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The 11 best JAŸ-Z songs
Ahead of JAY-Z30 UK shows in September, here are the best JAŸ-Z's 11 best songs, ranked.
JAŸ-Z, Hova, Jigga – whatever you or your ‘era’ may call him, Sean Carter stands as one of the most prolific rappers of our time. Wielding his relevance and longevity across four decades, Brooklyn’s finest has spawned a prolific album trilogy (see the Blueprints), erected one of hip hop’s hallmark rap beefs, delivered a new-age joint tour (Watch The Throne) that had the world at his, and collaborator Kanye West’s feet, and has become one of the globe’s top tycoons.
Hov hasn’t just made it out of a Brooklyn project – something he proudly wears as a badge of honour to this day – he’s become an authentic, tangible cultural icon, ascending to ‘greatest of all time’ status amongst rap enthusiasts. Spinning the block on one of his most successful and fan-favourite LP’s, Reasonable Doubt, as it turns 30, JAŸ-Z has curated a boutique world tour, reclaiming the album’s glory in his hometown of New York, as well as select cities including Paris and London later this year.
Reasonable Doubt isn’t just a personal success, it’s a post-card of New York’s hip hop glory that canvassed the 1990s. An era that would see a Foxy Brown take the mic, under JAŸ-Z’s co-sign, leading the way for a new class of women in rap, a Mary J Blige seize the sub-genre of hip hop soul, hallmarking her trials and tribulations as it pertained to love and loss. Notorious B.I.G would also feature, priming a new-era of rap enthusiasts, while cautiously engaged in a regional rap spar. All parties are a firm part of Reasonable Doubt’s 1996 success, the hunger of a Foxy Brown paired with the charisma and charm of a Biggie, bound together with Mary’s infamous yearns. New York was aflame with cultural pedigree.
It’s this effortless ability to entertain, to court, excite, and ultimately enchant listeners that’s kept JAŸ-Z front of mind all these years. Reasonable Doubt serves as just one example of his prowess as a multi-faceted MC. Months before his return to British soil, Ticketmaster documents 11 of JAŸ-Z’s undeniable classics tracks across his discography.
11. ‘I’ll Be (Feat. JAŸ-Z)‘
(Ill Na Na, 1996)
One of JAŸ-Z’s first women co-signs, the Ill Na Na (Foxy Brown) skirts across JAŸ-Z’s choruses the Brooklynite cosigning her every-word and providing the perfect anchor to her grandeur. “I’ll Be” is a prime example of JAŸ-Z’s restraint also being a super-power. Sometimes his ability to simply amplify others served as a reminder of his consistent want to sit alongside other innovators – even if he’ll always boast that he’s the “greatest”.
10. ‘Big Pimpin’ (Feat. UGK)‘
(Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter, 1999)
Having grown up in and survived rap’s coastal wars, JAŸ-Z more than anyone knew the importance of regional rap. At the turn of a millennium, he decided to flex his diversity as a lyricist, conquering a southern rap production that’s since become a seismic addition to his discography. Alongside southern rap guards Pimp C and Bun B the trio prove that beyond rap borders can come the most enticing combinations. Above all JAŸ-Z’s faster flow, tighter lines and onomatopoeic intonations make for a more youthful edge to the rapper here. “It’s just that Jigga Man, Pimp-C, and B-U-N-B,” JAŸ-Z laughs across the chorus.
9. ‘Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)‘
(Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life, 1998)
Fewer tracks in JAŸ-Z’s catalogue are able to speak to the mainstream, document JAŸ-Z’s life, and intersect both film and music spheres so tastefully. ‘Hard Knock Life’s infamous Annie sample takes Hov’s competent transgressions to the next level making them that much more endearing. ‘Hard Knock Life’ garnered global attention, charming the top 10 of regions including the UK, and Germany, hinting at Hov’s all encompassing potential. A cult classic in his early catalogue.
8. ‘D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-Tune)‘
(The Blueprint 3, 2009)
Knee-deep in a global recession, the world and hip hop needed direction. 2009’s ‘Death Of Auto-Tune’ served as a bold example of JAŸ-Z’s answer to such circumstances. Always courageous in his pursuit of making a statement, Hov – by the counsel of Kanye West – removed all autotune related to the singles housing album The Blueprint 3. “This ain’t politically correct,” JAŸ-Z warns well before the one minute mark. Though auto-tune latched itself to music in the years following the critical single, it highlights the rapper’s ability to operate as an artist, interpreting the world around him on his own terms, and articulating his perspective without fear of condemnation. It separates a leader from a follower – audacity that only innovators possess.
