This Rick Rubin–produced track takes an old Ice-T chorus (from T’s 1993 song of the same name), mixes it with some earsplitting guitar riffs and stars Jay-Z spitting some of his hardest, edgiest raps in years. Hova goes off on rap critics, racial profiling and violence. (Apparently sexism, or at least the word ‘bitch,’ doesn’t bother him.) The song’s strongest message is conveyed in its second verse, when Jay-Z relays a story about being pulled over by the cops: “I heard, ‘Son, do you know why I’m stoppin’ you for?’ ” he raps. “ ’Cause I’m young and I’m black and my hat’s real low?” But the story isn’t just about racism; the driver of the car actually has drugs in the trunk. Nobody, not even Jay-Z, is innocent in “99 Problems.”
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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwoM5fLITfk]