Released September 11, 2001 Genre Hip hop Label Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam | Recorded 2001 Length 5:13 Writer(s) Jay Z | |
"Takeover" is a track recorded by Jay Z for his 2001 album The Blueprint. The song is a diss track aimed at rappers Nas and Prodigy of Mobb Deep.
Contents
Background
This song was the first official LP diss track to publicize directly the hip hop Jay Z vs. Nas feud (although there exists several other rap records prior to this featuring disses from both Nas and Jay Z toward each other). It samples the song "Five to One" by The Doors and "Sound of da Police" by KRS-One. The first line in this song is taken from Jay Z's verse in "Celebration" off of the Streets Is Watching soundtrack. The song also samples David Bowie's "Fame".
Accolades
"Takeover" appeared at 51 on Pitchfork's The Top 500 Tracks of the 2000s. Ian Cohen writing a summary said:
There have been diss tracks that have been more personal, more vicious, hell, even more effective-- Nas got a bigger career boost out of his response, the simplistic and homophobic "Ether", which inexplicably (well, not really) was declared the winner by internet scorekeepers who would soon use its title as a slang for smiting one's enemies at all costs. But there's never been a better diss song: Kanye West's "Five to One" flip turned Jim Morrison's Dionysus into Hercules while Jay calmly doled out dismissals that were all the more perfect for their brevity and focus-- "a wise man told me don't argue with fools..."; "I sold what your whole album sold in my first week"; "you only get half a bar..." That entire third verse. As is the case with so many other spats in real life, Jay-Z and Nas would eventually bury the hatchet in the name of good business, but listen to "Takeover" if you're ever confused about who's wearing the pants: Regardless of Jigga's recent output, "Takeover" will always beam with the righteousness one can only have when they're clearly playing the upper hand.