Show Me What You Got by JAY-Z Song Info
The first single from his comeback album “Kingdom Come“, “Show Me What You Got” was released on October 30, 2006, just under a month before the album. The song heavily draws from Public Enemy’s “Show ‘Em Whatcha Got”. It leaked to radio on October 6, with Def Jam taking legal action to track down the perpetrators. The track officially premiered at the Lexus Halftime Show during Monday Night Football in October 2006. The music video features racing drivers Danica Patrick and Dale Earnhardt Jr, as well as Jay’s then-newest endorsement. "Kingdom Come was dealing with mature issues and things we hadn’t addressed in hip-hop before, so I knew it was uncharted territory—and I wanted the transition to be fun. I loved the phrasing of the title and the chaotic energy of the drums. It’s like we’re partying, and then [on the album] we close the door and have a conversation. We’ve got some things to talk about. Where are we gonna take rap now? Cause it has to evolve into more. You gotta go through some growing pains to make change. But ‘Show Me What You Got’ helped soften the blow." According to producer Just Blaze, after Questlove convinced him to show Jay-Z the beat in January 2006 it took just two days for the rap mogul to come back to him with his verses. While it did spark Hov’s interest in recording a new album, the track would sit on ice for 10 months until it was leaked to the radio at the beginning of October. According to Just, it took him only 30 seconds to create the beat, by piecing together pre-created stems and samples.
