In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Studio album by | ||||
Released | November 4, 1997 | |||
Genre | Hip hop | |||
Length | 58:00 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | ||||
Jay-Z chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 | ||||
|
In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 is the second studio album by American rapper Jay-Z. It was released on November 4, 1997, by Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings. The album debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 chart and was certified Platinum by the RIAA, selling over 138,000 copies in its first week of release. [1] [2] [3] In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 also served as Jay-Z's first album release following the sudden death of fellow Brooklyn rapper and collaborator The Notorious B.I.G. in March 1997. [4]
The album features guest contributions by Lil' Kim, Foxy Brown, Babyface, Blackstreet, Teddy Riley, Too $hort, Sauce Money and Puff Daddy. [5] [6] Producers for Reasonable Doubt such as DJ Premier and Ski contribute to a limited number of beats on this album, though the majority of the production is handled by Puff Daddy's production team The Hitmen from the Bad Boy label, giving the album a generally glossier sound than its predecessor. It displayed a shift from the mafioso rap themes of Reasonable Doubt to the so-called "jiggy" era of late 90s hip-hop, often credited to videos and albums from Puff Daddy and his Bad Boy record label's roster of artists including The Notorious B.I.G. (the first two singles from his second album were both huge pop hits) and Mase. "Reasonable Doubt was like an introduction," Jay-Z told MTV News. "Like, you know, meeting somebody out on the street... Everything, your whole conversation is very general, not too much detail and things like that. Its just that 'In My Lifetime' is more detailed, more in-depth. Much more personal".
In a 1998 interview with MTV News, Jay-Z explained how the death of fellow Brooklyn rapper and collaborator The Notorious B.I.G. shaped parts of In My Lifetime, Vol. 1. In the interview, he explained how the album was not as fun to record as his debut,( Reasonable Doubt (1996)), and that certain tracks, such as "The City is Mine", were influenced by the rapper's death. [7]
A lot of different songs were influenced by what was happening. 'City Is Mine', the first verse, you could just hear it. I think two hooks on there came from songs that he (The Notorious B.I.G.) had previously recorded...The album to me — this album wasn't fun to me like Reasonable Doubt, because it was like, it seemed really slow to me, and I didn't set out to do that, just looking back now and listening to it now.
— Jay-Z, MTV News
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Chicago Tribune | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Christgau's Consumer Guide | ![]() ![]() |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Entertainment Weekly | B+ [12] |
Pitchfork | 8.4/10 [13] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Source | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Spin | 5/10 [16] |
USA Today | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
In a contemporary review, Steve Jones of USA Today called In My Lifetime "a rock-solid set with both street and pop appeal". [17] Chicago Tribune critic Soren Baker believed Jay-Z's lyrics "contain a finesse and insight few can articulate as succinctly", while writing that "his use of pop producers Teddy Riley and Sean 'Puffy' Combs will alienate listeners, even as Jay-Z establishes himself as that rare underground rhymer with commercial appeal". [9] Robert Christgau gave the album a two-star honorable mention in his 2000 Consumer Guide book, [10] indicating a "likable effort consumers attuned to its overriding aesthetic or individual vision may well enjoy". [18] He named "(Always Be My) Sunshine" and "Real Niggaz" as highlights while calling Jay-Z "arrogant yet diffident, ruthless yet cute—a scary original". [10] Chris Norris of Spin said Jay-Z's raps are often "in search of meaty ideas or distinctive charm—skills without pleasure", and was also critical of the production. "Without one sure, guiding vision," Norris wrote, "the Combs blueprint comes off as either mundane or embarrassing". [16]
AllMusic editor John Bush wrote in a retrospective review, "Though the productions are just a bit flashier and more commercial than on his debut, Jay-Z remained the tough street rapper, and even improved a bit on his flow". According to Bush, he "struts the line between project poet and up-and-coming player" while balancing "both personas with the best rapping heard in the rap game since the deaths of 2Pac and Notorious B.I.G.". [8]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Intro / A Million and One Questions / Rhyme No More" | DJ Premier | 3:21 | |
2. | "The City Is Mine" (featuring Blackstreet) | Teddy Riley | 4:02 | |
3. | "I Know What Girls Like" (featuring Puff Daddy and Lil' Kim) |
