Jay-Z - American Dreamin Live (American Gangster)

[kurvixon]

watch?v=fkfl5ebmfVE

[LAPushstar]

Damn man I remember when this aired on tv. Jay Z is so cold with the flow and this whole album was a classic.

[kpumaorn]

@2:01 'its like tony larussa on how you play your cards' LETS GO CARINALS, WORLD SERIES 2011!!!!

[ilb23]

j messed up that last verse

[coldplay42foru]

Surviving droughts I wish you well . I'm so sick I wish you health. Jayz the coldest

[MegaTonecapone]

@coldplay42foru illiest

[BERNARDO712]

The live versions of AG are so dope when done with the jazzy feel.

[getitdirectTV]

"nothin wrong with my aim...just gotta change the target"

[luvAtlNycMia]

I can listen to this over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over......

[WGines614]

when it hits 9seconds... man.... what uh breathe of fresh air...

[kingjaffejoe32]

ahead and behind his time

genius

[NotoriousNYNJ]

This is who Jay Z wants to be but pop culture wont let him...

[BubbaDaPitcha4]

To me when Jay-Z really done... Hip Hop will need a savior.. will it be Nas? love this performance from the band too.. especially when the horns at 2:06 hit.

[BeyondthisEarth15]

yessirr luv the band!

[poetmm]

hell yeah american gangster out shine bp3 but again bp3 was a good album with just radio frendliy songs on it so i don't blame him for that

[tobohagen]

so smooth so nice

Now this is music!!!

[analserpent]

check out TTurk.. for the realest flow in m y channel

[Ish740]

Picture well painted, close your eyes, and listen...."The American Dream." You'd have to be blind to see it.

[dadefinest305]

Damn, that nigga said something which made reminisce, "lay on the bed, close your eyes, and think you're not going to college".  American Dream... I won't stop chasin' you though, i promise

[yashasvi000pratap]

This is jay naturally...

[raoulhery]

12 people are american nightmarin lol

[mhatimy1]

@raoulhery lol thats epic

[MissKaLii]

12 people didnt survive the drought...

[amanneygangstaa]

My Name Is A Manney Gangsta Not American Gangsta.

You! Nigga U Mis Enter.

[EmmeEsq]

Just in case anyone was thinking JayZ went somewhere...nah. This is how you stay rappin after 40. The whole song is sexy. What other rapper you know can slap a live band behind him and make you wanna two step? Umm hmm.

[antuanlove]

Omg, you are in the basement and you realize you are no coming to the college damn....the same thing happened a friend of mine.... but he always kept the head up and now he has a lot of money and bitches lol, that is so true jay z.... real history....

[Rudboi100]

i know some people consider jay-z to be the best rapper ever. in my humble opinion i think he's the greatest artist from our generations FROM ANY GENRE OF MUSIC....jay-z should have already won a grammy for album of the year. he's got several classic albums under his belt, jus like american gangster...

[TVNoah]

I survived the drought.

[dunkscoots]

real s^^t

[sheka2hot]

@ MrJadensDad, thanks!

[DowntownPhillie]

anybody got a download link for this.... the live is so much better than the album....the bass goes harder..

[farshid71]

is Jay-Z a Depeche Mode fan?

[MobiusX]

damn, jay z is on another level with this song 

[amnjordan23]

is it me...or do you prefer the live version from the album...?

[thaboyj1s]

i said the same thing @amnjordan23

[1HunitEnt]

@amnjordan23 Live!

[lamak190]

@amnjordan23 i keep telling my self the entire album was recorded, with the intension of having great live proformances

[Southerngirl675]

love it. dreams do come true. peace.

[johnna44]

this is my fav jay z album and 1 of my favs ever. this was a really good album. hip hop started 2 really fade after this

[ATLienSlin]

damn this is so good muzik

[TheWaveysession]

Classic

[jl2694]

at all cost u better avoid these bars...lmao that nicga sick..lame dudes can never get it.classic

[Joint00786]

storytellers?

[GLAMCCCity]

THIS SONGS IS FOR SUPPORTALL MEXICANOS AND LATINOS. UN SALUDO A SUS MAMIS DE TODOS LOS QUE support our law enforcement and safe neighborhoods act

[antuanlove]

you are in the basement... thinking what i gonna do with my life.....? damn...... so real

[lornytoon]

this album of jay-z its my favorite and this band its the best

[mjjcng8958]

marvin gaye adds that touch to this song.

