Jay-Z Says “The Takeover” Is ‘A Better Record’ Than Nas’s “Ether”

 •  XXL Magazine  •  by XXL Staff  •  117 Comments


It’s been nine years and the great debate over Jay-Z vs. Nas still isn’t over. Earlier today (November 15), Hov appeared on Peter Rosenberg and Cipha Sounds’s podcast, Juan Epstein, and during the interview, the Brooklyn legend said, despite popular opinion, that his 2001 diss record towards God’s Son, “The Takeover” is better than Nasir’s response track, “Ether.”

“I think in the history when we look back, and I don’t mean no disrespect to Nas, I think when we look back it’s not even close,” he shared, adding, “I just think it was a better record.” [Listen here]

Jay and Nas exchanged in a lyrical battle back in 2001, which was arguably one of hip-hop’s most exciting wars of all time. Although “The Takeover” wasn’t part of the discussion, back in December of the same year, when New York radio personality Angie Martinez asked Hot 97 listeners what track they preferred, “Ether” or Jay’s other diss record “Super Ugly,” 58 percent of those who responded picked the Queenbridge MC’s track.

Hova was on the show to promote his new book, Decoded. The tome, which dissects 36 of his favorite songs, hits stores tomorrow. —Elan Mancini

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  • BeerGangsta

    Nas kick your azz on the Either song!! Either CD sound way better than that wack as Shit takeover!! Nas took you over and bend that Beyonce over Lol!!

  • Yo!

    I’ve always thought the same thing. Never bring it up w/ my friends though because they would never let me hear the end of it. I normally just stay out of the conversation.

  • BrooklynNY

    No, Really…It’s not.

  • Jhon da Analyst

    People gotta understand the difference between a “record” and a “song or track”…

  • http://adayinthelifeofthefly.blogspot.com/ LouisTaylored

    One thing I can say is that Jay had straight facts on the Takeover record and Ether while amazing wasn’t so factual more like when you make fun of someone then true things

    • revision-ist

      Dame is that you? You said the same thing 9 years ago looking sad in the interview after Nas killed Jay-z and went platinum. SMH

      “Facts” ?

      People say “he got ethered” not “taken over”

    • CHANGE

      i thought “ETHER”was facts like that shit he said bout JAY n JAZ-O and the jewlery and that other shit…but either way it goes fan of jay z or not,you gotta admit NAS won that shit!!!lol FUCK A BEAT nigga im talkin bout lyrics and Nas is a fuckin monster wit thoes! Ether is one of the best diss tracks ever made along with pac’s “hit em up”.Jay is kool but he cant fuck with Nas or DMX,in my opinion.

      Youtube.com/changetheprince1

  • LOL

    No the hell it wasn’t.

    But I wouldn’t actually expect Gay Z to say that it wasn’t tho. Of course he’s gonna think its better.

  • sealsaa

    Full disclosure: Illmatic> Jay’s best 2 albums(IMO), but in this case, he’s right.

    He managed to summarize/rip Nas’ career in 1 verse. Best of all, most of what he said was true.

    Nas on the other hand, had to write an entire song to go at Jay, just to call him names. Ether was sloppy in comparison.

    Hell, SuperUgly goes harder than Ether.

    • cell

      reasonable doubt was better than illmatic

      • Sam

        Agreed. thought I was the only one who thought that

        • reckless

          These three ppl are MORONS!!! Ether was the greatest diss of all time, and if u think otherwise, then u know nothing about hip hop and need to get off this site. Gay-z dickriders

      • lonnie

        ain’t your wrong try agiian!!!!! lol really?

  • Mitch 3K

    It was

    And I dont even like Jay ike that

    But Takeover is a much better SONG just because of the beat……. Ether sounds like it was made on a fruity loops machine

    Were Nas’s lyrics better???…….. Debatable

    Which was the better actual song??……. Takeover, by miles, its not even an argument its a fact

  • Escobar9300

    Jay…bad idea my man. The beef with Nas is dead and gone. Don’t poke the sleeping giant. Jay has his lane and Nas has his. Its completely understandable for Jay Z, being the competitive man that he is, to still be upset to this day for losing the beef to Nas, despite being more commercially successful. Is Takeover a better laid out track? Sure. But to any hip hop head, for its raw anger and emotion alone, Ether was one of the greatest diss tracks of all time. Like it or not, in the context of this beef, Ether trumped Takeover. Along the same lines, Hit ‘em up wasn’t the best laid out track either as it could be said it was sloppy, and didn’t have a tone of set direction or purpose other than sheer rage, but it trumped any subliminal track Big shot at Pac even though Biggies disses were far more precise and on much more technically sound and better produced tracks. Technique doesn’t mean much when you’re getting knocked out cold with a wild haymaker.

  • Jay Boogie

    He is delusional. Ether tore him a new one. Ether is one of the best diss records ever and most importantly it humbled Jay. Damn near drove him into retirement because he couldn’t take the fact that he lost after saying he “will not lose”.

  • sealsaa

    “Used to fag model for Karl Kani Esco-ass”

    ^Truth

    “Went from Nasty Nas to Esco’s trash, had a spark when you started, but now you just garbage”

    ^Hyperbole

    “Went from top ten to not mentioned at all, till ya bodyguard’s Oochie Wally verse was better than yours, matter fact, you had the worst flow in the whole fuck’n song”

    ^Let’s be honest here, the “whole fuck’n song” was trash. Shame on you Nas.