| 4:50 | |
4. | "Imaginary Players" |
| Prestige | 3:57 |
5. | "Streets Is Watching" |
| Ski | 3:58 |
6. | "Friend or Foe '98" |
| DJ Premier | 2:09 |
7. | "Lucky Me" |
| 5:00 | |
8. | "(Always Be My) Sunshine" (featuring Babyface and Foxy Brown) |
| Prestige | 4:43 |
9. | "Who You Wit II" |
| Ski | 4:29 |
10. | "Face Off" (featuring Sauce Money) | Poke and Tone | 3:31 | |
11. | "Real Niggaz" (featuring Too $hort) |
| Dent | 5:07 |
12. | "Rap Game / Crack Game" | Big Jaz | 2:40 | |
13. | "Where I'm From" |
|
| 4:26 |
14. | "You Must Love Me" |
| Myrick | 5:47 |
No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
15. | "Wishing on a Star" (D'Influence Remix) | D'Influence | 5:54 |
16. | "Wishing on a Star" (Trackmasters Remix) | Trackmasters | 3:55 |
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Year | Song | Billboard Hot 100 | Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | Hot Rap Singles |
---|---|---|---|---|
1997 | "Who You Wit" | #84 | #25 | #18 |
"(Always Be My) Sunshine" | #95 | #37 | #16 | |
1998 | "The City Is Mine" | #52 | #37 | #14 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI) [25] | Silver | 60,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [26] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Christopher George Latore Wallace, better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper. Rooted in the New York rap scene and gangsta rap traditions, he is widely considered one of the greatest rappers of all time. Wallace became known for his distinctive laidback lyrical delivery, offsetting the lyrics' often grim content. His music was often semi-autobiographical, telling of hardship and criminality, but also of debauchery and celebration.
Life After Death is the second and final studio album by American rapper the Notorious B.I.G., released on March 25, 1997, on Bad Boy Records and Arista Records. A double album, it was released sixteen days after his murder. It features collaborations with guest artists such as 112, Jay-Z, Lil' Kim, Mase, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Too $hort, Angela Winbush, D.M.C. of Run-D.M.C., R. Kelly, the Lox, and Puff Daddy. Life After Death exhibits the Notorious B.I.G. further delving into the mafioso rap subgenre. The album is a sequel to his first album, Ready to Die, and picks up where the last song, "Suicidal Thoughts", ends.
Reasonable Doubt is the debut studio album by American rapper Jay-Z. It was released on June 25, 1996, by his own record label Roc-A-Fella Records and distributed by Priority Records. The album features production provided by DJ Premier, Ski, Knobody and Clark Kent, and also includes guest appearances from Memphis Bleek, Mary J. Blige, Jaz-O, and the Notorious B.I.G., among others. The album features mafioso rap themes and gritty lyrics about the "hustler" lifestyle and material obsessions.
Jason Terrance Phillips, better known by his stage name Jadakiss, is an American rapper from Yonkers, New York. He began his career in the 1990s and formed the hip hop trio the Lox alongside Styles P and Sheek Louch in 1994. The group signed with Puff Daddy's Bad Boy Records, an imprint of Arista Records to release their debut studio album, Money, Power & Respect (1998); their second album, We Are the Streets (2000) was released by Ruff Ryders Entertainment, an imprint of Interscope Records. Both peaked within the top five of the Billboard 200 and yielded critical praise; their two subsequent albums, Filthy America... It's Beautiful (2013) and Living Off Xperience (2020) were both released by Jay-Z's Roc Nation and met with continued praise.
Hard Core is the debut studio album by American rapper Lil' Kim, released on November 12, 1996, by Undeas Recordings, Big Beat Records, and Atlantic Records. After achieving success with the hip hop group Junior M.A.F.I.A. and their album Conspiracy (1995), Kim began working on her solo album with the Notorious B.I.G. serving as the executive producer. She collaborated with a number of producers, such as Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs, Stevie J., David "Ski" Willis and Jermaine Dupri, among others. Other rappers, including Jay-Z, Lil' Cease and Puff Daddy were featured on the album.
American rapper Jay-Z has released thirteen solo studio albums, four collaboration albums, one live album, one compilation album, one soundtrack album, two extended plays, one hundred and fifteen singles, nine promotional singles and eighty-two music videos. As of December 2014, Jay-Z has sold 29,179,000 studio albums in United States.
Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life is the third studio album by American rapper Jay-Z. It was released on September 29, 1998, by Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings. It went on to become his most commercially successful album, selling over 6 million copies in the United States. In the liner notes of the album, Jay-Z gives his thoughts on various tracks. The lyrics to the fast-paced "Nigga What, Nigga Who " are also included.
