The first Jay-Z and Kanye West song to be a hit
Other than being Beyonce’s husband, Jay-Z is also one of the greatest rappers of this generation, even if he’s entered semi-retirement.
With very few coming close to him in his mastery of rhythmic rhyming, one would assume that finding an equally good music producer could have proven challenging. Luckily for Jay-Z, Kanye West was right at his disposal when he was cooking up the first single ‘Izzo (H.O.V.A)’ from his album, The Blueprint. Jay-Z may be a lyrical legend but no one can lay a beat down like Ye.
The track is titled after Jay-Z’s nickname, ‘Hova’, which is a shortened version of Jehova. The hip-hop world has never been known for its modesty, so it was only fitting for the rap maestro to be referred to by God’s name. The song’s lyrics, “H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A”, use the izzle language popularised in the 1990s and having a part of this lyric in the title is like an ode to the rappers that came before.
Having two powerful artists like Hov and Ye in the studio together is the ultimate recipe for a hit. It was definitely one for the charts, coming up as the first Billboard top ten song for Jay-Z. A feat that would not have been possible without the help of Ye. In return, this song put Ye on the industry map like never before.
In an interview with MTV in 2001, he seemed to be very aware of the influence that making this song with Hov was about to have on his career. He said, “Until an artist of [Jay-Z’s] caliber co-signs for you, the industry doesn’t believe in your skills. Now they know.” And he was right. Just about two years from when ‘Izzo (H.O.V.A)’ was released, Ye had his own song make the charts for the first time. ‘Slow Jamz’ even rose up to #1. It’s safe to say that Ye’s collaboration with Jay-Z laid the foundation for one of the most significant hip-hop careers in history.
After ‘Izzo (H.O.V.A)’, Jay-Z and Ye went on to have many notable songs together. It seemed like all the rap fans’ prayers were answered as the two came together to create some timeless classics for the Watch The Throne album. However, to quote Ye himself, all good things got to come to an end. The pair had a fall out after the infamous 2009 VMA’s Taylor Swift speech that was interrupted by Ye.
It’s not easy to ignore what has gone down with Ye in the last decade. From his jarring antisemitism to his sudden and unexpected support for Donald Trump’s MAGA ideology, he is far from non-controversial. In fact, some would say he is probably near the top of the list of musicians that tarnished their own legacies. Despite all this, even the biggest Kanye hater would have to be audibly challenged to deny that the man has a gift.
Today, fans still hold hope for the future possibility of a collaboration. Especially since Jay-Z was featured in Ye’s Donda. From ‘Izzo (H.O.V.A)’ to ‘Jail’, it’s evident the two together in the studio is like wine and cheese: great on their own but absolutely phenomenal when they come together.