10 Things JAY-Z Did In the '90s That He Would Never Do Today

In a career spanning nearly 30 years, an artist is bound to experience periods of growth, both in their music and their personal life—at least, one would hope—and JAY-Z is certainly no exception. Bursting onto the scene in 1996 with his debut album Reasonable Doubt, JAY-Z immediately solidified himself as both one of the premier MC’s in hip-hop, and as a serious entrepreneur with Roc-A-Fella Records. Though the ‘90s served as JAY-Z’s formal introduction to mainstream hip-hop and started his incredible journey toward attaining the title of top dog in the genre, these years also saw a misstep or two from Hov.

There are a handful of moments from this era that stand out for the rapper, moments that the JAY-Z of today probably looks back on and cringes at. There was the time he did an interview with Uncle Luke next to two women having sex. Or what about the time he performed in a bulletproof vest in 1997? And who could forget about him stabbing Lance “Un” Rivera in 1999, an incident that almost landed Hov behind bars for 15 years, and could have completely changed the landscape of hip-hop as we know it? These are all moments that Jay probably wishes he could have back, but there are no mulligans in stardom.

You live and you learn, though, right? It’s clear that Jay has done just that, or at the very least buried these moments deep in the past while continuing to build his legacy. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was the aura of invincibility that currently surrounds the rapper and business mogul. Here are 10 things JAY-Z did in the ‘90s that he would never do today.