@64>>>now you just said it. Swagger and cool all wrapped up in one: Morris Day! Even though he’s old skool, nobody exemplifies cool like Morris. He’s the first one I thought of.

Love Obama, Billy Dee, and Denzel. The rest, ehhhh. I will get the one with Obama.

Why is everyone taking it so personal about Jay Z. Just b/c you like doesn’t mean everyone else should. It’s an opinion which means: a personal view, attitude, or appraisal so get over it.

MJ. Not Michael Jordan but Michael Jackson

Jigga got Swagger! Love me some Jiggaman! I want the cover of Obama, Denzil, and Jay.

The epitome of cool.

I love it.

I feel JayZ should be on the cover and I hate people sayhow these rappers are disrespectful to women in their lyrics. I mean if you don’t fit the criteria (hoe, hood rat, bitch, heffa) whatever the case may be why the hell are you offended?!! You know there are out there LMAO!!! So don’t front.

I feel JayZ should be on the cover and I hate people sayhow these rappers are disrespectful to women in their lyrics. I mean if you don’t fit the criteria (hoe, hood rat, bitch, heffa) whatever the case may be why the hell are you offended?!! You know there are out there LMAO!!! So don’t front.

@ Htown, that’s what Ebony makes it out to be.They dismissed somebody, I forget who it was to be on the cover just because of Imus.It kind of is ass-backwards to me.I don’t have a problem with Jigga.But I won’t fault Ebony.I think this is an ok look.

@ Sharonda I can respect that….

SAMUEL L. JACKSON ???

LOL, Because I was just watching Dave Chappelle Show when he was making fun of Jackson loud voice. Why wasn’t OJ, Michael Jackson, or M.Jordan on the cover ???

i guess ppl don’t read. did anyone read the criteria to be on the cover. swagger confidence and effortless style. its not for looks

I didn’t even recognize Billy Dee Williams. I’m not feeling that particular picture, but that’s okay though. Denzel still perfect as ever (sigh). Damn Pauletta!! LOL.

Ebony, always delivers.

My vote went to: Malcolm X ( why wasn’t MLK jr on the list for the 60’s?).
Marvin Gay for the 70’s
Tupac for the 90’s he was killing them then, and every rapper want to
like him, and people stay sampling his songs so…
Barack for the 00’s

i can’t really argue with the covers, those are all some cool ass dudes.

“JAY-Z doesnt deserve to be on the same cover that Barack Obama” co-sign

Prince and Marvin?!!! You know I’m going to cop these…..!

i can’t find Obama’s cover ANYWHERE. Shooot. That’s the one I want.

I love this concept Ebony published. Of course Obama is cool with his swagger–look at the votes. Marvin is classic but so is fine Billy Dee as John McKay in Lady Sing’s the Blues.” When he asked Diana Ross portraying Billie Holiday, “Are you gonna make my arm fall off” everyone in movies screamed. hehehe Denzel and Samuel are definitely cool. Jayz has earned this moment. Ali is legendary with his coolness and Prince has done a lot behind the scene ventures that made him cool, though Prince is more guarded with his coolness, his swagger is blatant.

All these guys deserve a cover. They all have their own unique coolness.

Jay-Z def deserves a cover.

Okay then MALCOLM X, not Martin, but please Jay-Z needs to get outta here, nothing cool about being a mysoginist, and this kills any amount of swagger he may have (yeah kill me for saying that). I mean be serious, you have Denzel, then someone of the caliber of Barack, then right next you got……..”Jay-Z”??? Even Will Smith would have been a better choice. Jay-Z’s cover is a fallacy!!

jay-z looks cool but i would buy the denzel cover

hey where’s tupac’s cover!!!!!

I think Malcolm X should grace a cover because he epitomized “true” manhood. He`s a brotha whom I would have loved to just sit down and talk to; talk about intelligent. Malcolm was brilliant and only went to the 8th grade. Yet he could confound the best of the scholars. I often watch his videos on YouTube. Man, do I LUV brotha Malcolm…

Why not Will Smith instead of Jay Z? Were Biggie and Tupac alive right now who would give a ish about Jay Z? What a joke. Denzel, Marvin, Samuel and Ali are the ones I would buy.

