Hov & B – Love at First Sight

Aka ‘If you like it then you’re smart you put a ring on it’

Presented in footnotes* By Chris Shaban

Part II

Yo, keeping up a weekly blog is HARD I’m sure the peeps that keep up a daily blog are LOL to that comment … I mean, if you want to toss in some content that readers may find engaging, you know, some different ish, I guess that makes it more challenging. And my friends, I wouldn’t have it any other way. That does however take us to an interesting question; what actually IS engaging material? Like what makes a person want to stop whatever it is that they’re doing to dedicate 15 minutes and read something that has nothing to do with their personal life at all This would also apply to all forms of entertainment: Music, Movies, Online, TV etc? If you ask me, its three simple things Now remember, this is just my opinion…. You are fully cool to be like ‘Yo, those are dumb ideas, guy’… I’d expect some ideas to follow that though… …First and foremost, it’s gotta be Entertaining. I mean, if you’re not providing something that is making the reader’s day better, then you might as well be the news, you know what I’m sayingUnless you’re like Stewart or Colbert who have made the news both funny and informative… Albeit, a little slanted… These are still some cool dudes. On the funny news tip, I’m also a big fan of Weekend Update on SNL ? Next it has to be Relatable. Unless it’s the rare instance when we get sensational information that is strangely interesting Like the ‘Balloon Boy’ for example…, it’s paramount that we make a connection with what’s going into our brains. It needs to be something that either takes us from where we currently are at that moment into the verbally painted world that we’re reading about At least that’s why I like it… I find it enjoyable going wherever that writer is trying to take me. Like when I read Combat Jack and he’s talking about when he was the lawyer for the Roc, I feel like the year is 1995 and I’m right in the office sitting in on their meetings . Lastly, it has to be Different Not TOO different mind you, but different than whatever else is out there. My Uncle Rick always says, “People shop similarities, but they BUY differences”…. CHURCH! …

So here we are… Welcome back to footnotes*

I know this may sound wack, but I was excited to research these Jay verses for Beyonce clues. How excited? Like the double cheese slice from Pizza Pizza can’t get from the box to my mouth fast enough excited. Jay has been on a TEAR recently boy… That American Music Award shot at 50 Cent’s first week album sales, “Men Lie, Women Lie, Numbers Don’t” took me about 3 days to get With help from the Envy interview that I saw on Sohh.com and Nahright.com . Totally just floated that jab out there knowing that the ONLY person that will totally get it immediately, was the person that it was meant for. THIS GUY IS COLD. And not that cold ‘you have no heart, you just crazy cold’ type cold, more cold like ‘man, that brother’s ice cold… he a real shrewd cat’ cold, feel me? So with that as my motivation, I put together a new Century Sam God is working on me stopping… I could just pretend I don’t partake, but it’s part of my gig to show some flaws, you know? , fired up the MP3 disc into my iTunes and ‘got to work’. Focus Shabby, did Jay give us at least 5 clues that maybe, with Beyonce; it was Love At First Sight Turns out that there are more than 5 actually, I just took my favourites. They also aren’t the MOST candid out there, but hey, if you didn’t know that this was his girl after the 5th one then you are in that big river flowing through Egypt (The Nile, or Da Nile if you’d like the joke to work) ? Just for a quick refresher, here is a repost of the ‘Rules’ that had to be followed for the lyric choices You can go back to part I for the full blown explanations as to why these are the criteria… I think we covered that pretty well there…:

1. It had to have been released NO LATER than 2003, but EXCLUDING ‘The Black Album’
2. They have to ALL be Jay-Z verses
3. He can’t say ‘Beyonce’, ‘B’ or any reference to her name cause that would take all the fun out of it!
4. Lastly, we ALL have to remember that this is Jay-Z here. This is not Ricky Rapper okay? Everything he says is the truth. There are NO wasted bars or words. Just densely layered facts told through witty punchlines and hardcore visuals. That said, you have to believe that everything he spits also has a point to it. Nothing is said just because it sounds nice together. Hova is the best because everything he says is as real as the sun… and it sounds nice together.
   

I told you dudes before; I’m not a rapper…

1. “She said you stressin’ me now, said, ‘No, No, No’, then ‘ya, ya, ya’, like she Destiny Child” – ‘Lobster & Scrimp From TImbaland’s 2nd album ‘Tim’s Bio – Life from da Bassment’ ’ (1998)

Now, to be totally clear, this was one reference that immediately jumped out at me the first time I heard it over 10 years ago. Not because I knew that Jay had a crush on Beyonce, but I was just taken back a little that he would even mention the group’s name The single was HUGE for Destiny’s Child, but it’s not like that had made a career or anything. Like, I thought, ‘if they end up flopping next album, Jay’s going to be upset that he used their name in this verse’ . But whatever… No biggie, he was just drawing from pop culture to make a clever reference about how some of the ladies get down when they around the Jigga man, right?

2. “I’m Destiny’s Child, my fates been sealed” - ‘Who Shot Ya’ Freestyle This was off DJ Clue’s ‘The Professional 2’ mixtape. It was a commercial release on Roc-A-Fella. (2000)

This whole joint is one of my favourite Jay verses of all time. Because at the time it was released, Hov was spitting some serious venom at the folks that enjoyed watching him go in and out of the precinct during the Un Rivera situation at the Kit Kat Klub Listen to the songs intro for a clearer picture on his true feelings about it. . Jay goes in on a few rappers And one in particular, which I think, was a little foreshadowing of what was to come that following year. who seem to be challenging his authority just cause he got picked up Charges don’t stick to dude, he Teflon, but AGAIN with the Destiny’s Child mention. Well, I guess it is a coincidence, I mean it was only 2 lines, and they were pretty smart, so………

footnote*: During this time Amil released her debut album on Roc-A –Fella featuring the lead single ‘I Got That’ featuring Beyonce Again, this is off the top of my head, but I’m pretty sure that was the first time I had seen B without the rest of the DC girls.

3. “I’m trying to give you cab fare and directions, get your independent ass outta here, question?” – ‘One Minute Man Jay replaces Luda on the remix of this catchy joint from Missy Elliott ’ Remix (2001)

Whoops… I mean, like WHOOPS! Okay, so NO, I don’t think Jay is trying to give Beyonce cab fare and directions, but to flip the lyrics from ‘Independent Woman (Part I)’ in that way is just so humourous Especially at a time when it would seem like they probably had started dating. Oh that Jigga . But by this time, I remember asking myself, why does he have such a hard-on Pun intended for Destiny’s Child I didn’t realize that he had already singled one of them out… ? I was like, is he planning on signing them to the ROC or…

footnote*: Jay releases the CLASSIC ‘Blueprint’ album with its lead smash single, ‘H to the Izzo’. Peep the video for the Destiny’s Child cameo where the girls are singing the chorus And catch Dame doing the double bottle, arm pump dance that he made so famous

footnote*2: You have a look at how he flipped his style a little bit during this time… I don’t know how many ‘Song Cry’, ‘Hey Papi’ ‘I got a resolution, this year I’m playin’ right, no 6:15 and (ish), you can stay the night, we can go bowling, it ain’t like before, can you see that I’m growin’, I was so immature’ – C’MON MAN… but C’MON MAN in the friendly, ‘ha, ha, ha, you in love’ way. and ‘Bitches & Sisters’ that we had heard before from the Jigga Man, but I think I remember ‘Big Pimpin’, ‘Face Off’ and ‘Money, Cash, Hoes’ as the soundtrack, no?

