Every so often, hip hop is gifted with a landmark album that challenges the status quo and forever alters the trajectory of the art form. Rather then fall in step with the norms of the time, these albums eschew the immobilizing tendency towards stagnation and push the boundaries of what can be done within the genre. One such album that fans and critics universally regard as a genre transforming classic is Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt.
Given Jay-Z's current status as a giant of popular culture, its interesting to examine the music he released before he rose to these meteoric heights. Reasonable Doubt captures Jay-Z at an intimately raw juncture; the music exudes a brooding darkness that stands in contrast to the glossy sheen radiating from his later pop-inspired offerings. Songs such as “D'evils” and “Regrets” showcase Jay-Z poignantly ruminating on the struggles of his life in way that is far more reflective than glamorizing. In addition to the personalized tone, Reasonable Doubt also saw Jay-Z offering some of the most intricately-crafted lyrics of his career. Despite all of Jay-Z's subsequent work, which is impressive in its own right, the rhymes on Reasonable Doubt function as the crux of the argument that Jay-Z is one of hip hop's lyrical kings.
June 25th will mark the 20th anniversary of Reasonable Doubt, and in commemoration of the classic album, Jay-Z will be launching a Reasonable Doubt themed pop-up shop at Apt. 4B in Los Angeles. The space will be designed to look like Jay-Z's Brooklyn apartment in the 1990's, complete with Roc-A-Fella memorabilia and old behind-the-scenes photos. Roc-A-Fella co-founder Kareem “Biggs” Burke will host the opening of the pop-up shop on June 25th, from 12PM to 7PM. The shop will be open for 30 days, at 517 Fairfax Ave in Los Angeles.
By Ryan Donberg for RAPstation.com
