Jun 25, 2025 at 9:53 PM

310. Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt (1996) [June 25th, 2025]

Today marks the 29th anniversary of Jay-Z's debut record, Reasonable Doubt, My decision to listen to it today was purely coincidental, as I didn't know about the anniversary until I saw @rap on Instagram post about it while I was listening to "Dead Presidents".

I think I've made it clear that having Scarface homages automatically gives an album points right? Well Reasonable Doubt starts with a literal homage to that classic flick, and in a lot of ways, the record kind of reflects the film, even if it wasn't intentional. Just like how Tony Montana goes from a fresh off the boat, low ranking crime boss, to a drug kingpin who lives in a mansion, Jay's story in Reasonable Doubt shows the greatest rapper of all time at the beginning of his prime (Let's just ignore "Hawaiian Sophie" for now)

"Can't Knock the Hustle" is one of the most iconic intro songs in Hip-Hop. That knocking beat (get it), that Mary J. Blige hook, and Jay's coolness make for a stellar track. "Politics as Usual" is a great track as well, and it introduces one of the factors that makes RD so great: Ski. While Jay would go on to go with legendary producers later on like Kanye and Just Blaze, something about Ski's production just sounds dope as h--- man. Then we have "Brooklyn's Finest" which pairs up Hov with the legendary B.I.G., and they both absolutely k--- it.

"Dead Presidents II" and the original non-album track "Dead Presidents " are simply incredible. Something about the beat has always felt a bit sad for me for some reason. "D'Evils' pairs Hov with a legendary Premier beat, and it's GREAT. I could go on an on about the rest of the album, but I wanna focus on the closer, "Regrets". After a full album showcasing Jay's swagger and his undeniable coolness, we close the record with a song where he acknowledges that he has lots of regrets, and he also recognizes that he needs to accept them in order to succeed, It's a very honest closer for the record, and it wraps this masterpiece incredibly. I love Reasonable Doubt, and in case someone here hasn't checked it out (doubt it though), it's a must listen.

 

Jun 25, 2025 at 9:59 PM

311. Eminem - Curtain Call: The Hits (2005) [June 25th, 2025]

Talking about a greatest hits record is very strange, so I'm gonna focus on the new tracks mainly.

The intro is pretty funny, and "FACK" is....good? This kinda reflects the take I had back in the Encore review, but I've grown to enjoy Em's troll tracks, so having a greatest hit album with this, is right up my alley. Also,

Shove a gerbil in your a--- through a tube
Shove a gerbil in your a--- through a tube
Shove a gerbil in your a--- through a tube
Shove a gerbil in your a--- through a tube


"Shake That" is a great club track that will forever be tied to the 2016 Leafy intro for me (yes, i was one of THOSE kids). "When I'm Gone" is a great closer for this era of the Slim Shady character, and closing the compilation with the Elton John version of "Stan" was a very cool choice. The songs are all hits of course, but I think some of the sequencing is pretty weird. Like, why the h--- is the last "hit" song before the closer, "Just Lose It"? Still, it's an album made up of Em's biggest hits from his prime, so it was basically asking to get a good review. The same can't be said for the piece of s--- that is Curtain Call 2 though...