Feelin' It

Released on April 15, 1997 as the fourth single from his debut album Reasonable Doubt, Feelin' It stands as a definitive example of East Coast jazz rap. The track relies on a smooth, luxurious production built by Ski around a sample of Ahmad Jamal's Pastures. While the parent album arrived in June 1996, this single reached listeners later that spring through Roc-A-Fella Records and Priority Records.

Ski originally crafted the instrumental for the duo Camp Lo before Jay-Z convinced him to hand over the beat. Mecca provides the soulful chorus that contrasts with Jay-Z's confident verses about wealth and status. Commercially the song peaked at number 22 on the Hot Rap Singles chart and number 46 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart without crossing into the mainstream Billboard Hot 100.

The song gained notoriety beyond its initial run when 50 Cent parodied the hook on his 2002 diss track Be a Gentleman during his feud with Jay-Z. Kendrick Lamar also sampled the instrumental for The Art of Peer Pressure on his 2012 album good kid, m.A.A.d city. The Roots covered the track live on their album The Roots Come Alive cementing its place in hip-hop history. [bearbeiten]