The 10 Worst Jay-Z Songs

Jiggaman is a legend but he's made some downright awful songs.

Not Available Lead
Image via Complex Original
Not Available Lead

After we celebrated Esco's earthday yesterday by publishing a list of The 10 Worst Nas Songs, some of you Nas Stans tried to put Complex to the test. You didn't think we'd have the balls to run a worst Jay-Z songs list. But the fact is we actually listed Jay's worst songs back in September 2009 (you can peep it in Google Cache here), but our site has been updated since then and that post got lost in the shuffle.

The truth is, we love both Jay-Z and Nas equally... enough to tell them when they suck. We recently counted down Jay's 100 best songs (just like we counted down Nas' 100 best songs, mind you) but hey, nobody's perfect.

From head-scratching pop collabos to out-of-touch concepts, Jay-Z has definitely put out some songs that were just horrible. We sifted through all the stinkers to bring you The 10 Worst Jay-Z Songs. So get your mind right and click through our picks of the most regrettable listens in Hov’s catalog.

Written by Julian Pereira (@Broadway_Jay).

10. Jay-Z f/ Drake "Off That" (2009)

Not Available Interstitial

Producer: Timbaland
Album: The Blueprint 3
Label: Roc Nation / Atlantic


Complex Says: When Jay-Z's The Blueprint III tracklist leaked, much of the hype centered around the hottest thing in hip-hop, Drake, being featured on “Off That.” Fans anticipated a showdown between the proven vet and the youngest in charge, but instead they were let down with a throwaway hook and no Drake verse.

The song is a poorly executed version of “On To The Next One,” a much more effective Blueprint III track. Both songs hinge on the same subject, but one was a massive hit and the other, not so much.

Jay also turned fans off by blatantly denouncing trends he disapproved of. Telling people not to wear Timbs seemed a little condescending. But going back on your word and rocking Timbs while performing at the World Series a short while later? That just made the entire song look foolish.

9. Jay-Z f/ Blackstreet "City Is Mine" (1997)

Not Available Interstitial

Producer: Teddy Riley, Chad Hugo
Album: In My Lifetime, Vol. 1
Label: Roc-A-Fella / Def Jam


Complex Says: After his partner in rhyme The Notorious B.I.G. was gunned down, Jay-Z made it clear that he was coming for Biggie's spot as the new King of New York. But his sophomore discIn My Lifetime Vol. 1 underwhelmed, and the album's single “City Is Mine” was particularly unconvincing.

Besides the generic beat, Jay struggles to establish his identity on the song. He seems unsure of whether he wants to be the flashy cool-guy or the lyrical street rapper with mob-like mannerisms. That misstep is only exacerbated by Blackstreet's flatly sung chorus from Glenn Frey's "You Belong To The City." What should have been a powerful hook sounded corny, leaving us wondering, why exactly is Jay-Z the man of the night?

8. Jay-Z "Justify My Thug" (2003)

Not Available Interstitial

7. Jay-Z f/ Mariah Carey "Things That You Do" (1999)

Not Available Interstitial

Producer: Swizz Beatz
Album: Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter
Label: Roc-A-Fella / Def Jam


Complex Says: Jay-Z's growth from the beginning of his career through his fourth album was most evident in how he attacked the commercial market. He never had much trouble gaining the respect of hip-hop heads, but sometimes stumbled when reaching for commercial success.

By 1998, Jay had two successful cross-over singles in “Hard Knock Life” and “Can I Get A.” With his buzz louder than it had ever been, Jay once again took his chances writing for radio.

The result was "Things That You Do"—a song that felt over-the-top and contrived. Instead of playing to his strengths, Jay was serving dumbed-down lyrics and a pop-star hook. We weren't the only ones disappointed with this lackluster cut. In 2009, he admitted in an XXL interview that the song wasn't up to par.

6. Jay-Z "Ghetto Techno" (2009)

Not Available Interstitial

Producer: Timbaland
Album: Unreleased
Label: N/A


Complex Says: If you thought Timbo's songs on The Blueprint III were bad, imagine how awful the songs that didn't make the album were. A batch of Timbaland-produced songs from The Blueprint III leaked in August 2009 and fans were largely disappointed in the quality of the tracks. But “Ghetto Techno” is especially bad and it's a perfect example of Jay-Z falling victim to his own ambition.

The chorus was intended to be catchy and energetic, instead it came off obnoxious and tiresome. Jay raps out of character about fraternizing with white girls and drinking massive amounts of shots, all the while abandoning his laid-back persona and struggling to muster up extra energy. Jay exercised good judgment in deep-sixing this cut, unfortunately he probably should have burned the tapes too.

