It was a momentous day in the world of hip-hop when on Feb. 20, 1996, Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter dropped his single "Dead Presidents" under Roc-A-Fella Records. Now, to mark the 30th anniversary of its release, the legendary rapper has made the original version of the song available for the first time ever online.
According to Billboard, this latest release includes the original artwork, with the older generation of hip-hop fans possibly noticing the unique spelling of Jay-Z's name with an umlaut "hovering" over the "y." For those wanting a physical copy, the single has also been released as a limited-edition cassette, vinyl, and CD, just like it was back in '96.
"Dead Presidents" came out four months before Jay-Z's debut album, Reasonable Doubt, and was actually a different version of the song that appeared on the album titled "Dead Presidents II." This single was a significant one for Roc-A-Fella as it was their first release under their distribution deal with Priority. However, it wasn't the first song ever released by Jay-Z, who has now become a household name in both the music industry and popular culture.
That honor goes to a track called "In My Lifetime," which came out two years prior on a white label that featured the very first Roc-A-Fella Records logo. The logo was a champagne bottle with "Jay-Z" etched into it, and the song was produced by Ski from the Bronx hip-hop group Original Flavor, who also produced "Dead Presidents." The B-side of the single featured another track called "I Can't Get Wid Dat," which was produced by DJ Clark Kent.
For those who have been dying to hear the original version of "Dead Presidents" without having to jump through any hoops, you can now head to JAYZ30.com. While you're there, you can also sign up for updates, leading many to believe that this could be the start of a 30th-anniversary rollout for Reasonable Doubt. However, there has been no confirmation from Roc Nation about this rumor.
In related news, Tina Knowles recently showed her class and grace when responding to some negative comments made about her daughter, Beyoncé. It's always heartwarming to see a mother stand up for her child against ignorance and negativity.
