Jay Z and Kool G Rap both used the same Isley Brothers sample on their 1998 albums. Jay-Z’s joint from “Hard Knock Life vol. 2 was titled “A Week Ago” featuring Too Short… and Kool G Rap’s joint was titled “Cannon Fire” off his under-appreciated classic album “Roots of Evil”.
Jay-Z spent some money making his album and his joint has a better quality mix and is slightly better produced than the Kool G Rap joint but as tight as Jay is lyrically on his song Rappers just cant compete with G-Rap on a lyrical and flow level. G-Rap’s song “Cannon Fire” includes three venomous verses one more lethal than the next. Hit the jump to check out both tracks.
Kool G Rap – “Cannon Fire”
Jay-Z – “A Week Ago”
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Ed Zehtab
July 15, 2011 at 6:36 pmG Rap, all day, everyday!
Rob
July 15, 2011 at 6:40 pmJay is an accomplished lyricist and it’s hard to say anyone ever bests him hands down, but with that said G. Rap is the G.O.A.T in my book, you can find a element of Kool G.’s flavor in almost ever relevant lyricist of the last 15 years. G. is the winner here.
Bruce
July 15, 2011 at 6:40 pmKool G Rap takes this definitely!
ChrisintheStudio
July 15, 2011 at 6:50 pmI disagree about the production. G raps vocals sound better to me. No contest on the lyrics and flow
L. Vallario
July 15, 2011 at 6:51 pmI think G Rap’s instrumental sounds a lot more raw than Jay’s version. They both flipped it well and killed it but this one goes to G Rap for the rawness & lyrics alone.
JCuervo
July 15, 2011 at 7:05 pmBig G Rap fan but i gotta say the Jay Z song is better overall.
Brian M. Feltch
July 15, 2011 at 7:07 pmYou already answered the question: the Jay beat is a better use of the sample “his joint has a better quality mix and is slightly better produced than the Kool G Rap joint” but G-Rap is a lyrical MVP, and, not surprisingly, his verses are sicker: “as tight as Jay is lyrically on his song Rappers just cant compete with G-Rap on a lyrical and flow level.”
But if we’re really talking about who used the Isley Brothers sample more effectively, “A Week Ago” wins hands-down. There’s just no denying the beat on the Jay track is far more than “slightly better produced” than the G-Rap track, no disrespect. Those G-Rap verses would be just as venomous on any other decent beat. That makes them great verses. The Jay beat would make any weak MC sound great. That makes it a great beat.
Still, that doesn’t mean Jay-Z really wins. It means whoever produced Jay’s track did a better job than whoever produced the Kool G Rap track, and I’m not really gonna spend any time looking up those producers’ names, but you get the point.
REDRUM
July 15, 2011 at 7:09 pmAre you kidding me? Thats like comparing boxing to MMA
G Rap flipped it!!!!
DJTAGZ
July 15, 2011 at 7:16 pmI think That Jay-z & Kool G Rap Had Great Producers On Flipping The OG Beat But Both Were talking About Different Thing In There Songs I like Both of them
Roman Contreras
July 15, 2011 at 7:30 pmI think G Rap’s version is fresher and the use of the sample is fresher. Jay Z’s use of it is just looped, but the producer on G Rap’s joint chopped it up and put some effective sound effects to make it more original and put that with G Rap’s verses on top of it. And you he didn’t need Too Short for a hook G Rap’s hook was pretty dope too. I like Jay Z’s version both artists are saying something I just think that G Rap’s version was more creative on the production level and MC level.
Vinnyhorse
July 15, 2011 at 8:08 pmG rap took it on that one jays flow is crisy as always but g raps flow and syllable content still sounds freSh after almost 30 years an that weighs in heavy
Stu
July 15, 2011 at 8:29 pmKool G Rap hands down. I prefer that rugged sound and the lyrical flow is unparalleled.
DJTAGZ
July 15, 2011 at 9:07 pmIsley Brothers Inspired Lots Of Hip-Hop artists Over the Years in Beat Samples Title Of Songs Words In Song Samples On Hooks For R&B Singers Hell Ron Isley Was in Lots Of R.Kelly s Early Work As Mr.Big Kingpin Of Soul & R&B In The 90s
CRystYLe
July 16, 2011 at 4:23 amG Rap baby! Keepn it grimy
Megablast9
July 16, 2011 at 8:04 amJay-Z sucks rhinoceros cocks! i don’t know who is more overrated Jay-Z or Tupac.
josh lemperg
July 16, 2011 at 5:50 pmg rap hands down
PatrykPoland
July 18, 2011 at 7:35 amJay-Z overrated? Dude listen to Reasonable Doubt and write your comment again!
comandantecee
July 18, 2011 at 12:37 pmG-RAP!
Jay-Z wishes he as lyrically nice as the Rap-Giancana.
Just YouTube “Let the games begin” from the “Roots of evil” album.
That one track lyrically will destroy anything Jay-Z has done in the past decade.
ml
July 24, 2011 at 11:13 amClose, but G RAP!
rljd
July 25, 2011 at 10:18 pmG was doing a specific thing with his two-syllable rhymes, making them more and more frequent in each verse. I kind of thought the first one was lacklustre from the god, considering the heat of his most intense work, but over the course of the joint I saw he was doing something calculated and I appreciate that kind of science on a rhyme.
Jay’s was good, but like… just good. I don’t really love this era from him.
And one thing that bores me to tears is Isley Brothers samples a lot of the time. Both these beats put me to sleep, even though the Jay one is livelier. I like buck wild 1992 speeds for syllable play, all this east coast gambino relaxed post-G-funk ish was really disappointing to me when it became the norm.
nytroe
July 26, 2011 at 11:27 ammy vote goes to kool g rap
Behtash
July 28, 2011 at 5:28 pmKool G…love that nearly everybody thinks so too
Barry
July 29, 2011 at 8:26 pmThe kool G version is a replay (a poor one at that) not a sample so jay wins my default.
MRA
August 11, 2011 at 12:29 amDefinitly KGR….production sounds much more epic…and there’s no need in discussing the flow …cause the way he rhymes that shit is just crazy…same sylible shit…ill as fuck…