[Ltron9]

@mjjcng8958 Marvin WAS this song!!!! Marvin Gaye Rules!!!!!

[zaxus90]

i want it on dvd!!

[paris230410]

@zaxus90 so as I man so as i and i want it sooooo bad

[yanfrom1987]

toodouu 

[alilxbittaxdis]

god he's an amazing rapper

[bronxbabi100]

Yo, WHO is the DRUMMER on this?? He is F.I.R.E.!!!

[jaybeazee]

@bronxbabi100 Mario Winans

[eric4041]

@bronxbabi100 I think its Tony Royster Jr, but can anyone else confirm that?? I am pretty certain he was Jays drummer at Bonarroo but not sure about here.

[shannonaustin04]

@eric4041

yea that is tony he is jays full time drummer

[bronxbabi100]

@eric4041 Thank you, I didn't think it was no Mario Winans. Tony's the shit.

[AZ520ful]

real modern rap.

[bronxbabi100]

This shit is real. Classic.

[MrJadensDad]

I saw this when it came on BET initially. This is classic. I agree, this is far superior to BP3.

[raoulhery]

@MrJadensDad yes it is

[4mAALIKcHIN4]

@ raoulhery: outshined by blueprint 3, i thinks not. but that's all opinion.

[raoulhery]

sounds better live

[kazuuka]

I remember when I first heard this song I was 16. I was doing my A-levels there's an optional route at the end to go to university.

And I remember hearing the first verse about him dreaming of getting a grant to go to Harvard, but then being brought back down to earth by his people and his immediate surroundings. This was exactly what I was going through at the time.

Now I'm going to the University of Cambridge this makes the verse that much more bone chilling! Peace Jay G.O.A.T.

[TheJazzypup]

@kazuuka congrats on getting into cambridge!!

I'm 15 and its my dream to go, but I WILL make it a reality.

[frostyicy]

Step 1 in the process scramble up in ya projects, then head to the heights where big coke is processed, you gotta convenience em that you not from the precinct, but please speak slow cuz he no speaky no ingles, If he takes a liking after a couple of trips and ya money is straight he gonna give you consignment....

This is a true hustlas wisdom....

[Cypherchat]

survive the drought i wish you well....

[antuanlove]

that is my song

[LdotAngel77]

THIS Is The Version I've Been Looking For All Over Youtube! Love It!

[meSSican80]

5 stars for Tony Royster Jr!

[egdapo]

then kudos to u sir

[bboxkain]

q killah este huasho es re grosso!!

[TVlesliearnelle]

HOT performance!

[Blackhandles]

On that repeat line, Hova had a little of that Denzel Washington feel. Great song.

[93rocnation]

i cant decide wether i like this or blueprint 3 more... i mean blueprint 3s proly doin better but i duno

[egdapo]

american gangster was FAAARRR better than blueprint 3...he had nothin to get off his chest or prove for american gangster, twas pure inspiration...at least thats how the album felt to me compared to bp3. bp3's good too dont get me wrong but AM is BETTER

[w3thebest]

I think your absolutely right...he tells a story with AG. With tracks like Reminder, Home, and ambitious he had something to prove

[xoxgary]

True,But Then Again this album wasnt an album more like a soundtrack,rememerb it wasnt his iddea for the album,paramouth told him to make it,si it was inspired form the movie

but he had shit to prove on bp3,what we talkin bout n reminder proves that

[egdapo]

so u argued all the way around and ended up saying exactly wat i was saying in d first place...and where does dis info abt paramount askin him to make AM come from...where's ur source?

[egdapo]

Ur looking for a fight and im not gonna give u one...respect this space too much for that.

