How Jay-Z Changed Rap With ‘Reasonable Doubt’

If you went back in time to New York in the early '90s, not a soul would believe you if you told them Jay-Z would end up where he is today.

Well, maybe one person would: Jay himself.

Jay-Z's relatively delayed breakthrough made him something of a late bloomer, even in an era when stars weren't minted as quickly and early as they are now.

It took him a while to figure out how to be himself on wax.

It was his big homie Jaz-O who put him on, and the two of them had a Das EFX, Fu-Schnickens fast-rapping style that was as technically impressive as it was uninteresting.

The labels didn't know what to do with them.

Those who heard them tended to think Jaz was cool, but that the light-skinned kid had something else they couldn't quite put into words.

DJ Clark Kent was Jay's biggest cheerleader at that time, but without label interest, Jay figured he was better off prioritizing his life in the streets over the studio.

Things continued that way until Clark introduced Jay to Harlem hustler Dame Dash.

The pair clicked, and together with another street guy, Kareem "Biggs" Burke, they decided to pool their resources and start their own label, Roc-A-Fella.

Their first project would be Jay-Z's proper debut, Reasonable Doubt, which turned 30 this week.