The room tone (ambient noise before the piano starts) sounds like static hiss. FLAC: You hear the actual room reverb. you can almost sense the size of the studio. The piano key strike has a "thump" of the hammer hitting the string.

By upgrading to a FLAC version, you remove the digital veil between you and the studio session from 2002. You aren't just listening to a hit song anymore; you are experiencing the raw, uncompressed desperation and triumph of one of hip-hop's finest hours.

The opening chord progression (D minor, C, and B-flat major 7) has a distinct decay and resonance. In FLAC, you can hear the realistic weight of the keys and the subtle space around the notes.