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Izzo (H.O.V.A.)

"Izzo (H.O.V.A.)"
Izzo (H.O.V.A.) (Jay-Z single - cover art).jpg
Single by Jay-Z
from the album The Blueprint
Released August 21, 2001 (2001-08-21)
Format
Recorded 2001
Genre East Coast hip hop
Length 4:00
Label
Writer(s)
Producer(s) Kanye West
Jay-Z singles chronology
"Guilty Until Proven Innocent"
(2001)
"Izzo (H.O.V.A.)"
(2001)
"Girls, Girls, Girls"
(2001)

"Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" (often referred to as "H to the Izzo") is the first single released by Jay-Z from his sixth album The Blueprint. It is among his most popular singles. This was the second song released off The Blueprint, after the diss track "Takeover", but the lead single from it. The song reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. It was Jay-Z's first top 10 single as a lead artist.

The song, produced by Kanye West, prominently features a sample of "I Want You Back" by The Jackson 5, the second major hit in 2001 to sample that song (after "My Baby" by Lil' Romeo).

The music video takes place in New York City with Jay-Z, Damon Dash, Biggs, & other affiliates on a Roc-A-Fella parade float which features cameo appearances from Kanye West, Destiny's Child, Trina, Eve, Nelly, and OutKast.

The song was later mashed up with Linkin Park's "In the End" for their collaborative EP, Collision Course.

The first verse deals with the rapper's early career as a drug dealer, including his escape from conviction. The second verse narrates his struggles with the exploitative recording industry, while in the last verse he reverts to his childhood growing up in the Marcy Houses housing projects.


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