What did we do before the internet? Jerk off to magazines, probably, and get a whole lot more work done. But while the internet is a great time-wasting tool and has improved the well-being of lonely teenagers, in recent years it’s also become the best way of unearthing golden rap videos. From a pre-teen Kanye West reading a poem to Eminem’s #rare found-footage of Da Hip Hop Witch, each week seems to bring another video which reminds us that time has passed, people grow old, and one day we will soon die. The latest of these comes from 45-year-old rap icon Jay Z, who was once an uniconic teenager.
In the clip above, Jay Z and fellow New York rapper Big Daddy Kane appear on BET’s Rap City. The clip’s taken from 1990, so the focus is on Big Daddy Kane—who, at the time of filming, had put out two albums and was one of the hottest rappers working. Yet Jay Z is given a chance to shine despite being almost six years away from releasing his debut album, Reasonable Doubt. It’s so early in Jigga’s career the presenter doesn’t even know his name: He simply points in Jay’s general direction and mumbles words. But when Jay spits, you know what’s up. He comes out with a flow similar to his infamous freestyle with Big L in 1995, oozing a talent that would later come to build his reputation and launch his career rapping and running a multi-million dollar empire made up of clothing brands, luxury champagne, and his own patented color. It all began here, and it is very much worth watching.
Videos by VICE
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