Today, June 25, 2016, is the 20th anniversary of one of the most important hip-hop records of all time: Jay Z’s Reasonable Doubt. It’s surely one of the genre’s most impressive debut albums, right up there with Illmatic and Ready to Die. What a time for New York hip-hop. The record would introduce Jay Z as an immensely skilled lyricist as well as a young hustler who was destined for stardom and boundless success. Though Hov would go on to release a handful of albums that would outsell Reasonable Doubt, many of his devoted fans still consider his debut to be the purest show of his talents. Casual heads will be well familiar with tracks like “Can’t Knock the Hustle” and “Dead Presidents II,” but on this historic anniversary, it’s time to visit the deeper cuts, namely “Cashmere Thoughts.” He was able to relay the most evocative boss visions before he had barely entered into the mainstream conversation. And all of his boasts were backed up simply by the charm and wittiness with which they were delivered. “I got the Grey Poupon, you been warned / Cause all beef return well-done, filet mignon” Cheers to one of the undisputed GOATs.