#38 u make such a good point..people on here have totally misconstrued what the whole issue is about. The issue is about the coolest brothers and yes Jay is a cool brother and a very cool one at that..dude has soooooooooooo much swagger its not even funny..so yeah i think he deserves to be on that list!

@ LMAO #98………EXACTLY!!!!

I like the Obama, Prince and Billy Dee covers..

I like all the covers except the Jay-Z one. I hope I’ll be able to find the Obama one on the stands.

got damn!!! jigga cool?? jigga the biggest pimp/machist/sellout of the industry cool? why not add diddy too then? WHAT A JOKE! whoever said will smith would be better was right. ima pick either denzel or barack.

@96 my sentiments exactly! I was reading all the responses and I’m thinking why no one is commenting on how Tupac should have been on the cover instead of Jay Z… I mean Tupac was the OG of swagger…Whether it was him in jeans and a vest he made it seem like his outfit was worth a mill… Jay Z is only where he is at b/c Tupac died too soon. Keep it real people Jay Z is not worthy of being on that cover… EBONY put him up there just b/c; he’s done nothing… no one wrote songs about their mamas until Pac wrote Dear mama (jay Z just followed suit)

Put ego trip over Jay Z…if you ask me Jay Z is the one who single handily destroyed the rap game

where is quincy jones?….he should be on a cover!!…quincy has it all …intelligence..business sense….humanitarianism ( if that’s a word) power, money……why da hell is he not on the cover?/

n lets not forget swaagger!…quincy is def smooth…

I can’t believe no one notice that MILES DAVIS is not on one of the covers….For God sake the men of the symbol of cool doing the 50s…he was probably the only black artist that was clearly didn’t like white ppl but was still love by the public. Every black (and white) artist since Miles had copy his whole public persona.

Andre 3000?

This is BOMB.

Love this! Brothers are looking good! Stop all the madness! Jay is rightly deserving of his cover! Jay has swagger! Jay is cool! That’s what this issue is about! Definitely want the Obama and Jay covers! Just beautiful!

Everybody keeps commenting on Jay not deserving the cover. Obviously the people at Ebony felt Jigga deserves one. Comparing him to Obama and Malcolm isn’t really a fair comparison cause each one of these people had a impact on what they do. Tell me a rapper that is STILL ALIVE that has been hot since 96′ and still can sell out a concert and make moves in the boardroom. Jay has also done alot of charitable work that alot of people overlook. Each person that has a cover is should be respected for their gift and talents. Jus my thoughts…

To paraphrase others : Will Smith, Tupac, Quincy Jones should have been there long before Mr “Big Pimping”. As for rappers being alive, well, Marvin Gaye is dead and he made the cover, so JayZ doesn’t HAVE to be there just because he’s the most successful COMMERCIAL rapper. Didn’t he destroy the coolness of hiphop? I didn’t know that was “cool”.

I woulda put Jimi Hendrix there instead of Jay but whatever. Even Tupac instead of Jay.

Where is WILL SMITH????????????????????????????????????????????
?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
WILL is the man.

Haterz, Haterz, Haterz- Jay-Z defnitely deserves to be on the cover because he most certainly meets the qualifications of teh issue. Subjectively speaking- the Title is “Ebony’s 25 Coolest Brothers of All Time..” Jay-Z is always a very calm, collected, laid-back type of guy; he always thinks about what he has to say before he says it, and he definitely has a certian swagger about himself. Whether your a fan of his or not- you have to admit that the man has finesse. ~

..And by the way..Tupac was not what one would consider to be “cool”- Dope lyricist- Yes- Great Music- Yes- But everyone knows that this man was a hot head- he was always the center of some drama and didnt really seem to mind. Now, dont get me wrong I am a fan of Tupac- no doubt- but when I think of the word “cool”- he is not at the top of my list. Maybe if the issue was titled “Ebony’s 25 Greatest Rappers of All Time”…now that would be a different story.

Say what you want about Prince . The majority of entertaniers today swagger jack him on a regular ( The dream, Ne-yo, Usher). X is also worthy , the rest whatever .

i dont understand y prince is up there? i dont think he deserves that spot, theres just something about him that has always annoyed the shit out of me!

snoop or diddy….

