Though Reasonable Doubt comes an undoubted second to the gritty unease of Illmatic, it remains a highpoint of Jay-Z’s considerable catalogue, its jazz-fuelled production and upbeat lyrical wit a welcome contrast to Nas’s claustrophobic urban angst. While Nas has been defined largely by his (unsurprising) inability to replicate Illmatic’s raw genius, Jay-Z, via 11 platinum-selling albums, a celebrity marriage and a Glastonbury appearance, has gone on to serve a undiluted paradigm of the genre’s defining boasts of profile and prosperity.
Since their debuts the two have traced different trajectories.
As Tupac, Snoop Dogg and Dr Dre were finding their voices on the west coast, then novices Jay-Z and Nas threw their hats into the ring, with Reasonable Doubt and Illmatic respectively, as part of a fertile New York scene led by the Notorious BIG. The two have since put their differences aside, though they might have found common ground across the early-to-mid 90s in their mutual contribution to what hindsight has recognised as a golden age for the genre. True to form, the protracted Queens-Brooklyn feud between Jay-Z and Nas at the turn of the millennium did little to disappoint, providing all the high-profile, hyperbolic slander for which the rap scene is unmatched. Jay's album Reasonable Doubt changed the game 25 years ago, and continues to influence so many of us.Hip-hop loves a rivalry. "With this NFT project, we jointly embrace the opportunity to further the conversation about how artists of different mediums contribute to a more inclusive society. "Over the years Jay has collected and supported my work and so this collaboration is particularly fulfilling," said Adams in a statement.
Sotheby's will accept cypto payment - Ether and Bitcoin - as payment for work. Emphasizing the symbolic relationship between success and a cigar, Adams makes the work come to life through animated glowing red embers and a stream of smoke that rises from the end of Jay's iconic cigar," which transforms into the number 25.īidding for the piece will start at $1,000, and it can be viewed at Sotheby's York Avenue Galleries through July 1, and virtually via Sotheby's gallery in the Voltaire Art District in Decentraland. The work is inspired by the two men's shared engagement with life in the urban streets, including the dreams and challenges associated with it. Adams has made a cinematic visual experience that channels not just the spirit and impact of the music, but also the aspirational impulses of a young musician at the dawn of his career. Roc-A-Fella Records recently convinced a New York federal judge that Jay's debut shouldn’t be sold as an NFT after the label sued its co-founder, Damon Dash, on June 18, alleging that he was trying to sell virtual ownership of the Reasonable Doubt copyrights.Ī description of the single animated digital image notes that it features Adams' "singular aesthetic style of bright colors, geometric forms, multi-layered textures, and flat surface dimensions. This marks the first NFT for both Jigga and Adams and, the release notes, it is the only officially authorized event the rapper has approved to commemorate the album's anniversary. A portion of the auction's proceeds will benefit the Shawn Carter Foundation. The piece, titled "Heir to the Throne" - the original title of the album - will be sold by auction house Sotheby's as an NFT in a single-lot auction, with bidding open Friday (June 25) and going through July 2nd here. The one-of-one digital artwork "comments on and recontextualizes the album's iconic cover," according to a release.
Jay-Z commissioned a one-of-one NFT digital animation from artist Derrick Adams to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his landmark 1996 debut Reasonable Doubt album.