    “Nigga, you ain’t lived it, you witnessed it from your folk’s pad, you scribbled in your note-pad and created your life”

    ^Hyperbole

    “I showed you your first tech on tour with Large Professor, then I heard your album bout your tech on the dresser”

    ^Some truth to that story.

    “So yeah, I sampled your voice, you was using it wrong, you made it a hot line, I made it a hot song”

    ^Truth

    “You wasn’t getting coin nigga, you was getting fucked then, I know who got paid god, Search-light publishing”

    ^Some truth to that

    “Four albums every ten years nigga, I can divide, that’s one, let’s say two, two of them chips was due, one was meh, the other was Illmatic, that’s a one hot album every ten year average”

    ^Truth

    “Yall nigga’s gone learn to respect the king, don’t be the next contestant on that Summer Jam screen, casue you know what, did you know what with you know who(let’s keep that between me and you for now)”

    ^With the exception of “respect the king”, Troofis. And little did we know what was coming…

    • og bobby j

      fyi – it was written is better than “meh”…might be his best work, including illmatic….

      yea, i said it…

      • yoprince

        don’t think IWW is better than Illmatic… but I co-sign the sentiment.

        Illmatic and IWW >>> anything Jay had done up to Blueprint

  • http://www.bboycult.com Don mcCaine

    Look @ this dude. SmDh

    You admitted defeat Hov. The public voted on ‘Ether’.

    That loss still stings huh? That why u did ‘SuperUgly’, AND BP2?

    This that “my shirt had better buttons with a different collar cut, so it’s better than yours” type of tricknowledge.

    U lost that DMX battle 2…

  • http://yahoo jason

    why they still talking bout that old shit anyway im sure he had other things he would rather be talking about in 2010

  • jburg

    actually “the blueprint 2″ was a better diss song

    • http://www.bboycult.com Don mcCaine

      ^ yep

      There was a convo last month about was ‘Reasonable Doubt’ a classic, or did Jay keep telling people it was a classic?

      Think about that one.

      • yoprince

        i found myself thinking about that the other day listening to RD on my Ipod. Jay pulled the wool over niggas eyes with that one, no bullshit.

        RD is a classic ONLY in the sense that it was a stellar introduction to someone who would become such a transcendent MC. But as a stand alone piece of work RD is NOT classic. And it’s nowhere near Illmatic.

        - the Aint no Nigga beat is trash, and foxy’s verse is too long, rambling and it sounds like she’s reading.

        -Jay’s flow on Friend or Foe is amateurish

        -Bleek is terrible on Coming of Age and the concept is forced and corny.

        don’t get me wrong, there are amazing moments on the album, particularly the front end, and it’s an awesome debut. but some of the beats fall flat and jay-z’s flow advanced so much from then.

        • http://www.bboycult.com Don mcCaine

          “RD is a classic ONLY in the sense that it was a stellar introduction to someone who would become such a transcendent MC. But as a stand alone piece of work RD is NOT classic. And it’s nowhere near Illmatic”

          ^ this

          RD couldn’t stand next to Illmatic & RTD. It was proven already.

        • Mutada Mullah Atari

          @yoprince

          I detest Jay-Z, but I would not call his flow amateurish on friend or foe, the visual along with the song was dope.

        • texas

          muhatma ghandi is right,Friend Or Foe…no one had done an “I run this side of town as well now get out” song.Vivid description.

      • jburg

        @Don
        Thought about it: I didn’t get into the Jay really until after RD. I went back and listened to it years ago and it didn’t do it for me like some of his later material. maybe its because I got on to him late or maybe its just my taste. RD may be a classic in terms of the times when it came out. But it is far from his best work. The Blueprint and The Black Album have to be at the top followed by BP3. Following up on my first comment. “The Blueprint 2″ was better than all of the diss records the two put out. Its was detailed like “ether” was but it was that calm, slow kill type diss. When I first heard that shit I was in awe. Jay-Z went in on him and alot of people didn’t even pay attention because they didn’t like the whole BP2 album. Jay killed Nas with that song.

        • http://www.bboycult.com Don mcCaine

          “maybe its because I got on to him late”

          ^ because it was about Biggie when RD came out…

          and Nas…and Wu…

          IMLV1 was Puff induced trash (Imaginary Player & Streets & Friend Or Foe the only gems IMO).

          I would say ‘Hard Knock Life’ was the 1st hit on that winning streak.

        • jburg

          you right. “hard knock life” is what really put me on the Jay-Z bandwagon.

  • b-dogg

    Ether was HOT in 2001, 2002. But i think “Takeover” won in the long run. No one gives a fuck about Esco in 2010. Hov is still a voice to be heard, while Nas is just a memory.

    • jtm

      b-dogg says:
      Ether was HOT in 2001, 2002. But i think “Takeover” won in the long run. No one gives a fuck about Esco in 2010. Hov is still a voice to be heard, while Nas is just a memory.

      how old are you 12?

