Five Underrated Jeezy Songs

It’s taken me a while to adjust to the fact that I am an “old head”, but the concept is pretty simple: at the end of the day, there are 15 year-olds that are obsessed with hip-hop, and I’m over twice their age. Unlike other people my age, I don’t downplay the talent of younger artists.

I recognize that the emphasis on lyricism has changed and that melodies play a much more crucial role in hip-hop. I still listen to Jay-Z, Nas, and Biggie, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t enjoy Young Thug, Roddy Ricch, or Baby Keem, either.

I do know one thing, though: a lot of younger hip-hop fans have Jeezy (formerly Young Jeezy) ALL the way fucked up. He might not be as relevant as other artists now, but it seems like there are younger rappers that don’t mind taking shots at Jeezy.

This must be partially because Gucci Mane has played such an integral role in developing younger Atlanta talent. Jay Jenkins (Jeezy) kept more of a low-key profile when it came to signing or collaborating with younger rappers. “All There” was a notable exception — and it’s also an incredible song (RIP to Bankroll Fresh):

Young Thug lamented in his song, Light It Up: “Damn I can’t do nothing with Jeezy / and I plan on dying like this.” The line was simple — he has chosen his side, and Gucci Mane and Jeezy had the kind of “rap beef” that went all the way left — and became real beef. 21 Savage, who has also made his admiration for Gucci Mane quite clear — dissed Jeezy, as well.

I don’t pretend to know whether Atlanta rocks with the Snowman as much as it used to, and it’s no secret that the city loves Gucci Mane. However, it’s important to remember that there was a time where TI and Jeezy epitomized Southern rap. Jeezy was known for cinematic tracks that inspired those that might not have been motivated otherwise — and that kind of respect is hard to quantify.

Why did I take to Medium to show my appreciation for Jeezy? Well, he made it clear that he’s ready for some #Verzuz smoke against TI…and I see that a lot of people on…