Dead Presidents -

In 1996, released one of his most iconic singles, " Dead Presidents II ," for his debut album Reasonable Doubt .

The story follows Anthony Curtis (played by Larenz Tate) from his youth in the Bronx to the horrors of the Vietnam War, and finally to his desperate return home. Dead Presidents

Released in 1995 and directed by the , Dead Presidents is a heavy-hitting crime drama that explores the "narrative dead end" faced by Black Vietnam veterans. In 1996, released one of his most iconic

The song famously features a sampled hook from Nas 's "The World Is Yours": "I'm out for dead presidents to represent me" . The song famously features a sampled hook from

After finding a society that offered him no job or respect despite his service, Anthony and his friends—including a drug-addicted veteran played by Chris Tucker —plot a high-stakes armored truck heist to secure their future.

This sample later became the catalyst for one of the most legendary beefs in rap history when Jay-Z bragged in "The Takeover" that he made Nas's line a "hot song," sparking Nas's response track, "Ether". 4. The Literal History