JAY-Z & The Notorious B.I.G. & Faith Evans
JAY-Z
JAY-Z & Dr. Dre & Rakim & Truth Hurts
JAY-Z & Beyoncé
JAY-Z & Pharrell Williams
JAY-Z & Sean Paul
JAY-Z & Latoiya Williams
JAY-Z & Killer Mike & Big Boi & Twista
JAY-Z & Pharrell Williams
JAY-Z & Kanye West
JAY-Z
JAY-Z
JAY-Z & Lenny Kravitz
JAY-Z & M.O.P.
JAY-Z
JAY-Z & Beanie Sigel & Scarface
JAY-Z
JAY-Z
JAY-Z & Young Chris & Pharrell Williams
JAY-Z & Timbaland
JAY-Z & Beanie Sigel & Omillio Sparks & Rell & Young Gunz & Peedi Crakk & Memphis Bleek & Freeway
JAY-Z
JAY-Z
JAY-Z
JAY-Z
“Hovi Baby” is the second single from Jay-Z’s seventh studio album The Blueprint²: The Gift & The Curse, officially sent to radio on November 12, 2002 – the same day as the album was released worldwide. He had previously released the track to mixtape DJ’s a month earlier in October to get the re...
[Intro]
Yes, yes YEP!
Welcome to the.. Jay-Z extravaganza
I'd like to introduce my band right now
Just Blaze and the Blazettes, hehe
Right now I want you to give the drummer some
No ma really, give the drummer some
Uhh
[Chorus]
Touch the untouchable, break the unbreakable
Shake the unshakeable (it's Hovi baby)
Yeah, ch-chi-uh, uh-ch-ch-uh, un-breakable
Rock the unrockable (it's Hovi baby)
[Verse 1]
Follow the flow, look
They say a midget standin' on the giant's shoulder can see much
Further than the giant.. (the giant..)
So I got the whole rap world on my shoulder they tryin' to see
Further than I am... (than I am..)
And I have been tryin' to be patient with they preoccupation
With David and Goliath.. (Goliath..)
But sooner or later, that patience gonna run it's course
And I'm forced to be a tyrant.. (be a tyrant..)
But me and Tyran, comin' through your environment
Iron mask, nigga, iron gats, nigga I am back
With "The Team," no I in that
R.O.C., y'all not eyein' that
Y'all don't see, clearly 'cause the rain ain't gone
"The Dynasty," no not Ming but Shawn's
Dame, Kareem, nigga it's the gangsta team
Stop your run, one of the reasons that they call us gangrene
The other reason, we got a gang of green
If there's better at gettin' cheddar that remains to be seen, nigga
(WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!) Jeah, jeah
[Chorus]
Can't touch the untouchable, break the unbreakable
Shake the unshakeable (it's Hovi baby)
Can't see the unseeable, reach the unreachable
Do the impossible (it's Hovi baby)
Can't move the unmoveable, stop the unstoppable
[Verse 2]
Jeah, look
I'm so far ahead of my time, I'm 'bout to start another life
Look behind you, I'm 'bout to pass you twice
Back to the future, gotta slow up for the present
I'm fast, niggas can't get pass my past
How they propose to deal with my perfect present?
When I unwrap The Gift & The Curse in one session
Ain't no livin' person can test him
Only two restin' in heaven can be mentioned in the same breath as him
Seven straight Summers, critics might not admit it
But nobody in rap did it, quite like I did it
If you did it I done it before, you get it I had it
Got mad at it and don't want it no more
And that goes for everything from flippin' that raw
Flippin' whores, flippin' vocal chords, don't get it twisted
Get it right, did different, did it better, did it nice
Did the impossible then did it twice (get it right)
[Chorus]
Can't touch the untouchable, break the unbreakable
Shake the unshakeable (it's Hovi baby)
Can't see the unseeable, reach the unreachable
Do the impossible (it's Hovi baby)
[Verse 3]
Yup! Hovi's home, the global phone
The world is back in order, the number one rap recorder is back
You cats over-felt yourself
You couldn't help yourself, now witness the real for real
In my absence cats get, absent-minded
Now it's time to rewind and remind 'em
Why I'm in the position that I am
Changin' the game, my game could nail Madonna
Well after I'm gone, they'll honor
History in the makin', Pistol Pete
Leave competition shakin' without missin' the beat (woo!)
Chasin' the hi-hat all over the track
The snare is scared of the air in here, BOOM!
And plus I get paper dog, don't let me forget
The watch face so blue like it's holdin' it's breath
Can't see me skill for skill or check for check
It's the bow-tie flow dog, I bring it to your neck
Live and direct, I will bring it to your set
I got now, I don't care who got next
Rapper slash Exec., Kordell Stewart
Your flow all y'all using is mine, you're all useless
You ain't a factor, who are you foolin'?
You all are faggots, you takin' us backwards (takin' it backwards)
I'm tryin' to progress with this rap shit
Nigga, nigga your whole career's a accident
Who was gassin' 'em? (Fuck outta here!)
[Chorus]
Can't touch the untouchable, break the unbreakable
Shake the unshakeable (it's Hovi baby)
Can't see the unseeable, reach the unreachable
Do the impossible (it's Hovi baby)
Hovi Baby was written by JAY-Z & Just Blaze & Babyface.
Hovi Baby was produced by Just Blaze.
The song was released as a physical single, with a B-Side that included “U Don’t Know (Remix)” in both radio and LP versions.
This track sits between the singles “03' Bonnie and Clyde” and “Excuse Me Miss,” and it’s likely, being the “street” single, Jay didn’t feel a video was necessary.
Just Blaze told Complex:
He had the hook in his head for a day or two, but we didn’t have a beat for it. I made that beat the day Left Eye died. It was a TLC sample, a live version of ‘Digging On You.’ I was driving with my ex-girlfriend in the car and she had just died. All the radio stations were...
Just Blaze went into detail on how he heard the sample and flipped it for Complex. He then speaks on the recording process:
I gave him the raw beat as it was, and it was really just the drums and the sample. Afterwards, I went back and added the bass line, and some of the synths after he went and d...
Blaze told Complex:
He hit me back like, ‘Yo, you’re my favorite. You’re the best. Keep going.’ That record re-solidified our relationship. We already had a relationship, but he was super hype. If you had heard the original record and then what it ended up being, it wasn’t completely different but...