Jay-Z

Here’s the thing about Jay-Z: When he says “I. Will. Not. Lose. Ever… Fucker” in “U Don’t Know,” he’s not kidding. Of his studio albums, three are instant-classic, holy-shit ridiculous, and all eleven hit number one on the charts. That’s one more than Elvis. Quite the American Dream for a kid who grew up in the projects without a dad. He’s the rapper who kept the respect of gangsters at the same time he was earning it from moms and presidents. He rolls off missteps like it was all part of the plan, and the backlash evaporates because everyone who meets him wants his approval. He’ll be sharing this bill with Young Jeezy, who’s good, but not good enough that you won’t forget his set entirely about five seconds into “99 Problems.”