Tina Lawson has defended Jay-Z after critics suggested Hov — real name Shawn Carter — did not deserve his ranking as the number-one rapper of all time.
In honor of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary, Billboard and Vibe created a list of the “Top 50 Greatest Rappers” who’ve influenced the industry with their lyricism, flow, longevity, and accolades.
On Wednesday, Feb. 8, the publication uploaded its top-10 arrangement, which includes Nicki Minaj, Snoop Dogg, Drake, Lil Wayne, and The Notorious B.I.G as their number 10 through six picks.
Eminem, Tupac, Nas, and Kendrick Lamar occupied the top five through two slots, with Jay-Z coming out on top as number one.
The outlet credited Jigga’s “longevity, the breadth of his accomplishments, and what he’s meant to hip-hop from a musical, cultural and financial standpoint for the last three decades,” as its reasoning for granting him G.O.A.T status.
The “99 Problems” rapper’s placement provoked chatter from social media users who didn’t necessarily agree with Billboard’s choice.
Regardless of the backlash Billboard faced for putting Jay-Z as number one, his mother-in-law, Tina Lawson, stood by the publication’s decision and clapped back at haters who shared their unfavorable viewpoints.
“Everyone has an opinion, but personally I totally agree!! [red heart],” the 69-year-old captioned her Instagram post.
Lawson also added a screenshot photo from @spiritualworld’s Instagram page that showed Jay-Z with the headline, “Billboard Ranks Jay-Z As the Greatest Rapper of All Time.”
Several fans expressed their beliefs under her comments section, noting how successful her son-in-law has become over the years.
“Jay-Z is definitely great but not #1 He’s a 4 inrapping. Definitely #1 as a hop business mogul. I feel you though momma Tina imma say my son is #1 to”
“It’s not about opinion, jay is really the goat unless you come from a different planet.”
“Come on Mama Tine step behind yours!”
Jay-Z came into the music industry full force in the late ’80s, and his talent didn’t stop at just rap. In 1995, the 53-year-old co-founded his record label, Roc-A-Fella Records, with Damon Dash and Kareem “Biggs” Burke.
The record label was sold in 2004 for $10 million to its parent label, Def Jam, however, the businessman’s ventures didn’t end there.
In 2008, he created an entertainment agency, Roc Nation, where critically acclaimed artists such as Rihanna, Shakira, and Alicia Keys were signed.
Jay-Z’s entrepreneurship, investments, and partnerships led him to reach billionaire status in 2019, apart from his wife, Beyoncé.
He then received credit as hip-hop’s first billionaire and graced the cover of Forbes magazine, which painted a picture of how Jay-Z grew to his wealthy status.
Though there may be doubts surrounding Jay-Z’s number-one title holding spot, there’s no doubt that he has been on grind mode for over 20 years.
