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JAŸ-Z is celebrating the influence and legacy of his timeless hit by releasing it on streaming services for the first time.
On Friday, February 20, Hov dropped his 1996 hit "Dead Presidents" on all DSPs. The song, produced by Ski Beatz, contains a sample of Nas' "The World Is Yours" and was released as the first promotional single from his debut album Reasonable Doubt. JAŸ-Z ultimately decided not to include the original track on the album. An alternate version with the same chorus but different lyrics appears on the album as "Dead Presidents II." Now, the OG version is available on streaming and physical media, including cassettes, CDs and vinyl.
In addition to the OG song, Hov also dropped the music video on streaming platforms. The music video was shot in New York City and shows Hov and former Roc-a-Fella Records co-founder Dame Dash riding around in a white 1993 Lexus GS 300. The vehicle was also put on display at The Book of Hov exhibit at the Brooklyn Library in 2023. Dash wasn't the only special guest to appear in the video. AZ, Lil' Cease, Kareem "Biggs" Burke, Tyran "Ty Ty" Smith, and the Notorious B.I.G. also have cameos in the video.
Fans were surprised to see the song and video up on streaming services. They were suspicious about the veteran rapper's move after he randomly changed his name on streaming services to "JAŸ-Z." The update reflects how Hov used to stylize his stage name during the beginning of his career. He also launched his new website jayz30.com ahead of the 30th anniversary of Reasonable Doubt, which indicates that more surprises are in the works.
Watch the music video for "Dead Presidents" below and listen to the track on iHeartRadio now!