1. 4:01 Classic DJ Premier beat, one of my favorites, mid-tempo and bound to get heads nodding. Deft lyricism, braggadocious flow.
2. 4:39 Hard knocking looped beat, gives off a pretty hardcore vibe, 90’s club music.
3. 4:04 The entire song is a metaphor comparing Jay-Z’s music to the drugs he used to sell. (he’s the “Dope Man”, his dope is his music). Rolling bass line backed by strings and sprinkled with samples from newscasts describing Jay-Z’s court case.
4. 4:52 Hectic beat, with a (kind of annoying) recorder over a busy beat that gives off an Eastern vibe. Layered female vocals during chorus. Ehhhh.
5. 4:15 Layered strings, then sparse beat drops (nothing but kick, snare, a couple claps, and a couple guitar notes). Slow track
6. 4:02 mid-tempo, low sweeping synths behind the beat, typical flow from Jay.
7. 4:14 S. Carter - Midtempo, vintage summertime feel to it, filled with chimes and scratches and female vocal in the chorus
8. 4:36 Pop 4 Roc - chopped up guitar is the backbone for this track, gives a choppy feel. Female rap verse, back-and-forth chorus..Jay-Z doesn't come in until the end. A lot of bling and bragging.
9. 4:34 (FCC? "damn") Watch Me - Dr. Dre on the chorus, over a slow, choppy beat that'll get heads nodding immediately. Foreboding strings and a distorted guitar give it a sinister vibe.
10. 4:37 Big Pimpin' - Classic. Summertime in the city. Jigga flexing as usual, with a rapid-fire delivery.
11. 3:40 - There's Been a Murder - Starts off with gunshots and sounds of pain and sirens. Somber, dark.
12. 5:48 Come and Get Me (FCC? "bastard") - minimal, nothing but a beat and weird electric guitar riff, then it builds with a clock tower bell and strings into a funky beat.
13. 4:01 Nymp - Rough guitar and a smooth beat underlying Jay's intricate delivery.
14. 10:18 Hova Song (Outro) - Grandiose outro to his outro, choir vocals behind his first verse. **Silence from 1:23-2:30** then the track moves into a southern-sounding bounce. Track switches up again at 6:16 into something more upbeat, with female vocals and a summertime vibe. Jay's flow is at it's best here.