7. ‘Girls, Girls, Girls‘
(The Blueprint, 2001)
Acting as The Blueprint’s second single, ‘Girls, Girls Girls’ is a masterclass in imaginative storytelling. Tongue-in-cheek, Hov toys with scooping girls in coupes to tying the backs of their hair, his verses garnished with anything from Deuce Bigalow to Tae Bo references, a matter-of-fact comedic edge seeped into the fabrics of the single. Peaking in the Billboard Hot 100’s top 20, it’s a strong example of playful, imaginative lyricism pairing with a soothed commercial edge.
6. ‘Run This Town (Feat. Rihanna and Kanye West)’
(The Blueprint 3, 2009)
In a way, ‘Run This Town’ serves as an unofficial posse cut, Rihanna able to straddle the roles of pop-juggernaut singer and sometimes rapper neatly across her career. At the end of the 2000s, Hov appeared with his The Blueprint III, ‘Run This Town’ serving as its second single. Apocalyptic, dark, but quickly infectious it capitalised on a then-unstoppable Kanye West, a starlet with a new edge in Rihanna and JAŸ-Z’s embrace of the next generation, still poised, in-tact, and steering a new generation. “This is Roc Nation, pledge your allegiance,” he demands. Part of JAŸ-Z’s appeal is that you believe every word, every inflection, his persuasive cadence palpable, able to hypnotise multiple clusters of rap listeners.
5. ‘Otis (Feat. Otis Redding)’
(Watch The Throne, 2011)
Like ‘Run This Town’ and many other of their other collaborations, when JAŸ-Z and Kanye decide to enter the booth together, the possibility of something great being crafted is high. On Watch The Throne both more than prove why they are multi-generational titans. ‘Otis’, which (alongside ‘H.A.M’) helped inaugurate the era is a near perfect showcase of baton-passing, Kanye and Hov almost motivating one another before the other takes over across each verse. It’s a magnetising skill that, atop, Otis Redding’s ‘Try a Little Tenderness’ makes it a modern hip hop classic, it’s already gone down as one of the genres strongest collaborative efforts, and in 2026, it still continues to inspire and captivate anyone who decides to press-play.
4. ‘‘03 Bonnie & Clyde (Feat. Beyoncé)
(The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse, 2002)
As the dawn of a millennium set in, JAŸ-Z and Beyoncé were ushered further into the spotlight, formally branding their union sonically across 2003’s ‘Bonnie & Clyde’. Firmly making it official, the pair call themselves the new Bobby and Whitney, foreshadowing their ubiquitous pop cultural dominance. The collaboration gave Beyoncé a street edge, and Hov even more mainstream might. A pairing that not only authentically jelled, but commercially took both’s careers to new heights.
3. ‘Takeover‘
(The Blueprint, 2001)
With the weight of the world on his shoulder, JAŸ-Z had to deliver on ‘Takeover’ and like a pitbull left in the heat – he did. Aggressive, almost bitter, Hov takes aim at not only Nas, but Mobb Deep Prodigy too. “I know you miss it, Nas, the (fame),” Hov hisses, utilising a David Bowie’s ‘Fame’ as he taunts his opponent. Scoffing at Nas’ Illmatic being his only classic record, he clowns Mobb Deep for ‘Shook Ones’ and their alleged lack of authenticity. Here, JAŸ-Z proves that he doesn’t run from beef, rather he revels in it.
2. ‘Brooklyn’s Finest‘
(Reasonable Doubt, 1996)
Who doesn’t like a regional rap, unapologetically cocky number? Every major city has one, but on ‘Brooklyn’s Finest’ Jigga links with the iconic Biggie to deliver an instantly smooth, sophisticatedly loud Brooklyn embrace. Biggie’s tough, ruggedly deep cadence melds with Hov’s self-assured utterances. The high-pitched piano keys add a chic thrill to the pair’s infectious verses, creating an anthem that’s stood the test of time. It would feel like a travesty not to have the late Biggie link with JAŸ-Z before his passing.
1. ‘Dead Presidents II‘
(Reasonable Doubt, 1996)
Notorious, introspective, and honest, JAŸ-Z’s debut album housed an instantly classic variation of its origin single. Here, the Brooklynite uses an analogy for money to divulge on his tribulations, his tightly packaged verses brimming with sharply succinct story-telling. “Three shots close range, never touched me, divine intervention’ he spits across his first verse. Alongside conventional braggadocio, Hov hints at his departure from street activity, perhaps predicting his eventual ascent and dominance in rap. “All the sneak thieves and player haters can shine / But until then I keep the trilliant cut diamonds shinin’ bright,” he gloats. Samples by descendants such as Ab-Soul and CyHi The Prynce, ‘Dead Presidents II’ serves as a classic rap number.
JAŸ-Z30 lands in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 4 September 2026 – find tickets
