You traded your soul for riches

Meaning

Not a reference to Jay’s supposed Illuminati ties (those conspiracy theories are of more recent vintage), but rather to his pursuit of mass-market fame via corny pop singles. Nas has had his low moments, but he never attempted to cross over as blatantly as Jay on songs like Sunshine and Hard-Knock Life. Jay himself admitted that he made In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 for the radio.

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