4. “Eyes behind shades, this necklace the reason all of my dates been blind dates, but today, I got my thoroughest girl with me.” - ‘03 Bonnie & Clyde From the Jay-Z double album, The BluePrint 2 (2002)

Well, as I referenced in Part I, hindsight is 20/20 and we know much more about these two than we did then; so don’t discount the importance of this line right here. While there are two trains of thought as to what is meant with the necklace reference The main one is obviously shedding light on the Roc chain that he wore everywhere, which forces him to keep his relationships secret due to the attention that it brings. The other was a wild rumour at the time that he had purchased the same necklace for Beyonce as he did for another sexy R&B singer out back then, Blu Cantrell. I tend to think the first one is right. , the true point behind this one little line was Jay letting the world know that he was stepping out from behind the shades for a quick second so that we could see him standing there with his ‘thoroughest girl If you’re all like, ‘that song has Beyonce on it star, what’s up with that?’, go back to Part I for the FULL BLOWN explanation for why this was allowed as evidence. And HEY, I make up the rules here… ’.

footnote*3: If there was any doubt remaining that Jay and B are an item, we learn just how outspoken the young Kanye West is about to become And in my opinion, how much Jay must respect him to let him say that. as he makes a reference to the secret relationship on his 2002 mixtape ‘Get Well Soon’. We know who ‘Matthew’s Daughter’ is playa. Speaking of Mr. Knowles, Jay had a funny little line in the 'If I Can't' remix he did with 50 Cent As promo for their 2003 Summer Tour spitting the lyrics, "Press wanna know about the daughter of Matthew (what up B)". Even Beyonce herself got in the game with the track 'Signs' off her 'Dangerously In Love' LP, saying "I was in love with a Sagittarius". Well, that fits perfectly for Mr. December 4th, doesn't it?

5. ‘Frontin’ – Pharrell Williams feat. Jay-Z From the ultra slept on ‘The Neptunes Present…. Clones’ album. Mega heaters ‘Light Your Ass on Fire’ with Busta, ‘Hot Damn’ with the whole clique, and ‘Popular Thug’ by another Hip-Hop couple, Nas & Kelis (well, at least they WERE) set the tone for a great album. (2003)

This was the official coming out party for the two of them. After this, we knew it was on. Now, he doesn’t mention his girl by name, but let’s see if you get the picture:

Every time your name was brought up
I would act all nonchalant in front of an audience
Like you was just another shortie I put the naughty on
But uh, truth be told you threw me for a loop... this Hov
I'm too old to be frontin what I'm feeling,
Denzel'n... acting like you ain't appealing when you are
Stunting like you ain't my only girl when you are
I'm ready to stop when you are

And with that, you can throw this under the tree because it is officially wrapped.

This was a great exercise for a couple of reasons. One, it finally got me to upload all my Jay-Z songs into iTunes and Two, because I feel like we may have continued on that little part we’ve been on trying to effectively blend those three simple things that I outlined in the first paragraph At least we have fun doing these… I’ll have a lot more time to get in depth in the footnotes* once the NFL season is over. Whitby Whalers 10-1 in the RFL right now. Secured a playoff spot, now it’s just about every man doing their job and focusing on the goal… The RFL Cup. . Keep hittin’ me up at footnotes@farbeyond.ca, any feedback to help make these more enjoyable is welcome with open arms. Next Friday (December 4th – Happy Bday Hov) Pete is back to break down his Cross-Canada tour with the hottest indie band on the Canadian College scene right now, The Stables. Join Pete on the road with the three of the coolest and wildest dudes that I’ve ever met (I was lucky enough to fly out to the Newfoundland gig – I woke up at 6pm the next day ‘does that count as a late check out?’)

Final footnote* – Thank you to Nielsen for finally adjusting the numbers right so Jay has his first number #1 single on the Hot 100. Do I think just because I mentioned last issue that Jay hadn’t ever had one before is the reason he does now? Yes… Yes I do I 100% don’t obviously… Not just because it’s clearly not true, but because I really can’t stand ‘Empire State of Mind’… I apologize, but I find the chorus too wordy and the primary hook of ‘NEW YORRRRRRRRRRK’ I’ve heard 800 times before and was done much better by old Blue Eyes… in my humble opinion. And, if I wanted to keep all of these Free Mason convos to a minimum, I would leave out the ‘life starts when the church ends’ part… Just a thought… …

To read part 1 click here.