  • Donte

    Hell no ether killed jay-z if jay won why bring it the fuck up jay knows in his heart that he lost period….jay its alright damn get of nas dick…..its 2010 that was nearly 10 years ago lmao smh

  • http://detroitrap.com FRED

    LMAO WHAT IS WRONG WITH JAY Z I GOT LOVE FOR HIS BLACK ALBUM AND IS FIRST CD BUT COME ON DUDE CANT BE A GOOD SPORT AND SAY EITHER WAS BETTER LOL EVERY1 NOES NAS BEAT HIM JAYS TAKE OVER WAS GOOD NOT GONNA LIE THEY BOTH DID GREAT BUT NAS BEAT HIM JAY SHOULD ADMIT WHEN U GET BEAT BUT THATS WHATS WRONG WITH PEOPLE EVERY1 GOT BIG HEADS LMAO THATS CALLED BEIN A MAN U ALWAYS WANT TO BE THE BEST AND RIGHT LOL

  • fsf

    You seem to be only concerned with dissing women
    Were you abused as a child, scared to smile, they called you ugly?
    Well life is hard, hug me, don’t reject me
    Or make records to disrespect me, blatent or indirectly
    In ’88 you was getting chased through your building
    Calling my crib and I ain’t even give you my numbers
    All I did was gave you a style for you to run with
    Smiling in my face, glad to break bread with the god
    Wearing Jaz chains, no tecs, no cash, no cars
    No jail bars Jigga, no pies, no case
    Just Hawaiian shirts, hanging with little Chase
    You a fan, a phony, a fake, a pussy, a Stan
    I still whip your ass, you thirty-six in a karate class
    You Tae-bo hoe, tryna’ work it out, you tryna’ get brolic?
    Ask me if I’m tryna’ kick knowledge
    Nah, I’m tryna’ kick the shit you need to learn though
    That ether, that shit that make your soul burn slow
    Is he Dame Diddy, Dame Daddy or Dame Dummy?
    Oh, I get it, you Biggie and he’s Puffy
    Rockefeller died of AIDS, that was the end of his chapter
    And that’s the guy y’all chose to name your company after?
    Put it together, I rock hoes, y’all rock fellas
    And now y’all try to take my spot, fellas?
    Philly’s hot rock fellas, put you in a dry spot, fellas
    In a pine box with nine shots from my glock, fellas
    Foxy got you hot ’cause you kept your face in her puss
    What you think, you getting girls now ’cause of your looks?
    Ne-gro please
    You no mustache having, with whiskers like a rat
    Compared to Beans you wack
    And your man stabbed Un and made you take the blame
    You ass, went from Jaz to hanging with Caine, to Herb, to Big
    And, Eminem murdered you on your own shit
    You a dick-riding faggot, you love the attention
    Queens niggas run you niggas, ask Russell Simmons
    Ha, R-O-C get gunned up and clapped quick
    J.J. Evans get gunned up and clapped quick
    Your whole damn record label gunned up and clapped quick
    Shawn Carter to Jay-Z, damn you on Jaz dick
    So little shorty’s getting gunned up and clapped quick
    How much of Biggie’s rhymes is gonna come out your fat lips?
    Wanted to be on every last one of my classics
    You pop shit, apologize, nigga, just ask Kiss

    Damn….. That is some intense stuff all nas needed hell jay did 3 songs and was cryin on the radio

    • jburg

      Nigga we know the words. We didn’t need you to google the lyrics and copy and paste that shit! Damn. You niggas kill me with that shit. Say what you need to say and move on.

      • drue valence

        nah duke!!!! i know it by heart,,,

  • Worley

    “Ether” and the rise of 50 cent in 2003 set in motion Jay’s first “retirement.” Sh!t still hurts don’t it.

  • mav

    gtfoh wit that shit ether is one of the best diss records of all time takeover doesnt get anywhere the top 10…papooses shoot me a fair one was better than that

  • drue valence

    the meaning of a rap battle is to shit on the other rapper by any means the truth helps,,,but creativity is the talent,,,

  • mav

    oh yeah ether put nas on another level jigga fans get salty when u bring up ether still today i think stillmatic people just dick ride jigga yall some frontrunnin listenin only to beats ass niggas

  • cell

    takeover was better he addressed nas and everyone else in the music biz only jay-z hater commented on this i see 50 million records dont lie haters

    • drue valence

      why we gotta be haters,,cause you man got served,,,them numbers aint lie on hot 97

  • mav

    1 more thing…”and i will not lose cuz even in defeat is a valuable lesson learned so it evens it up 4 me” jayz-bp2
    the mAn said it himself if jay said he could shit hundreds you dumb niggas would believe it
    az doe or die is better than reasonable doubt too….

  • drue valence

    word!!!!!!jay did wanna retire after ether,,,nigga went on vacation or some shit,,,,,but that camron shit brought him back,,, wow the life of a rapstar huh?

  • yoprince

    takeover was the better record, but ETHER was the better dis. and that was the goal.

    Ether had everything. It was funny, parts of it were true enough, it had indignation. The indignation is what did it for me. Nas had this air like, “This nigga dissin me? ME?”

    “You been on my dick nigga you love my style.”

    It was a wrap when Nas said, “… and Eminem murdered you on your own shit, You a dickriding fagg*t, you love the attention.”

    and honestly, takeover isn’t facts like that. One hot album every ten year average? Whatever, you all may believe that. Jay-Z is great but Illmatic and IWW >>> anything jay had made up to that point in his career.

