reason:

that early stuff was undeniably fresh.
nobody was doing double-entondres like this before him.
jay-z had a few but i mean come on... there's no comparison.
even if you didn't like his voice, which i never did, i could still realize his rhymes were such a cut above the norm that it had to be recognized.

material:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZX3lfFlqW24
lupe the killer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOq3qFO8c2M
switch

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“Change is inevitable. Progress is optional.” – Tony Robbins