As most of you that follow the blog may know, once a year I go completely ape shit in the Indio Valley, in the Palm Desert California. The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, has been a yearly pilgrimage since 2007, when I saw Bjork, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Rage against the Machine headline the 3 day fest. I’ve seen Paul McCartney, Justice, Public Enemy, and even the Prince at my oasis in the desert, and except for 1 incident with the local security, here is the thread, each year has gone off without a hitch. The only thing that Coachella has left me wanting is a legitimate Hip Hop Headliner, well I will be waiting no more. To start off my list of must see Coachella bands, I’mma talk about a man who needs no introductions, one of the only Hip Hop artists that could rock an entire festival in the desert, this years Friday night headliner, Sean Carter, aka Jigga, aka the Jiggaman, aka J-Hov, aka Hova, aka the Head of the Roc Fam, aka Jay- Z.

The rest of this line-up is tight, but considering I was about to drop $100 for shit seats in the Staples center to see Jigga in March the news that he will be at Coachella is a earth shattering relief, for both me and the wallet. Considering I’ve had my Hotel and Ticket Booked since 12/15/09, I can now say forget the Staples Center I’m waitin’ for Jay in the Desert.

So in Case you have been living under a rock, that has been hidden in a cave, at the bottom of the Ocean, here is alittle on Jay-z. (I was gunna write a bio, but there are so many out there that I think a quick trip through his musical catelogue, might do this the best.)

He started as a hype man and rapper along side The Jaz, who would have thought that this quick spitter who coined the phrase.. “don’t get caught perpitratin the cool ones,” while lookin like a black Where’s Waldo would change Hip Hop forever.

More after the jump

Jay-Z’s first solo release was I Can’t Get With That, but this video didn’t really make much noise out of the NYC. (Thankfully, the Bic’d up shaved head didn’t catch on like J’s music.)

Jigga was still flowing quick like Das Efx, It wasn’t until Jigga’s first CD- Reasonable Doubt, where J hooked up with Dj Premier and one of the BIGgest MCs in the game at the time, the Notorious B.I.G.

In My Life Volume 1 garnered Jay- Z his second straight platinum release, and reached farther into the mainstream, Sean “Puffy” Combs, used his flashy production style with Jay-Z’s current underground hype. Soon the City was his…

Jay-Z continues his success breaking completely into the mainstream with Vol 2.. Hard Knock Life, the title track, that sampled the Annie anthem with the same title, helped push this cd 5X Platinum.

Vol 3… The Life and Times of Sean Carter , ended the first series of Albums from J with a bang, everyone was Bouncin’ with Jigga and UGK on Big Pimpin’

Jay had officially Take(n)Over the rap game and he was ready to let any doubters know, it was unfortunate for other NY rappers Mobb Deep (Prodigy) and the Nasty One, Nas.

In 2001 Jigga decided to show the game where he was headed with, the 3X Platinum, the Blueprint, which contained only 1 guest MC, Eminem. Like earlier in his career with Brooklyn’s Finest, Renegade highlighted two of the hottest cats in the game in a classic track.

This is not the official video

Following the Blueprint, Jay-Z’s, double disc release, The Blueprint 2 had moderate success, later being rereleased on a single disc containing only the most “popular” songs from the original double.

One such song that was cut from the rerelease was the compilation with Killer Mike and Big Boi (formally of Outkast), Poppin’ Tags.

After the Blueprint 2.1 it looked as though the world has heard the last of Jay-Z but soon after announcing his retirement from the game, Jay-z pulled a Jordan ( now known as a Favre) and returned to drop the Black Album. Producer Dangermouse (now of Gnarles Barkley fame) combined this CD with the Beatles White Album to make possibly one of the greatest mash-up EP’s ever, The Gray Album.

The Grey Album gave all hip hop a Moment of Clarity,

[Stolen straight from Wikipedia]

Jay-Z released his tenth album entitled American Gangster on November 6, 2007. After viewing the Ridley Scott film of the same name, he was heavily inspired to create a new “concept” album that depicts his experiences as a street-hustler.The album is not the film’s official soundtrack, although it was distributed by Def Jam. Jay-Z’s American Gangster depicts his life in correlation to the movie American Gangster.

One of the highlights from this CD happened when Jay and Beans got together to get ya’ll off that Ignorant Shit

Finally in 2009, Jiggaman dropped, disputably, the CD of the Year, the Blue print 3. Though no other single has surpassed the Alicia Keys “Empire State of Mind”, A Star is Born featuring J Cole shows all the changes in Hip Hop over the last 20 years and Jay’s impression of his contemporaries.

And if STILL you don’t think can headline a Festival check out his performance from Glastonbury.

and in 010 I got 99 Problems (but a bitch ain’t 1)

See you at Coachella
Peace,

NWK