I’m not entirely sure how long this alleged pre-Reasonable Doubt demo tape has been floating around, but thanks to the good folks over at MassAppeal, those of us who’ve never heard this before can experience some early sounds of a young Hov.
Sure, we’ve all probably heard early material like his appearances on Mic Geronimo’s “Time To Build,” Big L’s “Da Graveyard,” his mid-80s contribution to High Potent’s “HP Gets Busy” or the verse he bestowed on BDK’s “Show & Prove” (see below).
And it’s a known fact that he’s switched up his style and flow over the years, starting with the quick, double-time raps to the confident, smooth-as-molasses hustle flow we all know today.
On the demo featured here, Hov effortlessly flips through different rhyme patterns throughout the tape, entirely anchored by his assurance that he was one of the greats, even back in the late 80s, early 90s.
BDK – Show & Prove f. Sauce Money, Shyheim, JAY Z, Ol’ Dirty Bastard
PREVIOUS: JAY Z Talks Racism With Oprah Winfrey
