Maybe Magna Carta...Holy Grail didn't end up being your favorite Jay-Z album. That's okay, but "Picasso Baby" was a fun throwback to a slightly older time, with a flow firmly established in the groove of yesteryear.
In a way, perhaps that's why !llmatic added a Biggie verse to the mix. Adding some Biggie a capella to a new track is no giant innovation. We've seen countless over time, but in !llmatic's hand, with Jay-Z echoing in the background, it sounds right as rain.
On the eve of the anniversary of Biggie's untimely demise, the song serves oddly enough as a tribute the big guy. Rest in Peace.
Quotable Lyrics:
I just want a Picasso, in my casa
No, my castle
I'm a hassa, no I'm an asshole
I'm never satisfied, can't knock my hustle
I wanna Rothko, no I wanna brothel
No, I want a wife that fuck me like a prostitute
Let's make love on a million, in a dirty hotel