    • that nigga

      Damn….. That is some intense stuff all nas needed hell jay did 3 songs and was cryin on the radio
      :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
      YUP, correctomundo homie.

      takeover was the better record, but ETHER was the better dis. and that was the goal
      :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
      I can go with that,too. And how dare we compare ETHER to TAKEOVER, SUPER UGLY or BP2, or what the fuck ever. You niggas is crazy. Wow, NAS FUCKIN KILLED DUDE AND HE’S STILL SALTY. GROW UP CAMEL MAN.

  • the truth will set you free

    IM GOING TO TELL IT LIKE IT IS..

    NAS WON THAT BATTLE BUT JAZY WON THE WAR. AND TRUTH BE TOLD DMX WON THE BATTLE WITH JAY Z TOO. DONT LET DMX FOOL YOU. HE WAS A BEAST WHEN HE CAME OUT THE JOINT. NOW BACK TO THE NAS SONG ETHER…THERE WAS VALID POINTS MADE IN THE SONG LIKE THEM HAWAIIAN SHITS AND SHIT. 2PAC HAD SAID THAT SHIT WAY BACK. AND HE DID BITE JAZ-O. NOW TKEOVER HAD VALID POINTS AS WELL NAS HAD FAIL OFF AND WAAS LAZY WHEN PUTTING ALBUMS OUT. NOW ILLMATIC WAS A CLASSIC, BUT REASONABLE DOUBT WAS NOT. JAYZ MADE YOU THINK IT WAS BY MENTIOING IT EVERY ARTICLE. AND TRUTH BE TOLD MASTER P AND CASH MONEY RAN THE GAME BACK WHEN ALL THIS SHIT WAS GOING ON. JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT IN.

    NEITHER ONE OF THEM TWO NIGGAZ EAT RANCH DRESSING WITH THEY WINGS CAUSE THE SOME FAKE ASS NIGGAZ.. THEY EAT BLUE CHEESE

  • freakey toney

    IM GOING TO TELL IT LIKE IT IS…….

    NAS WON THAT BATTLE BUT JAZY WON THE WAR. AND TRUTH BE TOLD DMX WON THE BATTLE WITH JAY Z TOO. DONT LET DMX FOOL YOU. HE WAS A BEAST WHEN HE CAME OUT THE JOINT. NOW BACK TO THE NAS SONG ETHER…THERE WAS VALID POINTS MADE IN THE SONG LIKE THEM HAWAIIAN SHITS AND SHIT. 2PAC HAD SAID THAT SHIT WAY BACK. AND HE DID BITE JAZ-O. NOW TKEOVER HAD VALID POINTS AS WELL NAS HAD FAIL OFF AND WAAS LAZY WHEN PUTTING ALBUMS OUT. NOW ILLMATIC WAS A CLASSIC, BUT REASONABLE DOUBT WAS NOT. JAYZ MADE YOU THINK IT WAS BY MENTIOING IT EVERY ARTICLE. AND TRUTH BE TOLD MASTER P AND CASH MONEY RAN THE GAME BACK WHEN ALL THIS SHIT WAS GOING ON. JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT IN.

    NEITHER ONE OF THEM TWO NIGGAZ EAT RANCH DRESSING WITH THEY WINGS CAUSE THE SOME FAKE ASS NIGGAZ.. THEY EAT BLUE CHEESE

  • bullets

    I LOVE JAY BUT ETHER WAS BETTER COMPARED TO TAKEOVER I FELT HE HAD BETTER VERSES IN OTHER SONGS BUT AS FAR AS ETHER SPECIFICALLY AGAINST TAKEOVER NAS GOT THAT 1

  • http://MYSPACE.COM HELTAH SIN SAY

    NAS SONG ETHER, COINED THE FRAZE
    “DONT GET ETHERED” … NAS, jay got boddied on that track!! JAYS RESPONSE WAS GOOD! wasnt bad at all! BUT HE COULDNT FUCK WITH THE NASIR JONES!! ILLMATIC IS MORE CLASSIC THEN JAYS “reasonable doubt” NAS KILLED JAY ON SO MANY ONE LINERS ON ETHER THAT ANY REAL HIP HOP CAT KNOW’S JAY GOT ETHERD…
    50 GOT BODIED ON THAT NAS JOINT ” DONT BODY YOUR SELF” ….. WHOS NEXT? NOBODY TALKS ABOUT JAYS SONG, THE WHOLE HIP HOP COMMUNITY KNOWS ETHER IS THE TRUTH!!

  • RL

    “Takeover” had the better production but Jay, you rapped as if you already won the battle. Big mistake. You underestimated Nas and the “little homie” crushed your pride with “Ether”. He caused you and NY to doubt your GOAT status. It’s not about who can throw the better insults, it’s about who’s the better lyricist. The “Stillmatic freestyle” solidified Nas as the better lyricist in this battle, IMO. That’s hip hop.

  • ff1one@yahoo.com

    Damn i’m late

    I agree with Jay and I’ve said it from day one.

    1. Takeover killed three people and had an inuendo diss sent to jadakiss.

    2. The nas verse was ill. Yea it murks everything nas talked about on Ether. Jay set him up at summer jam and went in on the finished song. Takeover was factual.