However, i have watched all of VH1 StoryTellers, and yeah i heard the Paramount part, but they did NOT commission him to do AM. Infact, watch the 1st video under related videos on this page, by blacktreemedia. He says himself that he was inspired to do it &not that some1 gave him d project to do

[egdapo]

Ive also watched the cleaned up AND Unedited versions of Jays Charlie Rose interview, the one on The Big Idea, the ones with Oprah, Ellen, Bill Maher, David Letterman interviews...u name it, ive probably seen it so lets leave out who has seen wat and who hasnt seen wat

[egdapo]

lol, u trying to AMOG me? LMAO...yeah I am a youtube poser, well at least on this subject I am. Thanks for the back and forth tho...twas def not worth the time

[AntwoneFisher3]

I personally think that this is Jay Z's best song. I'm more into the deep profound meanings in his life, so my favorite songs of his are

1. AMERICAN DREAMIN

2. BEACH CHAIR

3. MEET THE PARENTS

4.D'EVILS

5.MOMENT OF CLARITY

6. HEART OF THE CITY

I think KINGDOM COME doesnt get the respect it deserves, it was a classic album and its his most personal and spiritual album to date.

Just my opinion though, does anyone agree??

[lowkey185]

listen to you must love.

very deep. talks about brother, mother n ex girlfriend who smuggled drugs for him

[AntwoneFisher3]

@lowkey185 ..... I've heard that many times, thats also a great song.... I like when he says about his brother..." how can i go out that way, but you still wanted to see me in the hospital the next" ..... I also like his song ANYTHING of Beanie Siegels first album.... In mY Lifetimen Allure, Do U Wanna Ride.... Jay is the man.

[MOISTTOWLETS]

jay has many classics. I agree its an underrated album. Imo jay is the goat hes the jordan of rap like he said

[raoulhery]

@AntwoneFisher3 Kingdom come is like Vol1, the expectation xas too high!! when jigga came with something different, fans didnt appreciate it

[BlkBoysMagic]

@raoulhery I agree man...kingdom come was a sick album but ppl's expectation was way to high

[gerrenx7]

@AntwoneFisher3 yo man you forgetting Allure

[SHYEUNA]

i luv the trumpet interludes and his fluxiation in his voice Plus jay FFFFFFFFFFIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNN­NNEEEEEEEEE as ever

[kbeautylicious]

Nice. This took me there..

Yeah boy..I love me sum Jay Z

[jellitunes]

Love it

[jazzefingers]

real hip hop! good music! gotta be at one of these live shows....check out this group "INRG" i been listening to ...they are bringing back real hip hop, keep it alive!

[raoulhery]

american ganster is a classic album, lyrically and for the beats!! COmpletely outshined by the BP3

[MsMerising]

If he hadn't dropped 'Kingdome Come' and B3 his legacy would have been flawless. Imagine is Black was rthe last than he dropped American Gangster? Would have been too incredible.

[aaliyah104]

@raoulhery are you saying that BP3 is better than American Gangster

[raoulhery]

@aaliyah104 au contraire mon frère!! i think American Gangster is in the shadow of BP3 even tough A.G. is way better

[IGOTCHOPZ]

My niGGA Tony Roy on the set...HomeBoy is an animal lol

[Internationalhustlar]

Jay z is the greastes rapper ever his live shows are so soulful

[BigRyan99]

You're now in a game where only time can tell

Survive the droughts, i wish you well...

Survive the droughts? I wish you well?

How sick am i? I wish you HEALTH

I wish you wheels, i wish you wealth

I wish you insight so you could see for yourself

HAHAHA good night!

you don't get more real than that

[mcorte8]

really great drummer..

[drummerboi15208]

Tony Royster Jr. Look him up. Da man is a PURE BEAST LOL

[mcorte8]

thanks man..!!

[SICKSCOUSA]

surviving droughts i wish u well.. hold up surviving droughts i wish u well how sick am i i wish u wealth i wish u wheels i wish u health .... best line in the whole songg :)

[sheka2hot]

This album is one of my favs! That band is what's up. Is this performance on DVD?

[macouba2]

No It's Not.

[MrJadensDad]

@sheka2hot download it on real player and burn it for yourself.

[EZESLIM05]

@sheka2hot This Performance is on The Story Teller made by VH1

[frostyicy]

The say its celestial all in the stars its like Tony LaRussa how you play ya cards...

Tony LaRussa is the manager of the St.Louis CARDinalS and plays his CARDS. But at the same time he's talkin about how you play the hand that your dealt, like playing your lifes Cards!!!!

This dude is by far a lyrical genius, damn what you heard Jay-Z is in a league of his own. He should even be put in the same sentence of other rappers these days its like other rappers, then Jay-Z with the exception of a Nas.

