Izzo (H.O.V.A.) Information & Izzo (H.O.V.A.) Links at HealthHaven.com

"Izzo (H.O.V.A.)"
Single by Jay-Z
from the album The Blueprint
Released	June 22, 2001
Format	12" Single; CD Single
Recorded	March, 2001
Genre	Hip hop
Length	4:03
Label	Roc-A-Fella Records
Writer(s)	Jay-Z, A. Mizell, B. Gordy, D. Richards, F. Perren, K. West
Producer	Kanye West
Jay-Z singles chronology

"Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" is a single released from Jay-Z in 2001 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.

This song was also used in Jay-Z and Linkin Park's mash-up album, Collision Course. It was featured against Linkin Park's "In the End", creating a new song, "Izzo/In the End", which is track 5 on the album.

The song, produced by Kanye West, prominently features a sample of "I Want You Back" by The Jackson 5.

The music video features cameo appearances from Nelly, Eve, OutKast, Destiny's Child, (Jay-Z's wife Beyonce) and Kanye West.

The song is mixed with Eminem's song "My Name Is" on the video game "DJ Hero"

In 2009, the song was honored by Pitchfork Media as being the 79th greatest song of the Aughties.

[edit] Lyrics

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.

The song's lyrics "H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A" use the -izzle language code to spell out H.O.V.A. which refers to Jay-Z's alias, "Hova" being a shortened version of the name of the biblical God Jehovah.