    3. Ether is for the happy go lucky believe anything you hear or say type person. Seriously, listen to it. yea, ur drawn in by the beat. Sure the hook is CRAZY. ThE Title created a new verb. BUT the verses were sporadic like nas career. He would diss him waste a bar then come back. The verses mainly talked about him being GAY. Well, dude was boning ur chick. Or that jay was working out. NAS, thas gay to talk about a man working out and his lips.

    4. Yea, we all just appreciated the battle and Nas (the randy moss of rap) getting motivated. That is another reason why takeover is better. Jay lit fire in dude to come up with that that song that didn’t stack up.

  • Black Rick

    The battle was “won” because a poll was taken in NY.Nas won 51% to 49%,not really a smash like some here are making it.But remember,Hot ’97 put Ether against Super Ugly,not Takeover.Had that poll been taken nation wide instead of just NY,the results would’ve been different,but that’s just my opinion.Takeover’s one verse put Nas’ career in jeopardy.Nas was slippin at the time,no denying it.Ether just reminded folks that Nas is just as ill as Jay,but in a different way.It’s really about your personal preference as far as who won or had the better song.I like both of’em.10 years later tho,Jay is probably stronger in the game now then he was then.Nas meanwhile…..fell from top 10 to not mentioned at all….again.

  • Mr.Redz

    Nas damn near ended Jay-Z with that track. Ether is the better track not even close. and to the clown who thinks reasonable doubt is better than illmatic slap yourself.

  • FOTREY

    MAN ON THE REAL…NEITHER ONE OF THOSE SONGS CAN FUCK WITH
    HIT EM’ UP…PAC KILLED EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM NIGGAS…LOL….
    R.I.P 2PAC SHAKUR….
    HE TOOKOVER AND ETHERED YALL NIGGAS…HAHAHA

  • Q461

    Not even close. Ether could be one of the best diss tracks of all time. Sorry Hov, takeover was hot… but nahhh..

  • @B_WIZZ78/TWITTER

    I agree with most of the statements on here but imo both records was great for the time being. But Jay did win the war even if he lost that particular battle. Nas and Jay are great lyricist. Nas is more interlectual but he dibs and dabs in riches and womanizing too. Jay dips in to the interlectual side a bit also. “do you fools even listen to music or you just skim thru it” And when Nas said Em murdered Jay that was his opinion. Nobody said Em did before Nas. I love Nas (no homo) but homey needs better production. He wants us to listen to the lyrics which we do. But come on……Salem Remi or Kanye? I’ll take the latter.

  • black jesus

    we all know jay dosnt believe that. the nigga was crying on the radio after hearing ether.

  • Michael

    Takeover is the better record. but it wasn’t the better diss song. Hit em up isn’t a great song per se but it’s a great diss record.

    Jay-s a competitor, it irks him that people feel he lost that battle even if he did eventually win the war.

  • http://www.xxlmag.com yaboyjaff

    of course take over was better than ether…jay wil always be better than nas and every other rapper in the game perido…jay stay relevant all this time….

  • jtm

    i hope this doesn’t start another beef with nas. by the way yaboyjaff needs to lay off the crack.

  • Cutta Check

    Takeover was the better record and the better diss song. All nas said in Ether was you’re gay and you look like a camel. Get the fugouttahea… J KILLED this man. Niggas was so gassed that somebody lyrical stepped up they forgot to actually listen to the lyrics.

    • Jesus

      I think you forgot to listen to the lyrics

      “How much of biggies rhymes is gone come out yo fat lips”
      “When KRS already made an album called Blueprint”
      “In ’88 you was getting chased through your building

      Calling my crib and I ain’t even give you my numbers

      All I did was gave you a style for you to run with”
      “Wearing Jaz chains, no tecs, no cash, no cars

      No jail bars Jigga, no pies, no case

      Just Hawaiian shirts, hanging with little Chase”
      “Is he Dame Diddy, Dame Daddy or Dame Dummy?

      Oh, I get it, you Biggie and he’s Puffy”

  • sarkastixxx

    Love both Jay-Z and Nas… but Takeover was\is way better than Ether. The track for Ether was wack… I hated Ether until i heard the 9th Wonder remix of Ether.

  • sway-z

    Ether was strong for only two reasons

    1) Nobody, NOBODY thought Nas was coming back like that, don’t even front like you did

    2) Nobody really checked Jay to such a disrespectful degree before that

    Everything Nas said was either a lie or things other SMALLER artists said, he just combined it in a better way because he’s a better rapper than 95% of the niggas that said the same shit. On a song vs song basis though, Takeover was better, and it only took one verse a piece for Nas AND Prodigy to get dealt with

  • js

    ether was better…are people really still debating this?

  • urcockonmyface

    Oh man I’m so pissed I wished I would’ve know this interview was happening. I would’ve loved to called and ask Jayz or said who out did who on Black Republican and Success besides Ether. Cause Nas said that Success was aimed at JayZ. Please they need to ask him this question live on radio I would like to hear this out the horse mouth. Peace God!!!

  • New York State of Mind

    Listen!!! anytime niggas think about this battle first thing that comes to mind is Ether! NUFF SAID!! jay-z had to make hella songs to Nas one song NUFFER SAID!!!

