Jay-Z is the second wealthiest man in hip hop, and since 1995, Hov has been bringing us quality music. With a career span lasting over 20 years, Jay-Z has seen hip hop artists come and go. He’s seen the rise and fall of artists who were supposed to be the next best thing, and he’s heard good songs and bad songs.
As co-founder of Roc-a-Fella Records, along with Dame Dash, Jay can spot talent from a mile away and knows good music when he hears it. He can see potential in an artist or producer before they make it big and knows what is authentic and what is not. Some fans are privy to what Hov thinks is hot, and some are not.
In 2015, Carter bought the technology company Aspiro and its subsidiary streaming company TIDAL. A $56.2 million investment, TIDAL was to become a new artist-owned streaming platform with exclusive content not available anywhere else. Carter’s venture was supported by artists such as Nicki Minaj, Beyoncé and others, who all became shareholders.
As well as exclusive music videos such as Nicki Minaj’s ‘Feeling Myself’ featuring Beyoncé, which, to this day, is still not available on YouTube, TIDAL subscribers get exclusive playlists curated by Jay-Z himself, and in 2019 Jay-Z curated an important playlist. Of course, hip hop fans trust Jay-Z’s taste, so when the rapper curated a playlist comprised of his favourite hip-hop and R&B songs of 2019, TIDAL subscribers were quick to see what the billionaire businessman was recommending.
Featuring songs by his wife Beyoncé and sister-in-law Solange (despite the lift incident), Hov gave TIDAL subscribers a real insight as to what kind of music he was feeling that year. Featuring artists such as Kanye West, Drake and Pusha T, Jay-Z was definitely feeling the old school. However, he also had a multitude of new school rappers on there, including, DaBaby, Lil Baby, Summer Walker, Denzel Curry, Megan Thee Stallion, and others. So Jay, like a true label head, is not asleep to the new talent in hip hop. You can see the full 40-song playlist in the list below.
Jay-Z’s favourite songs of 2019:
- ‘Intro’ – DaBaby
- ‘Heart On Ice’ – Rod Wave
- ‘Money In The Grave’ – Drake featuring Rick Ross
- ‘Perfect Ten’ – Mustard featuring Nipsey Hussle
- ‘Highest In The Room’ – Travis Scott
- ‘Dr Birds’ – Griselda
- ‘Palmolive’ – Freddie Gibbs featuring Madlib, Pusha T & Killer Mike
- ‘Almeda’ – Solange
- ‘EARFQUAKE’ – Tyler The Creator
- ‘Hot’ – Young Thug featuring Gunna
- ‘Woah’ Lil Baby
- ‘The Box’ – Roddy Ricch
- ‘BEST ON EARTH’ – Russ featuring Bia
- ‘Binz’ – Solange
- ‘Suge’ – DaBaby
- ‘Collateral Damage’ – Burna Boy
- ‘Toast’ – Koffee
- ‘Already’ – Beyoncé featuring Shatta Wale & Major Lazer
- ‘Gold Roses’ – Rick Ross featuring Drake
- ‘Lucha Bros’ – Westside Gunn featuring Curren$y and Benny the Butcher
- ‘Here Now (intro)’ – Snoh Aalegra
- ‘Playing Games’ – Summer Walker featuring Bryson Tiller
- ‘Follow God’ – Kanye West
- ‘MIDDLE CHILD’ – J. Cole
- ‘Bailin’ – Mustard featuring Roddy Ricch
- ‘Put a Date On It’ – You Gotti, Lil Baby
- ‘RICKY’ – Denzel Curry
- ‘Cash Shit’ – Megan Thee Stallion featuring DaBaby
- ‘Triggered’ – Jhene Aiko
- ‘Welcome To The Party’ – Pop Smoke
- ‘Big Drip’ – Fivio Foreign
- ‘FN’ – Lil Tjay
- ‘Pop Out’ – Polo G featuring Lil Tjay
- ‘Trap’ – SAINt JHN featuring Lil Baby
- ‘Nobody’s Favourite’ – Rick Ross featuring Gunplay
- ‘Meet Again’ – Maxo Kream
- ‘Tito’s Back’ – Conway featuring Westside Gunn & Benny The Butcher
- ‘Saw’ – Roc Marciano
- ‘Lonely’ – Youngboy Never Broke Again
- ‘Child Satish’ – Tee Grizzley
Below watch the launch of TIDAL
