Maino Crown’s JAY-Z’s ‘Where I’m From’ A ‘Classic’: ‘He Talkin’ That Talk’

Maino has shared which track from JAY-Z‘s impression catalog contains his favorite lyrics, giving the crown to 1997’s “Where I’m From.”

During an exclusive interview with HipHopDX, the Brooklyn rapper and his Lobby Boyz counterpart Jim Jones were asked to name their favorite Hov lyrics.

Maino opted for Jay’z In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 track, explaining his decision is based on the fact that he, like Hov, is from Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn.

“I’m from the Stuy so when Hov came on and said: ‘I’m from where the hammer’s wrung, the news cameras never come/ You and your mans hung in every verse in your rhyme,’ like c’mon, he talkin’ that talk. That’s classic right there baby.”

Jim Jones’ pick was “U Don’t Know” off The Blueprint. “Jay got a lot of dope verses I ain’t gonna lie,” he said, before spitting “U Don’t Know” lyrics: “One million, two million, three million, four…”

“He got a bunch of shit that’s Hov,” Jimmy continued. “I was on The Blueprint a lot of my time when I was outside hustling before I actually got to be in the music business. He was really on it. Him and Nas.”

Maino’s respect for JAY-Z runs deep. In 2014 when he came under fire for deeming himself the King of Brooklyn, he said the Roc-a-Fella founder was “the king of the world” and therefore couldn’t possibly care about Maino making such a braggadocious claim.

“Biggie okay with that, man,” Maino said at the time in an interview with Whollywood Shuffle. “JAY-Z the king of the world. He ain’t thinking about me, man … He don’t care about my antics and my ways. He don’t give a fuck. Straight up.”

Elsewhere in The Lobby Boyz interview with DX, Jim Jones admitted that he was fuming over Maino‘s breakout single “Hi Hater” when it first dropped in 2009, which in his eyes meant he was living up to the song’s title.

“I was mad,” Jones said. “I don’t think I ever even told you this! I was on fire when I heard that shit. This punk n-gga got a record, I’m upset! He really got a record, now he really in the game. You were on the outskirts to me before ‘Hi Hater.’ I heard ‘Hi Hater,’ I was like, ‘Fuck, man! Who the fuck…’ I kicked the posters over and everything, fuckin’ ‘Hi Hater,’ I’ll punch you right in your mouth.”

He added: “I had every indication in my mind, that was a hit record. There’s no way around it, but I was really pissed off at the time. I was the hater he was saying hi to.”