5. Jay-Z f/ Beyonce "'03 Bonnie & Clyde" (2002)

Not Available Interstitial

Producer: Kanye West
Album: The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse
Label: Roc-A-Fella / Def Jam


Complex Says: Jay and Beyoncé's working relationship has spawned some great records but “03 Bonnie And Clyde” is not one of them. The track is the culmination of several bad decisions, the most egregious offense being the fact that the song is an inferior remake of 2Pac's classic, “Me And My Girlfriend.” Where Pac's song was a metaphor for his relationship with his gun—an idea that Jay paid proper homage to on the second verse of "All I Need"—the '03 version was a dedication to his actual girlfriend—who just happened to be singing the hook!

Opting for braggadocio over grittiness and flaunting their relationship on the track was unnecessary, especially because the pair would never admit they were dating. But nothing was worse than the Latin-flavored strings orvideo depicting them as fugitives on the run. Really?

4. Jay-Z f/ Lil Wayne "Hello Brooklyn 2.0" (2009)

Not Available Interstitial

Producer: Bigg D
Album: American Gangster
Label: Roc-A-Fella / Def Jam


Complex Says: How excited where you when you heard Jigga and Weezy where gonna get on the same track together for the first time? Actually, don't answer that. How disappointed where you when you first heard "Hello Brooklyn 2.0"? This remake of the Beastie Boys cut of the same name definitely didn't do the original justice.

There were a number of bizarre problems with "HB 2.0." For one, Lil Wayne wasn't even from Brooklyn. Plus it was an '80s-themed song which made it completely out of place on the '70s-themed concept album, American Gangster. And unlike the rest of American Gangster, it didn't follow the storyline of getting into the drug game. Top all that off with Hov and Weezy's lackluster verses and you'll see why this song is so damn awful. We're thinking Wayne and Jay are better off as enemies than friends.

3. Jay-Z "Reminder" (2009)

Not Available Interstitial

Producer: Timbaland
Album: The Blueprint 3
Label: Roc Nation / Atlantic


Complex Says: Revealing a disgusting sense of entitlement, “Reminder” was all about Jay boasting—and hoping we'd forgotten about his post-retirement setbacks. Easily the low point of The Blueprint III, the song found Jay resting on his laurels not just because he could, but because he had to. And the lazy chorus only reminds us of how much we hate this song.

It was obvious that by 2009, the magical chemistry between Jay and Timbaland that birthed hits like “Big Pimpin'” and “Dirt Off Your Shoulder” was long gone. Jay later admitted he would've taken this song off the album but we think we know why; three terrible Timbo cuts made it through. On a TBP3 outtake, "Ain't I," he raps about paying $250,000 for a Timbaland beat. Talk about a bad investment.

2. Jay-Z f/ Beyoncé "Hollywood" (2006)

Not Available Interstitial

Producer: Syience
Album: Kingdom Come
Label: Roc-A-Fella / Def Jam


Complex says: Three years after the “'03 Bonnie And Clyde” debacle, “Hollywood” was the second time this power couple would drop the ball. With its camera-flashing sounds and pompous portrayal of the glamorous life, this song lacked humility and purpose. That sense of aimlessness was only outdone by a truly repulsive chorus.

The most embarrassing part of the song was that Beyoncé actually outshines Jay on this track. "Hollywood" sounds much more like a Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z song than the other way around. Guess Em's not the only one who can murder Jay on his own shit.

1. Jay-Z f/ Puff Daddy & Lil Kim "I Know What Girls Like" (1997)

Not Available Interstitial

Producer: Sean "Puffy" Combs, Ron "Amen-Ra" Lawrence for The Hitmen
Album: In My Lifetime, Vol. 1
Label: Roc-A-Fella / Def Jam


Complex says: Jay-Z has publicly admitted that he can no longer listen to In My Lifetime Vol. 1, saying that he messed up the album by forcing certain songs in order to sell records. Hov maintains that a few tweaks to the tracklist could have resulted in his second classic in a row. We know what exact song he should have cut, "I Know What Girls Like."

Some of the best songs on that album, including “Imaginary Player,” “Where I’m From,” and “You Must Love Me,” were produced by Puffy and The Hitmen. But “I Know What Girls Like” was a mistake.

Normally focused on intricate rhyme schemes and descriptive accounts of his street dealings, Jay showed on "What Girls Like" that making dance records was a glaring weakness in his game. He's easily outmuscled by the beat, and Lil Kim sings an uninspired hook that left fans wondering how a collabo that looked so good turned out to be the worst song of Jay's entire catalog.

Latest in Music