Only one rapper inspired Jay-Z to reach his peak potential. Throughout his 13 solo albums, Jay-Z not only showcased his incredible prowess as an MC, but his incredible capacity to grow, somehow continuing to improve and evolve with each project. Some will look to his frequent collaborators like Ye (the artist formerly known as Kanye West) or his wife, Beyoncé, as his core inspiration.

One artist left an impression on Jay-Z more than the rest. As recalled on New Rory & Mal, fellow Brooklynite Notorious B.I.G. inspired Jay-Z to bring his best to the mic. New Rory and Mal stars music producer Rory Farrell and Jamil "Mal" Clay, brother of Kareem "Biggs" Burke, the man who founded Roc-A-Fella Records with Jay-Z. As Mal explains, Biggs had given Jay an urgent call to meet him on 125th St in front of Apollo in NYC.

Jay makes the urgent drive, Biggs gives him the then-unreleased record on a CD. Jay proceeded to listen to the song "for like a half hour," and was immediately inspired to go to the studio and make some music.

Jay-Z Was Inspired by "Who Shot Ya?" by The Notorious B.I.G.

The History and Legacy of "Who Shot Ya?" Explained

The Notorious B.I.G. released "Who Shot Ya?" on February 21st, 1995 as part of a B-Side on the release of his single, "Big Poppa/Warning." In a 2004 interview, Jay-Z recalled "the world stopped" when the song dropped. The timing of the song's release came mere months after 2Pac was shot on November 30th, 1994 in the lobby of Quad Recording Studios in Manhattan, New York. Pac was being robbed for $40,000 worth of jewelry. Meanwhile, unrelated, B.I.G. was in the same building on a higher floor in the recording studio with Junior M.A.F.I.A. He and Pac were friends, but the timing only furthered Pac's paranoia.

"Who Shot Ya?" became instrumental in this rap beef as the timing of its release made Pac believe that the song was referencing his shooting. In reality, B.I.G. recorded "Who Shot Ya?" months before it happened. In fact, as Lil Cease recalls in a Drink Champs interview, the song was originally crafted for the intro to Mary J. Blige's My Life album, but was inevitably deemed "too hard" for the R&B project. Contrary to popular belief, "Who Shot Ya?" was not a diss, and even after Pac's "Hit 'Em Up" response, B.I.G. never dissed Pac publicly, only expressing desire to squash the beef.

Jay-Z and The Notorious B.I.G. Inspired Each Other

The Relationship Between Two GOAT-Level Rappers Explained

While Notorious B.I.G. had awkward tension with Tupac Shakur, he had a blossoming friendship with Jay-Z, to the point that they once had plans to formulate a rap stable, called The Commission. In previous interviews, as well as a Spaces session on X, Jay-Z has previously told the story that Mal tells in his aforementioned podcast. In his own , Jay re going into the studio that very night to write and record four songs, but in his opinion, "none of them were as good as 'Who Shot Ya?'"

The two had a wholesome friendship, but also a friendly competition that yielded results on both ends.

It's clear that even after all of his success and iration as the GOAT of rap, Jay-Z respects B.I.G. and holds his skill level in high regard. Even while B.I.G. was alive, that was evident, as listeners can tell on their song together, "Brooklyn's Finest," that they brought the best out of each other, hoping to one-up each other. The two had a wholesome friendship, but also a friendly competition that yielded results on both ends. As much as Jay-Z is positioned by hip-hop heads as the best rapper of all time, Biggie is the bar he hopes to reach in his mind.

Source: New Rory & Mal's X page, Drink Champs on YouTube, @TheRocSupremacy on X