I wasn’t going to write this review. I’ve been a Jay-Z fan for over a decade, and while that doesn’t necessarily make me a loyalist, there was certainly a divide between Nas and the Hova world that left me feeling a bit… unqualified. Besides, the controversy over the title was all we heard about the album for months. By default, it’s usually the death rattle for a record when anything but the music itself gets such advance hype.

But not this time.

Yesterday Johnny delivered something we had been planning to do for awhile: A covers mixtape. It’s a daunting task, picking 10 tracks or so out of the hundreds of great covers there are out there, and I’m sure there will be many many more to come. But there were some crucial ones that I felt absolutely should not be back-burnered. So here’s a follow-up, eleven of my personal favorites.

A “best covers” mixtape sounded like a lot of fun until it dawned on me that there are literally hundreds of covers out there that would qualify for a slot on this list. The sheer mass of contenders was overwhelming, from Cream’s one-upping take on Crossroads to Led Zeppelin’s equally classic Babe I’m Gonna Leave You, to Mötley Crüe’s Smokin’ In The Boys Room or The White Stripes’ Death Letter. Then you’ve got Tricky’s spin on Public Enemy’s Black Steel, or Johnny Cash’s overhyped Hurt (which topped a lot of “All-Time Best Covers” lists, strangely) …the options are almost endless.