I Did It My Way

Jay-z speaks on his growing popularity at the open of "I Did It My Way"(the Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse) with "They have people, waitin at the airport like five days like I'm a Beatle or somethin" before he launches into a contemplative banger about his climb to fame. The track, backed by Paul Anka didn't warrant much thought at the time, and was dismissed as Hip-hop chauvinism. A week after the release of American Gangster, it seems that perhaps, Jay is a little more like a new age Beatle(looking past the Grey Album) than we could have ever imagined.

Jay just claimed the number one spot on the Billboard 200 list, for the 10th time in his career, ting him in second place with Elvis. Number one, with 19 number ones- Da Beatles. Now, don't get all guff, and think that I'm saying Jay is going to overshadow our beloved band, but I am saying he may quickly parallel their accomplishments. It's a dizzying thought , to consider one of our own, as in our lifetime, reaching such a historic and meaningful tier. Consider how we all muse and question how there will never be another group like the Beatles, and that their talent combined with their impact and marketability have changed how music is approached today. Lofty thoughts, ya dig? I just thought, for those who, like myself, want badly for hip-hop to have a significant and huge impact on culture globally, that this could be an exciting, as well as sobering thought. Hip-hop ain't just for the block anymore, its for the ages.