Jay Z Demos From Before "Reasonable Doubt" Released

by JAY BALFOUR

A collection of ten Jay Z demos include songs like "What's In A Name" and "Greatest MC."

Nearly 20 years after the release of his debut album,Mass Appeal has shared a collection of pre-Reasonable Doubt demos from a young Jay Z.

Of the ten songs included in the release, Sauce Money features on half, including on songs with titles like "Broken English & Drug Sellin'" and "Behind The Ropes." The previously unreleased tracks show off Jay's youthful flow and are jumpstarted by the first track, "Greatest MC." According to Mass Appeal, "The Five Percenter references and the street slang require their own glossary, and speak specifically to how much smarter his rhymes were than the package he used to deliver them."

Noticeably, Jay's one-time mentor Jaz-O doesn't appear anywhere on the demos which leads some to believe that there could be more out there.

Listen to the full demo tape below: