Classic Non-Album Cuts: Jay-Z

Whether or not Jay-Z is the greatest rapper of all time is a matter of debate (he’s certainly in the conversation), he’s undoubtedly the most successful and influential rapper in history.

What other artist has held such sway over the culture, dictating what can and can’t be worn, while also appearing on the cover of Forbes with Warren Buffett? The answer is none.

The irony is that he couldn’t get a record deal and was forced to record features with lesser acts before Reasonable Doubt. That’s all changed, however, and Jigga can pick and choose what artists he works with – and he’s worked with a lot.

He also has a large amount of compilation and soundtrack material, the earliest of which is stellar.

Time for the takeover…

Soundtracks

“Only a Customer” off the Streets is Watching soundtrack (1998)

“All of My Days” (featuring Changing Faces & R. Kelly) off the Space Jam soundtrack (1996)

“Who You Wit” off the Sprung soundtrack (1997)

“What the Game Made Me” (featuring Memphis Bleek & Sauce Money) off the I Got the Hook-Up soundtrack (1998)

“From Marcy to Hollywood” (featuring Memphis Bleek & Sauce Money) off The Players Club soundtrack (1998)

“Best of Me Part II” (featuring Mýa) off DJ Clue’s Backstage: A Hard Knock Life soundtrack (2000)

“Hey Papi” (featuring Memphis Bleek & Amil) off the Nutty Professor II: The Klumps soundtrack (2000)

“This Life Forever” off The Black Gangster soundtrack (2003)

“Brooklyn Go Hard” off the Notorious soundtrack (2008)

“100$ Bill” off The Great Gatsby soundtrack (2013)

Compilations

“Jay-Z Freestyle” off Funkmaster Flex’s The Mix Tape, Vol. II (1997)

“Celebration” [Unedited] (featuring Memphis Bleek, Sauce Money & Wais) off DJ’s Clue’s Clue for President Part 3 [New Acuziations] mixtape (1998)

“Gangsta Shit” (featuring Ja Rule) off DJ’s Clue’s The Professional (1998)

“For My Thugs” (featuring Beanie Sigel, Memphis Bleek & Amil” off Funkmaster Flex & Big Kap’s The Tunnel (1999)

“Queen Bitch Part 2 [Remix]”“Queen Bitch Part 2 [Remix]” (featuring Lil’ Kim) off DJ Clue’s Hev E. Components Part 2 (2000)

“Jay-Z Freestyle” off DJ’s Clue’s The Professional 2 (2001)

“Change the Game [Remix]” (featuring Memphis Bleek, Beanie Sigel & Tha Dogg Pound off DJ’s Clue’s The Professional 2 (2001)

“Frontin’” (featuring Pharrell) off The Neptunes Present…Clones (2003)

“H.O.V.A.” off DJ Envy’s The Desert Storm Mixtape: Blok Party, Vol. 1 (2003)

As Featured Artist

“Hawaiian Sophie” off The Jaz’s A Word to the Jaz (1989)

“The Originator” off The Jaz’s To Your Soul (1990)

“Show & Prove” off Big Daddy Kane’s Daddy’s Home (1994)

“Da Graveyard” off Big L’s Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous (1995)

“Time to Build” off Mic Geronimo’s The Natural (1995)

“So Many Ways [Extended Mix]” off The Braxtons’ “So Many Ways” single (1996)

“I’ll Be” off Foxy Brown’s Ill Na Na (1996)

“Big Momma Thang” off Lil’ Kim’s Hard Core (1996)

“I Love the Dough” off The Notorious B.I.G.’s Life After Death (1997)

“Young G’s” off Puff Daddy’s No Way Out (1997)

“Cheat on You” off Mase’s Harlem World (1997)

“Pre-Game” off Sauce Money’s Middle Finger U (1998)

“4 Alarm Blaze” off M.O.P.’s First Family 4 Life (1998)

“We Ride” off R. Kelly’s R. (1998)

“Lobster & Scrimp” off Timbaland’s Tim’s Bio: Life From Da Bassment (1998)

“Blackout” off DMX’s Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood (1998)

“Ha [Remix]” off Juvenile’s 400 Degreez (1998)

“What You Think of That” off Memphis Bleek’s Coming of Age (1999)

“It’s Murda” off Ja Rule’s Venni Vetti Vecci (1999)

“4 My Niggaz” off Lil’ Cease’s The Wonderful World of Cease A Leo (1999)

“You Know What We Bout” off Silkk The Shocker’s Made Man (1999)

“Heartbreaker” off Mariah Carey’s Rainbow (1999)

“4 da Fam” off Amil’s All Money Is Legal (2000)