  • Fireforreal

    I agree Ether was that shit,but Nas put waaaaaaaaaaaay more time into it because after Nastradamus,QB’s finest comp,apperences with Jermaine dupri and cash money Nas was not looked at as being the champ any more so It was like him coming back to show he hadn’t totally fallen off because Nas never reached that all time low again that he once had early in his career around 99,2000. I think If Jay did all 4 verses at Nas instead of just 1 he would have destroyed him but all in all it was good for hip hop they both moved on like grown men and still getting love as dope mc’s and plenty of paper.

  • DETROIT

    has anyone listened to “I AM” lately? that shit is better than most jay-z albums…don’t believe everything someone tells you, let the music speak for itself!

  • Hpno

    ^^^
    CO-SIGN

  • Derrick

    people, they didnt ask who won the battle, they asked which was the better record, and yes, it was Takeover

    Ether was more of some backyard type stuff where people stand in a circle rapping about the first thing that came to their mind about the person in front of them……… while Takeover was pure truth, planed and thought out.

  • Money Mitch

    Nas won definitely Ether was way better!! And Ether changed the vernacular of hip hop fans when someone gets destroyed in a battle people say he got ethered not he was taken over!!!

    • http://www.bboycult.com Don mcCaine

      ^ this

      how can a song that has impacted the game sooo much be disregarded as such?

      If people are still quoting ‘Ether’ and have incorporated pieces of it as normal rhetoric how can ‘Takeover’ be better? When no one even mentions it unless it’s this convo?

      ’cause it’s against Lord Hova. I was rooting for Jay then. He caught that L. I stay skipping ‘Takeover’ on BP. ‘Girls’ & ‘All I Need’ get hella spins. ‘H To Tha Izzo’ is wack yo. Em murdered him on his own sh^t.

      ‘Black Album’ is one of my Hov faves.

      BBD>BP3

  • Kdubs

    Jay is right ‘the takeover” is a better COMMERCIAL RECORD” than Ether but the purpose of a diss record is for you to murk a nigga on wax and NAS killed Jay with Ether. .! i gotta give it to HOV tho he got NAS back with super ugly & blueprint2.

  • sisav55

    niggas
    imma huge jay nas fan and to me there equals like bar for bar. Keep in as songs nas was better because he mentioned everything from riding with fox, cane, big , jaz-o , stealing big’s lines, his uglyness, you know a lot factual shit. But jay VERSE on takeover 1 out of 4 ( 1 intro, 1 at mobb, 1 for final taking shots at dblock subliminal ) His verse was soo shocking and hard. Super ugly was wack but yeah honestly jay won the war, even though from 01-03 the crown was in and time to time in the late 90s. Nas fell off after nigger he was a star before dropping platinum, multi plat albums. You realized since the battle nas dropped stillmatic a rap classic , god sons , street disclipene , nigger with GREAT NUMBERS internationally imagine that with hits such as ” I can ” or ” One Mic” . He was awarded a lot of awards since the beef and hip hop is dead a 2x platinum album that started a movement? Also almost classic shit. I mean nas released some shit with marley. He hasnt been huge since 08′ but dude did well espically while remaining true to his roots. Wish i can say the same for my niggas ja rule and nelly

  • ETHER BOY

    EEeetheRrr Boyyeee hottest in America
    Making Arab moneeeeee
    D.O.A. my aaassssss
    Jay don’t want it with EEeeeetherrrr Boy

  • Anonymous

    You realized since the battle nas dropped stillmatic a rap classic , god sons , street disclipene (DISCIPLE) , nigger with GREAT NUMBERS internationally imagine that with hits such as ” I can ” or ” One Mic” . He was awarded a lot of awards since the beef and hip hop is dead a 2x platinum album that started a movement? Also almost classic shit. I mean nas released some shit with marley

    ^ you forgot ‘Lost Tapes’

    but you can’t tell these cats that

  • ghidorah

    I had to actually listen to the Takeover again since it was so forgettable, listen to those verses, hes actually off the beat and rhymes are so simplistic, I don’t mind keeping it hood but at least have some flair and skill, it was garbage, it was like a Benzino diss track, it was just poorly put together. I would put Ether in the top three disses EVER, I don’t see how you can even debate Takeover as competition? I’d like to hear comments on a more balanced battle like Dre Day vs Real Muthaphuckkin G’s.

  • Dallas

    There is no way Jay wasn’t lyin when he said that. If that were true he wouldn’t have looked like a little boy next to Nas with the whole interview with Nas, Jay, and Sway [mtv]. Jay looked scared

  • http://www.yahoo.com Dr@$t-iQ Alkoholik

    man y’all high or somethin, luv Hov but that nigga got “Ethered” gtfoh

  • http://xxlmag.com/ J Hi

    Ether was Nas angry. And what made him angry? Jay. Takeover was just some cool, imma let cats know what’s REALLY up, I’m the man type rap. Jay murdered Nas. Thats why Nas got so upset. Think about it: when can anybody make you THAT mad? Superugly and Blueprint 2 was overkill. Pac went so hard at Biggie n everybody else cuz he was PISSED. Jay wins cuz he sparked a war that he knew he couldn’t lose. It was great for hip-hop, it got Nasir back on track, and it is still generating this kind of debate. Look at the big picture people. We wouldn’t even be discussing this if not for Hov. Nas might still be on that xxl milk carton. And question, has anybody really seen Nas since the ROC BOYS video? I’m just sayin…

  • MJ

    ether was a better song and way more impactful than takeover.

    alot of you said jay got him when he released super ugly etc, but i think youre foregtting a song that was better than all of them

    Last Real Nigga Alive

    ‘i was scarface jay was minolo/it hurt me when i had to kill him, and his whole squad for dolo’

    THE END.