[Aphasia17]

thanks but i already knew that

[08reyman]

G.O.A.T u kno u the greatest when niggas gotta do research on yo lyrics

Jay-Z was in the game he talkin bout in this song long before rap.

[thugswannabee]

"Ya now in a game where only time can tell"

My goodness. That line alone might make him the best rapper alive.

[siyandapaulvundle]

AMerican dreaming a very good song lyrically and the band behind it beautiful indeed !!!!

[gerrenx7]

Be careful, i think i see lil mama lurking in the shadows...waiting to strike

[Valdary7]

As far as depth, this just might be his best song of all time. This is one song that everybody can relate to (and biggie's "Everyday Struggle"). Grown man song indeed!!

[onlyoneshowtime]

jigga is on a whole new zone and hes stronger than ever..smooth as song

[greazygrim2fly]

but for now im jus a lazy boy// daydreaming in my lazy boy// in a cloud of smoke playin this marvin// mamma 4give me i should be thinking bout harved// but thats too faraway and niggas is starving// nuttin wrong wit my aim jus got to change my target// i got dreams of baggin sniddow// the size of pillows// i see pies everytime my eyes cliddows//

[irishboy664]

the lyrics on the american gangster album were sick but i found alot of the beats to...plain. my opinion dont hate

[justadrum]

I still love Jay but I feel like he doesn't have it anymore. It was something magical about those Roc days. It all changed somewhere after "The Black Album." I love this though and still support my man. He really held us down for 10 albums.

[jetdatboy]

Really? you didnt like American Gangster?

[TheReFlexin]

Jay still on top after all these years, def the best rapper alive

[YoungTurbo23]

"survive a drought i wish you well(hold up) survive a drought i wish you well how sick am i i wish you health i wish you wheels i wish you wealth i wish you insight so you can see for yourself" THATS MY FAVORITE LINE FROM THIS SONG

[circaeternity]

NAH,the cONtinUATION is cRAZY..."WHEN THE cops is scheming,THE JAKES IS COMIN.......

[thethoroughbred]

In the UK version, we have got the lyrics in the booklet, not sure if it's in all countries. However, I wan tot know the exact meaning or lyrics of one line. I think it's printed wrong.

"Had all coasts better before he was bars", I think it's "At all costs, better avoid these bars" and the booklet says something different. I can't remember but it's similar to the internet version, will come back with it later. Any insight would help, to me it doesn't make sense.

[iseeyoujokinbigal]

you are right it is the second one "at all cost better avoid these bars"

[Kswabbs]

The correct lyrics are "The ironies are, At all costs gotta avoid these bars." Its a double entendre, He's saying to avoid the bars, as in jail, but also avoid the bars in the song because it leads down a path of drug dealing, danger etc. Jay-z is probably one of the best rappers when it comes to double meanings.

[thethoroughbred]

I don't understand the double entendre. Is he telling us, the listener, to avoid listening to the rest of the song, if we don't want to know about drug dealing, or is he saying that if he raps, then that would have lead him to drug dealing. Either way I am not too convinced it's a double entendre. Either way, he is a master of them, I know that from plenty of other examples.

[Kswabbs]

Neither, avoid these bars, bars are the lyrics in the song, "The ironies are//at all costs gotta avoid these bars. <==That equals 1 bar. And what he's saying is avoid allowing this to happen in your own life. The following bars in the verse basically explain how to get into the drug game. So the double entendre is him saying to avoid that life style altogether, but at the same time if you do choose that life avoid getting put behind bars.

[thethoroughbred]

Ok. I see. Thanks. It's great to be able to discuss these great lyrics, and find new meanings behind them. Until now, I always felt, Jay-z listeners were uneducated or illiterate. I've been on the forums too, they've dense discussion only.

[Kswabbs]

No problem, and yes, alot of this generation's hip hop fans dont really care, or dont understand good lyricism, metaphors, imagery, alliteration, and allusions that are in hip hop which actually makes it poetry. Alot of the youth only care about the beat and being able to dance to it, which is fine, but is not the foundation rap was grounded on or all it is about.

[mhollo123]

I agree with you kswabbs. 100 percent

[thebatman03]

Along with the double entendre that has been mentioned, I also think that Jay-Z was telling everyone how sick he is on the mic:

"Need a Personal Jesus, i'm in Depeche Mode

They say its celestial, its all in the stars

Like Tony La Russa, how you played the card

Ya'll ain't fucking with me!

The ironies are, at all costs better avoid these bars!"

Tie the last line in with the line before it, & then look at how slick the lines leading up to it were.

[thebatman03]

He's known for triple entendres & openly stating how sick he is on the mic. I have no doubt he just did both of those things with that line.

[AntwoneFisher3]

Survive the droughts I wish you well...... "Understand the double meaning..... When their is a drought you need a water well" than he says ... Hold up hold.... Survive the droughts(hustling), I wish you well...... How sick am I ( sick meaning tight, and also meaning ill) I wish you health.... I wish you INSIGHT so you could see for yourself...... Jay Z is on another level period.... He is the greatest hands down in hip hop..... But this man is a special breed of human yall.... One in a billion

[XAYKING]

jay was always one of my favorite MC then i found out wat all the metaphor's he spit mean, he's a way better lyrist then people give him credit for.

[OTA3000]

no when he says, "how sick am I, I wish you health", he isn't bragging, he's saying that he is a terrible person for supporting ur efforts to be a hustler, and he hopes that you dont follow in his footsteps

[walkman247]

Rap Music really is the epitome of music talent, only in rap can someone express they selves like this, not jus about rhymes, to b a top rapper u need lyrical art which isn't the case in any other Pop culture music genre

[DazeP176]

"take u to the heights were big coke is is process" holla!!!!!!!!!!!!!!....washint­on heights u already!

[flyasasatellite]

rap is poetry so it usually doesn't always says a poem and jay-z pretty awesome at that :)

[B5Google]

i remember watching this on tv, chill song

[kyout9088]

O DAMN

[ninehundredhiphop]

it would have been nice if he released a live album version.

[reatercai]

só se é uma coisa nessa vida, ou vc é alguem ou é ninguem. frank lucas.

[roctrax24]

Tony royster on drums Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!

[chestergrayjr]

jay-z is the truth..hands down

[armedwithflowers]

well. I'm not a fan of the rap.

The singer realy doesn't have much talent

But the band behind him is insane

just listen behind and tune out the voice and it's great

[BALLlSLlFE]

the talent isn't in the voice, its in the lyrics, the delivery the speed and accuracy of the syllables. its definitely much different then any other music, you just gotta learn to recognize different tallent

[PETERDACHAMP714]

amen!

[cecilpjhrrs]

u rite abt the singin but yu kno Jay-Z still has a good story to tell fam

[itsswizzy21]

r yu crazy

[wavyrockstar]

if they are devil worshipers and you believe they are talented then youare going to hell also....the bible says believe unto me and only me, do not becometh of these things of the world.

[DrunKao]

You mean he's not a real person? HE'S A DEMON?!?! OMGWTFBBQ!!!

[DaTrEALmAN]

Marvin Gaye sample

[dablacksquad]

ok simply answer the question watsa so kool about 1:56

[dablacksquad]

wat so kool about that

[googlesryda]

n1ce 2 n1ce!!!!!

[CHiP201205]

I lovin it

[Pule31]

"Need a Personal Jesus, I'm in Depeche Mode"

WOW, WOW, Jay-Z drop Depeche Mode name, it's just awesome !!!

[depechie17]

aaahh!!! =D

[vasherm1]

the bass player is killin...who's on bass?

[Mopreme75]

Tony Russell

[vasherm1]

yeah I found out...thanks though...that cat use to play with john p kee

[9k5]

yes i love tony russell he is one of the sickest bass players out... he was killn for john p kee too

[psp785]

I only album of his I liked other then his first one

[kidraybo7]

This band is on point. Tony Royster Jr is slamming the drums. The horns are locked.

[BklynFlex]

Yo when dis come on VH1 Soul I be watchin it like I was there 4 no reason. I give him props cuz Jay was there when no body was around at dat time.

[NextMogul]

He is the deepest rapper EVER. I would like to know what his IQ is. He would not have run GM and Daimler Chrysler in the ground! Remember he only got to the 8th grade! DAMN!

[jamejia2]

....Yea he is pretty smart, definitely knows how to market himself. I'm pretty sure he went to High School but dropped out....

"I'm not a business man, I'm a BUSINESS, man."