Jay-Z: The First Time I heard Biggie’s “Who Shot Ya”, I Wrote Four Songs

Superstar rapper and businessman Jay-Z has recalled his experience and the inspiration that followed the first time he listened to Notorious B.I.G’s “Who Shot Ya”. The legendary rapper made the confession while speaking on a Twitter space set up to celebrate what would have been Biggie’s 50th anniversary.

Speaking on the space titled “A Toast to Biggie”, Jay-Z reviewed the day he first heard the Notorious B.I.G.’s hit song, “Who Shot Ya,” the quality of the track inspired him to write as many as four songs before going to bed that night.

Recalling how he got his hands on the record, Jay-Z explained that the late rapper called him over for a meetup in an unusual manner. The confused rapper said he jumped into his car without much thought and headed for where he was meant to meet with Biggie. Notorious B.I.G subsequently played the hit song for Jay-Z before telling the rapper to hold on to the cassette.

Describing his initial feelings, the rapper remarked the song was too good. Jay-z would later go home that night, challenging himself to come up with something as good as “Who Shot Ya”. The challenge, however, proved insurmountable as although the Roc Nation boss wrote four songs that same night, he confessed that none came out as good as Biggie’s hit song. Jay- Z however, did not reveal whether he produced any of the songs he wrote that night.

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This revelation is coming on the back of a celebration of Jay-Z’s influence over the years in the absence of Biggie and Tupac Shakur. Speaking on the same Twitter space on how much work Jay-Z had done stepping in to fill the big shoes of Biggie and Tupac, Sean Diddy remarked that Jay-Z had earned his flowers and the rest of the rap industry is better for it.