  • hahha

    Jay has two assholes after Ether. FACT.

    bragging about banging another man’s ex girl: FAIL

    stuttering on live radio: FAIL

    getting ETHER on your birthdate? FAIL

  • http://www.xxlmag.com krystalyn

    wat da fuck yoll be thinkig,,,ya dudes are actin dumb as birdies,,,lay dat shit on the grill..nas came ol out hard,,,no arguement,,,if u gay fan,,,kip fuckn sodomiting…nas s a wrap…record speaks for themself..outtie..

  • Capostatus

    Fuck Camel face Jay-Z!! Ether was an ass whopping. I mean Takeover was definitely a good song or record or whatever u want to call it. Infact Takeover was a very good song. However, Ether was an excellent classical diss song, if not the best diss song in the history of hip hop.

    Ether showed Jay-Z that he was not lyrically on the same level as Nas. Ether bought Jay-z down to earth. This Camel face nigga was running around thinking he was the best rapper ever, even had the nerve to say he was better than Biggie. Ether expossed Jay-Z for what he really was…. A mere dick riding faggot!!!

    Ether was so influencial that it still hurts Jay-Z to this day that he was lyrically slaughtered, humiliated and emotionall scarred by God’s son.

    Ether proved to the world that jay-Z is an overrated rapper. Ether demoralised Jay-Z. Fuck Jay-Z.

  • http://www.soundcloud.com/magnifasant Magnifa$ant

    iight now…. i usually hate touching this subject with a 10 foot pole. Even though i have really high mutual respect for both jay and nas. i love illmatic, stillmatic, and i own alot of nas’s other work. i also love reasonable doubt, the blueprints, and i own pretty much every one of jays cds. now when i heard the take over i was like DAYUM that was murder! then i heard ether….and i was like ohhh my gooodd….that was by far one of the most harshest diss tracks in hip hop history… it was way to sick…. now i understand yall being dope ass lyricists, yall are both gonna claim that spot. shit, id do the same thing myself… nas got stronger after the takeover. just like jay got stronger after ether.

  • Spikeliar

    Ether is still relevant today. it was a futuristic diss track, “You traded your soul for riches”. What happenend to the Dame and Beanie and what did Sigel say in Average Cat.

  • patrick d

    ether hurt jay z to his core because it was the truth. epecially the lines that talk about jay back in the day before he was hot. you gotta remember nas dropped illmatic when he was a teenager. jay z dropped reasonable doubt when he was 26. nas had a record deal and all the hottest producers of the time on his album. jay z said himself that he couldnt get a record deal when he 1st came out which is why he had to start rocafella. basically nas was the man and jay z was his flunkie trying to be down which is why nas was like “you wanted to be on every last one of my classics” nobody cared about jay z until vol. 2, he didn’t start spittin that real hood talk until vol. 2. jay was wearin the shiny suit with puff in vol. 1, he’s just a better businessman then nas is. nas is a better rapper than jay z though. and for you niggas that say ohh jay is so real he talks the truth if i rap about me eating a sanwhich and being on the computer that doesn’t make it hot just cuz its true. but anyways ether exposed jay z for what he really was and not what he is always portraying himself to be. ether was the 1st time someone other than jay z said anything in a song about jay z besides tupac. and jay wouldnt be bringing it up now if he really felt like he won. jay z could never make a song like ether but nas could easily have made a song like takeover. takeover was wack but the beat was hot. sorry to write a book but I’m out

  • oskamadison

    Well, look at this, I’m the 87th (!!!) person to comment on a 9 year old topic that died 5 years ago. Why are we still arguin’ about this? Better yet, why is Hov draggin’ this back up? It’s almost 2011, who gives a shit?

  • Anonymous

    Here it is.

    Jay Z was about Nas’s career (and a great diss)

    But Ether was about Jay Z as a man and ripped him to shreds. Again, anyone that actually thinks Takeover was better has got to have dementia.

    • Jay’s nurse

      That’s right, Jay-Z has dementia. Old Hov.

  • d.

    Whatever Jigga, whatever.

  • brand-new

    a lot of people forget about the stillmatic freestyle nas did over that paid in full beat, it was like a table setter for ether, “rip through memphis, hit the freeway, go to philly and eat beans fast” and talking about him not having any priors before the un rivera case, great track

  • tevethecat

    lol look at all these hatas, everyone know takeover was better that ether.

    Takeover=Facts
    Ether=lil kid jokes about big lips wtf?

    point blank is look at Jay 10 years lata, and look at now, Nas “MAY” have won the battle but Jay won the war.

    • JOHNATHON

      “How much of biggies rhymes is gone come out yo fat lips”
      “When KRS already made an album called Blueprint”
      “In ’88 you was getting chased through your building

      Calling my crib and I ain’t even give you my numbers

      All I did was gave you a style for you to run with”
      “Wearing Jaz chains, no tecs, no cash, no cars

      No jail bars Jigga, no pies, no case

      Just Hawaiian shirts, hanging with little Chase”
      “Is he Dame Diddy, Dame Daddy or Dame Dummy?

