The 32-year-old rapper recently told Instagram viewers that on the day she got Hov’s blessing to sample his Vol. 1 fan favorite, he texted her manager at exactly 4:44 p.m. — the same time his 2017 solo album is famously named for.
Cardi released her 2025 update, “Imaginary Playerz,” last Friday, and it quickly sparked conversation. Some appreciated how she mirrors Jay-Z’s ruthless bravado. Others discovered (or revisited) Jigga’s condescending deep cut, reportedly driving a 300% spike on Spotify. And then there are the underwhelmed purists, who perhaps felt the iconic track should be off-limits.
The Bronx rapper isn’t the first to flip a Hov track, and she damn sure won’t be the last. The God MC is one of hip-hop’s more recognizable touchpoints; flipping his music remains a rite of passage for artists building their legacies. Word to J. Cole’s two stabs at Jay’s “Dead Presidents” instrumental.
With “Imaginary Playerz” (and its gaudy music video) collecting plays and views, there’s no better time to look back on other notable songs that sample Beyoncé’s hubby. Problem is: There are literally thousands to sift through. To whittle down the bulk, we’re focusing on official studio releases. You won’t find freestyles (sorry “The Story of Adidon,” countless Lil Wayne and Fabolous cuts) or remixes (Alicia Keys’ “Empire State of Mind (Part II)”) here, and mere lyric interpolations are deprioritized (peace to “Slide” by H.E.R). The included selections feature Jay’s DNA front and center — his concepts, beats, or aura being recycled to craft something refreshing, unexpected, and/or iconic.
Peep below for 10 songs that sampled Jay-Z to perfection, ranked.
10.“Money Cash Clothes” (2022)
Artist: The Game featuring A$AP Rocky
Sample: “Money, Cash, Hoes” featuring DMX (1998); “More Money, More Cash, More Hoes” featuring Beanie Sigel and Memphis Bleek (1999)
How the hell did The Game get Jay-Z to clear not one but three samples for his Drillmatic album? After years of dissing and praising Hov in equal measure, that magic trick alone earns this standout a slot. After a beat change at the 1:10 mark, Game and Pretty Flacko flip a Vol. 2 heater into a flex about Maybachs, murses, and the muscle to guard both.
9.“Mama Knew Love” (2003)
Artist: Anthony Hamilton
Sample: “Blueprint (Momma Loves Me)” (2001)
Anthony Hamilton was no mixtape rapper, but he damn sure jacked this Blueprint beat and made it his own. The Charlotte crooner opens his sophomore LP, Comin’ From Where I’m From, with a tribute to his mother, acknowledging the struggles and sacrifices she made to raise him. These flowers will never wilt.
8.“Scenario 2000” (1999)
Artist: Eve featuring DMX, Drag-On, and The Lox
Sample: “Jigga My Nigga” (1999)
“Jigga My Nigga” was the biggest song on Ruff Ryders’ first compilation album — and it didn’t feature a single lyricist from the crew. Yikes. Swizz Beatz switched up the scenario for Eve’s debut album months later, rejiggering his beat for Jay-Z’s show-stealing anthem by elongating the opening synths, adding record scratches and stops, and unleashing his labelmates to spit crimes in rhymes.
7.“Angels” (2010)
Artist: Diddy – Dirty Money featuring The Notorious B.I.G. and Rick Ross
Sample: “Where I’m From” (1997)
Rick Ross admiring his bling. Diddy Auto-Tuning through a breakup. Biggie imagining his own death. None of these elements should coexist on one track. But over a flip of a Jay-Z classic? It’s a match made in heaven.
6.“Young Black America” (2017)
Artist: Meek Mill featuring The-Dream
Sample: “Blueprint (Momma Loves Me)” (2001)
Meek delivers his ghetto report card over the same airy Bink! backdrop Hov once used to toast his inner circle. A-plus execution.
5.“Saint Pablo” (2016)
Artist: Kanye West (now Ye) featuring Sampha
Sample: “Where I’m From” (1997)
Kanye capped The Life of Pablo with the album’s sharpest verses, floating over a supercharged piano-and-synth take on Jigga’s Marcy dedication. Fame, family, and finances weigh heavy; Ye gets it all off his chest, no spotter necessary.
4.“Hussle & Motivate” (2018)
Artist: Nipsey Hussle
Sample: “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)” (1998)
After famously sampling Annie for “Hard Knock Life,” Jay-Z reportedly secured sole authority to approve future reworkings of his breakout smash, which meant Nipsey didn’t need to convince the musical’s creators to clear his own version. Contractual lore aside, the slowed-down instrumental preserves the spirit of Hov’s while standing firmly on its own, helping to make Victory Lap a winner.
3.“I’m a Hustla” (2005)
Artist: Cassidy
Sample: “Dirt Off Your Shoulder” (2003)
Jay-Z guest verses were scarce after his supposed swan song, The Black Album, but Swizz Beatz discovered a workaround. The producer chopped and looped the hell out of a Hov vocal sample, turning a hot line into a hot song (and album title) for his own protégé, Cassidy. Can’t knock the hustle, indeed.
2.“You’ve Changed” (2005)
Artist: Keyshia Cole
Sample: “Song Cry” (2001)
On “Song Cry,” S. Carter effed around and found out what happens when a woman’s fed up. Keyshia Cole spun that narrative from the opposite perspective, singing over a pitched-up sample about a guy who did her dirty — and how she got her lick back.
1.“Bring Em Out” (2004)
Artist: T.I.
Sample: “What More Can I Say?” (2003)
Flipping Hov tracks wasn’t quite a thing before Swizzy laced this inescapable hit from T.I. But with one chop — itself a nod to Jay’s late friend and peer, The Notorious B.I.G. — the producer updated his synthesized sound and kicked off a trend that proved repeatable (see: #3) but hardly foolproof. The end result was a banger fit for a kang.
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