10 Favorite Jay-Z Lines from American Gangster

10 Favorite Jay-Z Lines from American Gangster

I'm not a diehard jay-z fan. I'm a jay-z fan by association. my brother robert has been touting jigga's lyrical merits since reasonable doubt. in fact, a conversation with my brother can't pass without at least one jay-z reference. for my brother, jay is the hero and the moral to the story. when jay went grown and sexy instead of young and saggin', my brother used jay as a prime example of getting his grown man on. when there was talk of weezy claiming best rapper alive, my brother said without blinking that weezy better honor his father. and he wasn't talking about baby. lol

I jumped on the jay bandwagon late but out of respect for my brother and his number 1 emcee, I purchase jay's albums so my brother and I can trade shawn carter lines and quips while we philosophize about the meaning of life and lyrics. I have been listening to jay's american gangster nearly nonstop since I purchased it, so much so that any random strain of conversation can bring a line from the album to mind. this blog is dedicated to two jay-z fans. my brother robert who I can't get on myspace to save my life and my friend and fellow writer ebony janice. in the words of our great negro poet shawn carter, a collection of favorite quotables and inspirational lines from american gangster…

1. "survive the drought I wish you well/survive the drought? I wish you well?/how sick am i? I wish you health/I wish you wheels. I wish you wealth/I wish you insight so you can see for yourself." – american dreamin'

2. "rolls royce
keep my movements/smooth while maneuvering/
through all the manure in the sewer that i grew up in" – no hook

3. "So tall and lanky/my suit? It should thank me." – party life

4. "Ya boy's off the wall, these other ____ is Tito." – party life

5. "Ladies know I'm that guy, they wanna piece of my love." – american gangster

6. "When it all falls down I'm like Kanye's jaw/I might break but I don't fold/till I hold the sky in my hand, yeah that's my goal." – american gangster

7. "How could you leave me? I thought that you needed me!/When the world got too much and you pleaded with me-/Who helped you immediately?/How speedy of me!/How could you deny me so vehemently?" – I know

8. "I'm more Frank Lucas than Ludacris/And Luda's my dude I ain't trying to diss/Like Frank Lucas is cool but I ain't trying to snitch…I'm a live and die with the decisions that I'm a pick" – no hook

9. "hustle hard in any hustle that you pick." – no hook

10. "you can redefine the game as we know it, one dream at a time." – american dreamin'