      Oh, I get it, you Biggie and he’s Puffy”

      Come on man, there’s a phrase called you got ethered, not you got taken over

  • Big K

    Guys, Guys, Listen: When people from your own camp tells you that your enemy woop your ass, listen to them. They were being honest about it because you ask for it. ( ask Dame at the time of the battle.)

    Nas’s diss took everybody by surprise… even Jay. By the way, until Jay does an album like
    “Distant Relative”, legacy will show that Nas was lyrically better than Jay in all aspect of the game. In this situation, money isn’t everything.

  • Dead President

    oh yeah & the pac sample in ether – OUCH that there alone murkd jay hahaha

  • smittycent

    Nigga’s is still riding with this gay-z fucker(why? u like his style cause he worth a couple hundred million or u want to fuck his girl)when it comes to hip hop anyone should be able to see this nigga ain’t real,while nas is the truth without going commercial fuck the industry WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR THIS ANTI-CHRIST ASS NIGGA BE SOUGHT OUT FOR WHO HE REALLY IS?

  • Hello

    It’s funny because on the “Blueprint 2″ song Jay-Z admits defeat! Listen to the song. Now it’s not a fact that one song is getter than the other but Jay-z peers said it themselves. Even the best diss/battle MC in the game Eminem said it. “Nas Won!”

  • Hello

    And the beat is the LAST thing that is important in a battle. If those words don’t “Sting” then a beat by Dr.Dre couldn’t make it.

  • Hello

    Now that I’m reading Jay-z comments again…I’m not suprise he said such…I mean…this is Jay-z we’re talking about. This man constantly claims himself the “Greatest in the Game!” Are we REALLY suprised by his comments? I’m not.

  • Anonymous

    ether better than takeover,
    nas better mc than jay z,
    only that the jay z is richer..

  • eddybright

    ether better than takeover,
    nas better mc than jay z,
    only that jay z is richer..

  • DV8

    when someone gets slaughtered in a lyrical battle. We say “________ got ETHERED” not “__________ got TAKEOVERED”. Ether is now part of hiphop vanacular. Why? because Nas ETHERED Jay-Z. Ether showed you how to do a diss song (there are a few others Dj Quik and Ice Cube to name a few). You clown that man with no mercy.

    Jay-Z shouldnt have even mentioned that shit. We already know it was a dark day at Rocafella when that shit dropped. Takeover wasnt even initially about Nas, it was about Prodigy then Jay threw that last verse about Nas on there later.

    Jay tryed to do his little sucker punch like he always does and picked the wrong one to fuck with and got knocked out.

  • Rockcity

    I see Jay-z soul is still burnin slow lol takeover was better? Does he not remember being on hot97 asking “Did I really deserve that?” lol at bringing up a beef from 9 years ago I never hear Nas mention takeover. .i wonder y . . .

  • freakey toney

    ONE LAST THING. NAS ALSO MURDERED JAY ON I HOPE YOU GOT URSELF A GUN SONG

  • Jon baxter

    Ether is the most over rated diss trak of all time… and Takeover slaughters it. Jay gets at Nas with one verse more then Nas could do with an entire song. Plus after that track, Prodigy was never the same… he especially got bodied lol.

  • dance³

    its hard to take this seriously, the fact that jay has to bring it up spells it out, i mean just listen to both tracks, ether is a 9 or 10 and take over is like a 2, anyone could have spit that, soulja boy could have ghost written those verses, there is no contest

  • chris breezy

    Hmm nas won against gay-z and cock-a-fella beef. “THEN YOU GOT THE NERVE TO SAY YOU BETTER THAN BIG, DICK SUCKING LIP”. Im done

  • chris breezy

    “2 scared to smile they called you ugly” “you thirty six in a karate class” ” ” I ROC HOES YALL ROCK FELLAS” “FOXY GOT YOU HOT CUZ YOU KEPT YA FACE IN HER PUSS”

  • Russell

    Nas spanked Jay. Jay wouldn’t even bring it up now if he honestly felt like he won. He indirectly admitted that he lost in the title track from the Blueprint 2. Jay is the type that never even speaks on any beef stuff. The Game, Beanie Sigel, Gucci Mane, Brian Pumper, 50 Cent and a whole gang of other rappers have taken HEAVY ass shots at Jay repeatedly and you can’t even get him to say two words about it because he knows that he has them beat one way or another. And he knows that it goes without saying that he has them beat so actually saying it is futile. Nas, on the other hand, really got under Jay’s skin. He’s the only guy in Jay’s career that ever ruffled his feathers lol because he knows he got his ass handed to him. Jay didn’t even let 2Pac get to him when he was chompin’ his ass off in his Makaveli days. He wouldn’t even be bringing this battle up 10 years after the fact if the majority of people sided with him instead of Nas. I’m a huge fan of both of them I have every single one of each of their albums, literally, and listen to them all on the regular and I can say with complete confidence that Nas BODIED Jay.

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  • chegarcia

    one mic vs. the industry

  • JOHNATHON

    Wow Jay is in Denial still, “I think in history when we look back” LOL that’s why when someone has a good diss nowadays we say “you got ether” NOT you got taken over, I’ve NEVER heard anyone ever say you got taken over