Jay-Z Samples Sizzla on “Magna Carta Holy Grail”

Jigga’s Track “Crown” is only the latest rap jam to rework Kalonji’s hit “Solid As A Rock”

Whether or not you bought a new Samsung phone, you’re probably listening to Magna Carta Holy Grail right now. Jay-Z’s 12th studio album  leaked shortly after his exclusive app crashed, short-circuiting a multi-million-dollar promo plan. Oh well—meet the #NewRules, same as the #OldNewRules. More importantly, you may already have noticed that track #8, a song called “Crown,” opens with a long, ghostly slowed-down sample of  Sizzla’s 2002 hit “Solid As A Rock,” taken from his classic Bobby Digital–produced album, Da Real Thing. The Jay-Z tune, Produced by Travi$ Scott and 16-year-old newcomer WundaGirl, has folks buzzing about Magna Carter dissing sports agent Scott Boras. But for reggae lovers, it’s all about the continuing trend of major rap releases sampling dancehall tunes. Like many top dancehall artists, Sizzla has collaborated with rap stars in the past—most notably on his duets with Foxy Brown and Dipset. But more than any other song in Sizzla’s vast catalog, “Solid As A Rock” remains his best known release in hip-hop circles. Who can’t relate to a tune whose first words are “They can’t keep a good man down”? Click through the gallery above to revisit all the various rap versions of this Sizzla classic.