“That’s Right” off Amil’s All Money Is Legal (2000)

“Get Out” off Scarface’s The Last of a Dying Breed (2000)

“Mi Amor” off Angie Martinez’s Up Close and Personal (2000)

“Mind Right [Remix]” off Memphis Bleek’s The Understanding (2000)

“Why We Die” off Busta Rhymes’s Anarchy (2000)

“Think It’s a Game” off Beanie Sigel’s The Reason (2001)

“One Minute Man [Remix]” off Missy Elliott’s Miss E…So Addictive (2001)

“Fiesta [Remix]” off R. Kelly’s Fiesta (2001)

“Let’s Go” off The Jaz & The Immobilarie Present’s Kingz County (2002)

“Welcome to New York City” off Cam’Ron’s Come Home with Me (2002)

“Guess Who’s Back” off Scarface’s The Fix (2002)

“What We Do” off Freeway’s Philadelphia Freeway (2002)

“Beware of the Boys [Mundian To Bach Ke]” off Panjabi MC’s Beware (2003)

“Crazy in Love” off Beyoncé’s Dangerously in Love (2003)

“Storm [Just Blaze Remix]” off Lenny Kravitz’s Baptism (2004)

“Dear Summer” off Memphis Bleek’s 534 (2005)

“Go Crazy” off Young Jeezy’s Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101 (2005)

“Whatchu Want [The Commission]” off The Notorious B.I.G.’s Duets: The Final Chapter (2005) [posthumous]

“Diamonds from Sierra Leone [Remix]” off Kanye West’s Late Registration (2005)

“Upgrade U” off Beyoncé’s B-Day (2006)

“Pressure” off Lupe Fiasco’s Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor (2006)

“Get Throwed” off Bun B’s Trill (2006)

“Black Republican” off Nas’s Hip Hop is Dead (2006)

“Umbrella” off Rihanna’s Good Girl Gone Bad (2007)

“Put On [Remix]” off Young Jeezy’s The Recession (2008)

“Maybach Music” off Rick Ross’s Trilla (2008)

“Swagga Like Us” off T.I.’s Paper Trail (2008)

“I Do It for Hip-Hop” off Ludacris’s Theater of the Mind (2008)

“Money Goes, Honey Stay [When the Money Goes Remix]” off Fabolous’s Loso’s Way (2009)

“Meiplé [Me I Play]” off Robin Thicke’s Sex Therapy: The Session (2009)

“Free Mason” off Rick Ross’s Teflon Don (2010)

“Monster” off Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)

“I Do” off Young Jeezy’s Thug Motivation 103: Hustlerz Ambition (2012)

“Suit & Tie” off Justin Timberlake’s The 20/20 Experience (2013)

“Pound Cake” off Drake’s Nothing Was the Same (2013)

“Drunk in Love” off Beyoncé’s Beyoncé (2013)

“Seen It All” off Jeezy’s Seen It All: The Autobiography (2014)

Randoms and Unreleased

“H.P. Gets Busy” (featuring High Potent) (1986)

“In My Lifetime” (1994)

“In My Lifetime [Remix]” (1995)

“Dead Presidents” (1995)

“Can’t Knock the Hustle [Fool’s Paradise Remix]” (featuring Meli’sa Morgan) (1996)

“Dead or Alive” (featuring Sauce Money) (1996)

“Dead or Alive II” (featuring Sauce Money) 1996)

“A Million and One Questions [Extended Remix]” (1997)

“Analyze This” (featuring Nas & Lord Tariq) (1997)

“Roc-A-Fella Shit” (featuring Sauce Money, Jaz-O, Memphis Bleek & Da Ranjhaz)

“People’s Court” (1998)

“Hey Papi” [Original] (featuring Amil)

“Supa Ugly” (2001)

“Stand Up” Freestyle (2002)

“Is That Your Bitch” [Original] (featuring Twista & Missy Elliott) (2001)

Reebok Commercial (featuring 50 Cent) (2004)

“Dead Presidents/The World Is Yours” [Live] (featuring Nas) (2004)

October 30, 2006 Live Freestyle on Hot 97 (2006)

“Dead Presidents 3” (2008)

“Syllables” (featuring Eminem, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Stat Quo & Cashis) (2010)

All entries in the Classic Non-Album Cuts series:

Christopher Pierznik’s nine books are available in paperback and Kindle. Check out more of his writing at Medium. His work has appeared on XXL, Cuepoint, Business Insider, The Cauldron, Medium, Fatherly, Hip Hop Golden Age, and many more. Subscribe to his monthly newsletter or follow him on Facebook or Twitter.