Regardless of what you may think of Jay Z you cannot take away his accomplishment. I am not a fan of his because I don’t listen too rap, but, this man is definately cool and he is a mover and shaker. In his circle and for his generation he definately belongs on that cover. He seems too have cut away the childish things when he became a man and is holding his own.

Let’s not be so quick to critize #3 because he belongs up there.

What about Micheal Jordan? I mean lets be real, MJ made hooping extra cool! The shorts, the socks, the shoes etc…Not to mention his swag off the court! Anyone agree???????

Jay messed up hip hop are you serious if anything he enhanced it and help it go more global. S.Carter shoes sold out across the U.S. He is the one who brought some of yall beloved Rihanna, (Neyo my fave) and Jeezy to the music scene. The Live Nation deal is insane and of course he brings it to the stage. The Nets and 40/40 clubs are some of his many business deals.

Even if Pac and Big were alive today I think Jay will still be where he is at
because he is talented,smart and driven. I

@116 Gerri

If you think Tupac doesn’t belong because you say he was a “hot head”, then how can you explain Muhammad Ali?? That man made his living off of being obnoxious and boisterous. He is thee farthest thing from Billy D. Williams or Marvin Gaye if you ask me.

Maxwell did not make the list? i demand a recount!

******************************* CAN SOME1 PLEASE EMAIL ME THE OBAMA PICTURE, I SO WANT THAT AS MY PROFILE PIC************** OR CAN CL PLEASE MAKE IT A PICTUE WHERE I CAN COPY AND PASTE IT?*******************OBAMA 08′ YALL!! SMOOCHES….

i agree that Jay Z did mess up the rap game, at least its credibility. He gave hiphop fame but it made it a laughing stock when it comes to black people’s image by making it popular. hiphop is dead, and he helped kill it. lets face it.

I’d like to share it with the hotties who also like sports I met at R I C H L O V I N G.C O M ,where the hot affluent singles and sexy girls and models to hook up for Hot Love, Flirt and Sexy Dating!

Any of you niggas stupid enough to question the obligatory inclusion of PRINCE need to get educated. I agree with prior comments regarding the overrated inclusion of Jay Z. But then black people are incapable of thinking anything is “cool” unless the culturally-bankrupt influence of hip-hop pollutes the air that they breathe.

It’s crazy how people are talking about how Jay treats women..Isn’t Jay married ??? i never understood why people take EVERYTHING in Hip hop so literal..When sam jackson had a white woman chained @ the neck,nobody thought he was a bad person..they just thought it was great acting..EVERY man on ALL of these covers has faults..Just cuz they choose not to share those things with u,don’t mean that they don’t exist..@ least you’ve seen the different sides of Jay,from him being the hustler to the business man that he is now…
Who else has had the ability to change a whole culture..He coined the phrase “grown and sexy” Lotta things he raps about in his songs become the new “hot” thing
He’s made people all over the world respect the power of hip hop..if that aint cool,then what is ??
I guess cuz he’s a rapper he’s supposed to fall in the same categroy as all other “dumb” rappers

@123- I agree with you. Muhammad Ali doesnt really fit the bill either. Defnintely one of the greatest boxers of all time, definitely a reputable figure in black history- but not what I would consider to be “cool”. Idk- it’s all really just a matter of opinion really I guess.

I agree with the other covers, but not Jay-Z. How about Michael Jordan?
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Tupac cool?????????? now y’all r seriously trippin’

omg! this is off the chain! love the concept! hopefully i agree with their list lol ima cop an issue

prince is black??

ahaha j/k…but dis is a good luck from EBONY

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Barack Obama and Jay-Z???? Gag! What have either of them really contributed to the black community. Jay-Z is a thug and Barack barely notices the Black American community. What do we really know about him. Oh, I forgot, it is an election year isn’t it?

@ 132- My sentiments exactly. lol.

I am curious to know what the criteria was on selecting the 25 coolest brothers of all time in your magazine?

What happened to Sidney Poiter lol He just is cool too

Jay Z?

really?

what a pathetic choice.. Jay represents everything that is wrong with the black community (and I’m a fan of his music). he’s an example of how another race embraces arrogance while living in a country that is run by a different one. the rest are dope. the Obama and Ali ones are especially.