Where Were You When...

In this new series we discuss the moments in time where you were when certain happenings in Hip Hop took place. These moments are the times you hold on to, times you remember being a part of something. Let's try to not only look back at the past, but also appreciate the things that are happening RIGHT NOW in this culture as well.

Our first moment in time deals with the day, the hour, the minute you heard Jay-Z's 'Takeover'


My recollection:
Sophomore Year. Dorm Room. The regular college bootleg kid comes by the room for his weekly sales and tells me, "I got some new shit, I know you be on that East Coast rap and all."

Everyone knew me as that guy as well. While everyone else were in this Cash Money taking over the South from No Limit phase, I was letting Jada, Styles P, DMX, and the other east coast rappers blast out of my 626.

He then handed my Jay-Z's "The Blueprint." I don't know if I was more excited about getting some new Jay or the fact that I was receiving it damn near 3-4 weeks before its scheduled release date.

I remember listening to the first verse and thinking, Ok, this regular cocky Jay. Second verse. Hmmm, he's going at Mobb Deep!

By the time the second verse ended, I rewinded it again and took it from the top. When he got to the third verse, I could not believe what I was hearing. Jay's going at Nas!?!

Sure other people may have knew there were beef and what not, but not I. Back then my resources on all the up and coming hip hop gossip and beef were limited to whatever the radio in my city let us in on, which was not much.

This track will forever be a classic!



Take a look at what some of my fellow twitter com padres had to say: