"99 Problems" by Jay-Z

We listen to music all the time. Whether it’s on the radio when you’re driving, or your favorite Pandora station while you study, music is often playing in the background of our lives. However, rarely do people pay attention to the meaning behind song lyrics. We may know the lyrics or beat well enough to sing along, but how often do you actually sit down and think about why a song was written or what social, religious, economic, or political implications the lyrics may have?

One artist who I believe excels in writing music with a greater meaning in the lyrics is Jay-Z. The first example that comes to mind is the song “99 Problems” by Jay-Z. When he raps, “I got 99 problems but a bitch ain’t one,” he is not simply referring to a woman in a derogatory manner. In this case, Jay-Z is referencing women as bitches in relation to other people’s experiences, but he is mainly using the word bitch to mean a female dog.

In the second verse of “99 Problems,” Jay-Z discusses an encounter that he had with the police. If you look at the lyrics, he is sharing a real-life experience from 1994. Jay-Z was transporting some form of illegal cargo when he was racially profiled. While going the speed limit, a police officer decided to pull him over because his appearance was suspicious:

And I heard “Son do you know why I’m stopping you for?”

Cause I’m young and I’m black and my hat’s real low

Do I look like a mind reader sir, I don’t know

“Well you was doing fifty five in a fifty four”

The officer continues to question Jay-Z about whether or not he is carrying a weapon due to his race. He also believes that Jay-Z will be uneducated simply because of his appearance:

“License and registration and step out of the car”

“Are you carrying a weapon on you I know a lot of you are”

I ain’t stepping out of shit all my papers legit

“Do you mind if I look round the car a little bit?”

Well my glove compartment is locked so is the trunk and the back

And I know my rights so you gon’ need a warrant for that

“Aren’t you sharp as a tack are some type of lawyer or something?”

“Or somebody important or something?”

Nah I ain’t passed the bar but I know a little bit

Enough that you won’t illegally search my shit

In real life, the officer threatens to bring a K-9 unit to sniff for drugs outside of the car (“We’ll see how smart you are when the K-9’s come”) but receives a call on the radio and is forced to let Jay-Z go and respond to the other call. When Jay-Z says, “I got 99 problems but a bitch ain’t one,” he is referencing how he no longer faces the issue of the dog coming to sniff his car for drugs.

What are some other examples of song lyrics that hold significance? Do you think that race is a frequent topic among song lyrics?