much money selling 500,000 singles as an artist selling 3 million albums? Yes, he did, if not more. This was due to the joint venture he set up with Def Jam.

He also says on the Go Crazy (Remix) "While Puff was in the tub spillin Mo (Moet), I was at my video, Cris (Cristal) on the speedboat. In my lifetime nigga, go do research, St. Thomas my nigga, that was me first"

But to get to the real killer in this line where he talks about Spike Lees. Spike Lee directed a film called 25th Hour about a man who is enjoying his final day of freedom before he goes to jail to serve a long term sentence for drug trafficking. Jay-Z in this quote is "baggin up at the Ramada", in other words, preparing to sell the drugs.

In addition to the movie reference, Jay is also saying that he has the best seats everywhere. On a flight, he's first class. At the game, he's courtside. There is also another person who is very famous for having good seats, particularly at Knick's basketball games. Spike Lee

Pray

"Look...mindstate of a gangster from the 40's meets the business mind of Motown's Berry Gordy. Turned crack rock into a chain of 40/40's. Sorry my jewelry's so gaudy"

It would be an understatement to say that Jay is a successful businessman. In this bragadocious statement of utmost proportions, Jay proves that not only is he the best, but he is the best at bragging.

From drug dealer beginnings to franchise owning milestones (becaues he's not close to the end) Jay has always had to come up with innovative ways to flash his success.

While on the streets, he probably donned the symbol of the era. In his hustling days the status symbol of choice no doubt was a fat gold chain. Today, if Jay had to rely on gold to signify his success, he would be draped in jewelry way beyond anything any human being should wear.

So instead, to signify his success he rocks another type of chain. A chain of successful restaurants/night clubs.

Sorry his jewelry is SO gaudy.

This Life Forever

"Over the years I seen rooks get tooken by the knight. Lose they crown for tryin to defend the queen. Check mate in four moves, the Bobby Fischer of rap with raw moves"

This line is so complex it's hard to even know where to start.

First look at the obvious. Speaking metaphorically, Jay is saying life is like a game of chess. You have to think a few moves ahead, primarily so you don't get caught too off guard by anything, especially when you're out in the streets hustling drugs.

But when you think a little bit about it, he is also saying that he has seen unsuspecting newbies (rooks/rookies) get tooken (lose their life) to the knight (night). They literally "lose their crown", get shot in the head, for "tryin to defend the queen". You could argue here that the queen could mean that these guys were protecting their girlfriends/wives (which is why most fights start, so it's somewhat logical) but if you are familiar with street terminology, you know that heroin and cocaine are referred to as girl and boy, respectively.

So one might deduce that the person who lost their crown was trying to protect their stash of cocaine because to get robbed means not only a tremendous financial loss, but also a loss of respect in the streets, which could lead to more robberies.

Jay-Z Wants to Be A Dad

Encore- "From Marcy to Madison Square, to the only thing that matters it's just a matter of years"

Freestyle- "Where as I used to have a few hos I am just, concentratin' on makin' a new Hov from sex"

That first line from Encore is very ambiguous. What is the only thing that matters? It means different things to different people. To some it means establishing a career, which he has already done. He went from the Marcy projects in Brooklyn, a severely impoverished neighborhood, to selling out the world's most famous arena, Madison Square Garden. This song was made for the Black Album which was to accompany his farewell concert at MSG, which was documented in the film "Fade To Black" (the title was in reference to his career).

To others, the only thing that matters is passing teaching the next generation how to love. Most people do this in the form of having a child and teaching it how to love and live. When you couple that thought up with the fact that he and Beyonce just got married (and Jay is getting a little older and settling down) AND the other line, it's pretty much a no-brainer.

Jay is looking to have a child. That's the only thing that matters, and it's just a matter of years. He wants to make a new Hov from sex.

Beach Chair

"Went from having shabby clothes to crossing over Abbey Road"

Jay is not only the epitome of the American dream, he is extremely adept at declaring it in different, innovative, and thought provoking ways. In the line you know he's saying he went from poor to something. Deductive reasoning would tell you he went from poor to rich, but it's deeper than that.

Jay went from the Marcy projects to a being a successful rapper. That could have been enough, but he was so successful that his "farewell" opus The Black Album was stripped of its music and blended in with another very successful album... The Beatles White Album. This was one of the most popular and controversial bootlegs of all time completed in just a few weeks by DJ Danger Mouse (of Gnarls Barkley fame).

One very famous picture of the Beatles happens to be of them crossing over Abbey Road...

PSA (Interlude) Pt 3

"Check out my swag yo, I walk like a ball player. No matter where you go, you are what you are player. And you can try to change but that's just the top layer. Man you was who you was fo' you got here"

Not to be dramatic, but this line saved my life to some extent. I don't want to get too personal on this site, but I will say that I used to drink and drug heavily, and now I don't. That's all about that. Now, a common misconception of people in my shoes is that well maybe after a few years I'll be able to drink with impunity, or if I go on vacation it doesn't really count. Obviously people don't change on fundamental levels. Not just by changing their environment anyway.

I believe Jay was talking specifically about a person leaving their neighborhood where everybody knew this person was soft because of things they had seen going to another town and acting hard. You can try to change but that's just the top layer. That top layer gets peeled away pretty easily by people that are coming from a deeper place (mentally). A place where they are truer to themselves. "Real recognize real and you looking familiar"