Ah,
What the hell have you done,
to even have an opinion on what I been doing,
what the hell have y’all won,
only thing you can identify with is losing,
10 number 1 albums in a row,
who better than me?
only the Beatles nobody ahead of me,
I crush Elvis in his blue suede shoes,
Made the rolling stones seem sweet as coolaid 2,
96, 97, 98, 99, 2000, 2001 and beyond,
02, 03, 04, 05, 06 and 7, 08, 09
back to back double plat, i did what you want,
men lie women lie, numbers don’t,
ain’t nothing changed for me except the year it is,
i think have to send you a reminder,

Jay-Z

No, because people who now about music prefer Elvis over that guy. Also, Elvis wasnt the best but he did sing good  and played some instruments, he sang better than Jay Z.

Fixed

Pretty big debate has gone on here.

I found this when on youtube, thinking about this thread.

Judge it for yourselves.

why the last 3 years?

as you ask, ill name you 3: Oasis, R.E.M and U2, all released albums in the last 3 years, all UK number one's

but i would add, how recent music is has no baring on its quality (though, imo, ive not heard much good since the 90's)

also, sales do not = quality

critics can be bought and sold by record companies 

no is disagree Hell no is strong dissagree yes is strong agree.

Let's just say that in 50 years, Jay-Z would be remembered in rap music in they way Elvis is remembered in rock music.  It's not fair to compare an artist still making music with artists that currently are not. (or dead for that matter)

"people who know more about music prefer Elvis overt that guy"

I'm not even going to dignify that with a comment.

Except that he hasn't sold anywhere near as many albums or singles as Elvis. Which means he isn't bigger. Hitting number 1 is a great milestone but it doesn't mean his music will have the legs the Kings music has.

For example look at AC/DC's Back in Black Album. It never hit number 1 in America and yet its shipped over 22 million copies (which incedientally isn't that much less then Jay Z's entire career in American in terms of sales) there.

Again hitting number 1 is great, but it really doesn't mean the album will go on to sell anything remarkable in the long term.

Nas "If I ruled the ruled"

[Nas]
Life..... I wonder....
Will it take me under.... I don't know

Imagine smoking weed in the streets without cops harassin
Imagine going to court with no trial
Lifestyle cruising blue behind my waters
No welfare supporters more conscious of the way we raise our daughters
Days are shorter, nights are colder
Feeling like life is over, these snakes strike like a cobra
The world's hot my son got not evidently
It's elementary, they want us all gone eventually
Trooping out of state for a plate knowledge
of coke was cooked without the garbage we'd all have the top dollars
Imagine everybody flashin, fashion
Designer clothes, lacing your click up with diamond vogues
Your people holdin dough, no parole
No rubbers, go in raw imagine law with no undercovers
Just some thoughts for the mind
I take a glimpse into time
watch the blimp read "The World Is Mine"

[Lauryn Hill (Nas)]
1 - If I ruled the world (Imagine that)
I'd free all my sons, I love em love em baby
Black diamonds and pearls
(Could it be, if you could be mine, we'd both shine)
If I ruled the world
(Still livin for today, in these last days and times)

[Nas]
The way to be, paradise like relaxin black, latino and anglo-saxon
Armani exchange the reins
Cash, Lost Tribe of Shabazz, free at last
Brand new whips to crash then we laugh in the iller path
The Villa house is for the crew, how we do
Trees for breakfast, dime sexes and Benz stretches
So many years of depression make me vision
The better livin, type of place to raise kids in
Open they eyes to the lies history's told foul
But I'm as wise as the old owl, plus the Gold Child
Seeing things like I was controlling, click rollin
Trickin six digits on kicks and still holdin
Trips to Paris, I civilized every savage
Gimme one shot I turn trife life to lavish
Political prisonner set free, stress free
No work release purple M3's and jet skis
Feel the wind breeze in West Indies
I make Coretta Scott-King mayor the cities and reverse themes to Willies
It sounds foul but every girl I meet to go downtown
I'd open every cell in Attica send em to Africa

Repeat 1

[Laurin Hill]
And then we'll walk right up to the sun
Hand in hand
We'll walk right up to the sun
We won't land
We'll walk right up to the sun
Hand in hand
We'll walk right up to the sun
We won't land

[Nas]
You'd love to hear the story how the thugs live in worry
Duck down in car seats, heat's mandatory
Runnin from Jake, gettin chased, hunger for papes
These are the breaks many mistakes go down out of state
Wait, I had to let it marinate we carry weight
Tryin to get laced, flip the ace stack the safe
Millionaire plan to keep the gat with the cop camera
Makin moves in Atlanta, back and forth scrambler
Cause you could have all the chips, be poor or rich
Still nobody want a nigga havin shit
If I ruled the world and everything in it, sky's the limit
I push a Q-45 Infinit
It wouldn't be no such thing as jealousies or B Felonies
Strictly living longevity to the destiny
I thought I'd never see but reality struck
Better find out before your time's out, what the fuck???

Repeat 1

[Laurin Hill (Nas)]
If I ruled the world, if I ruled, if I ruled (Imagine that)
I'd free all my sons, if I ruled, if I ruled
I love em love em baby
Black diamonds and pearls, black dimaonds, black diamonds
(Could it be, if you could be mine, we'd both shine)
If I ruled the world
(Still livin for today, in these last days and times)

If I ruled the world, if I ruled,if I ruled
I'd free all my sons
black diamonds, I love em love em baby
Black diamonds and pearls, if I ruled
If I ruled the world

If I ruled the world
I love em love em baby!!