Shots Fired? Jay-Z's Sneakiest Diss Lines
By Insanul Ahmed | May 11, 2010 | 5:59 pm | Permalink
Roughly 93.7% of rap beefs are the result of underhanded slights that go unnoticed by all but the “victim." To be honest, usually these perceived shots fired are, in fact, not shots at all, and just taken that way due to a confluence of weed-induced paranoia and artist-sized ego. But sometimes they are.
In an effort to psyche out their competitors, MCs occasionally fire stealthy lyrical bullets of ether at each other. If they’re successful, they knock their peers off their pivot, and then make them look like crazed paranoids when they respond. It’s ingenious, really. And, of course, no one is more the king of subliminal shots than Jay-Z.
So it should surprise none that rap’s master strategist recently licked off a questionable line on “Thank You” “This way after the Ruger shoots through a few clips/You can lay in your casket just as you is” begging the question of whether or not he's going at Complex cover boys Clipse, whose LP is called Til The Casket Drops.
Hov again ruffled feathers last week with his verse on one of many I Wanna Rock” remixes, saying, “It’s no Biggie, I’m the king.” But this is just the tip of the iceberg, Jay-Z's got a body of nameless slights big enough to sink the Titanic. Enjoy here as Complex has compiled, in chronological order, Jay’s most memorable sneak-disses...
suckitmarshall January 15th, 2010 at 03:42 PM
What a backhanded fucker. It's funny that all these dudes still suck him.
illwill January 15th, 2010 at 03:57 PM
Yo this article was SUPER biased. Like niggas are peons and how dare they even go at him. And for the record Jay is my favorite rapper but I couldn't even overlook this. You made it sound like all of these were knock out punches. And for the record, Mase DID respond to the Hov diss. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7a5XevpcL0 Don't get me wrong, still a good/interesting read, but yeah its almost like this thing came from Hov's PR team!
bigdickcheney January 15th, 2010 at 04:05 PM
Biased? Something on the internet is biased? Oh no!
uh January 15th, 2010 at 04:08 PM
on that dear summer/game thing, jay said he doesnt respect rappers dropping subliminals, yet complex just found over 20 subs from jay? this place is starting to look way too simple
DeShawn Stevenson January 15th, 2010 at 05:00 PM
Hov has never held himself to the same standard he demands of others
G*SWIFT January 15th, 2010 at 10:36 PM
GAYSHWAN STEVENSON UZ A DICC RIDER 4 NOT ADMITIN HOV'S 1 2 ATLEAST GAME CALLS OUT NAMES U PUNK BITCH DON'T YA MARK ASS GOTTA GAME 2DAY BITCH IT'S CRIP U HOE ASS IS A BENCH WARMER NE WAY CUZZ FUCC YA LIFE LA ALL DAY LOC !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
James Def January 16th, 2010 at 06:24 AM
Please learn how to spell; Jay-Z is a gifted lyricist who does not like to live up to what he accuses others of. Game is doing what 50 did and calling a lot of people out hoping to get smeone to bite. He wants to build his career off of beef which is asinine. His subliminal shots were cool. I bet it took the people he was talking about a cool hot second to get it. Beef amongst rappers is rediculous anyway, they just need to worry about getting that printed paper and their fam.
Screezy January 16th, 2010 at 10:24 PM
Complex fucked a lot of this shit up.. How was "tell them ordinary joes button up" a maybe.. And on kingdom come opening track the first bars were about Jim jones (your hooks did it.. Your lyrics didn't) that was when we fly high was crazy.. And a lot of this shit wasn't subliminal except that clipse shit.. Niggas who he was talkin to knew he was talkin to them directly ain't shit subliminal about that
KP January 15th, 2010 at 04:48 PM
Wow, there are several misquotes within these lyrics. If you're going to assume, at least write your quotes correctly.
Kwesi January 15th, 2010 at 04:56 PM
This is why I love Complex keep up the good work!
John Starks January 15th, 2010 at 05:15 PM
In Pump It Up Jay clearly states "I aint talking to anyone in particular"
John Starks January 15th, 2010 at 05:16 PM
*anybody
Curtis75Black January 15th, 2010 at 05:34 PM
"Niggas send it rough, I send it back the same way it came/ You ain't dissing me until you say my name Motherfucker" - Mase, Do What Playas Do" off the Violator cd. I concur 100% this article was too bias like he blazed everyone with these subliminals !! Nah, never that. All Jay had to do is say a name and it would've been on !! Trust me, he's knows this !! That's why he remains sneaky so he won't look like the bad guy when shots are fired back
stevep January 15th, 2010 at 05:36 PM
i think that "hes allright but hes not real" line was at fat joe...some of these werent very subliminal at all, i never really thought about the weezy disses, make sense tho...i dont think he dissin the clipse either cuz he go on in that verse to talk about sales and the clipse album didnt drop for like 2 mos. after jays...i think he was playin with the words tho...prolly talkin bout jimmy, game, 50 all the haters..lol
chee January 15th, 2010 at 06:20 PM
complex=the undisputed dick-riding stan