Rodolfo Franklin, known professionally as DJ Clark Kent, is an American hip hop record producer, DJ and music executive of Panamanian descent. His crew of DJs is called "The Supermen", and his DJ moniker is derived from the name of Superman's alter ego.
No Way Out is the debut studio album by American rapper Puff Daddy. It was released on July 22, 1997, by Arista and Bad Boy Records. The album is credited to "Puff Daddy & the Family"; the latter act refers to guest appearances from his signees at Bad Boy Records.
Wrath of the Math is the second album by the hip hop artist Jeru the Damaja. The album spawned the 2 singles "Ya Playin' Yaself" and "Me or the Papes". The album peaked at number 3 on the US Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums, and number 35 on the US Billboard 200.
Forever is the second studio album of American hip hop recording artist Puff Daddy, released on August 24, 1999, by Bad Boy Records and Arista Records. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and sold 205,343 units in its first week. Despite this, Forever was met with mixed to unfavorable critical response and trailed the success of his previous album, No Way Out (1997).
Mason Durell Betha, better known by his mononym Mase, is an American rapper. Best known for his work with Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs' Bad Boy Records, he signed with the label in 1996 and quickly found mainstream recognition as Combs' hype man. He guest appeared on Combs' 1997 single, "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down", which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100, while his singles as a lead artist, "Feel So Good" and "What You Want" both peaked within the top ten of the chart. Released in October of that year, his debut studio album, Harlem World (1997) peaked atop the Billboard 200 chart, received quadruple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and spawned his third top ten single as a lead artist, "Lookin' at Me". Furthermore, his guest performances on labelmate the Notorious B.I.G.'s single "Mo Money Mo Problems" and Puff Daddy's "Been Around the World" peaked at numbers one and two on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively, that same year.
Daven "Prestige" Vanderpool is an American rap and R&B record producer. He was once a member of Bad Boy's in-house production team, "The Hitmen", and has also produced on many Bad Boy-related projects. His usual sound is a distinctive combination of funk and more heavily, electronica influences, promoted through his use of samples from Gary Numan, Dominatrix and Duran Duran. This sound is particularly heard on his productions for Jay-Z, Puff Daddy, Sauce Money, Mase, Mic Geronimo and Shyne.
The discography of American rapper Sean Combs consists of five studio albums, two collaborative albums, one remix album and seventy-two singles – including thirty-three as a lead artist and thirty-nine as a featured artist.
"(Always Be My) Sunshine" is a hip hop song by American rapper Jay-Z with guest vocals from fellow femcee Foxy Brown and R&B singer-songwriter Babyface who performs the song's chorus. It serves as the first single from his second album In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 (1997). The track features production by Daven "Prestige" Vanderpool. Vanderpool samples MC Lyte's "Cha Cha Cha", Alexander O'Neal's "Sunshine", Kraftwerk's "The Man-Machine" and The Fearless Four's "Rockin' It" for the track's beat. In addition, George Fonenette plays keyboards on this song. The song's lyrics helped indicate Jay-Z's change from his Mafioso rap style to a more commercial "shiny suit" style. Steve Juon of RapReviews.com supports the song claiming that it is a less gangsta version of The Notorious B.I.G.'s "Me & My Bitch", a well-received track. Jay-Z cites this song as "what killed the album."
"Mo Money Mo Problems" is a song by American rapper The Notorious B.I.G., released as the second single from his second and final studio album, Life After Death (1997) on July 15, 1997 by Bad Boy Records and Arista Records. It features guest performances from labelmate Mase and label boss Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs; all three performers co-wrote the song with Stevie J, who also co-produced it with Combs. "Mo Money Mo Problems" contains a sample and an interpolation of "I'm Coming Out" by Diana Ross, for which Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers are also credited as songwriters; the sampled portions are heard in the production, while the hook is interpolative and performed by Kelly Price in an uncredited appearance.
Jonathan Allen Burks Sr., better known by his stage name Jaz-O, is an American rapper and record producer. Active in the late 1980s through the 1990s, he became known in retrospect as the mentor of fellow Brooklyn rapper Jay-Z. Burks, nicknamed "the Originator", debuted the artist on his 1986 single "H. P. Gets Busy". Burks signed with EMI to release three studio albums: Word to the Jaz (1989), To Your Soul (1990) and Kingz Kounty (2002). His debut extended play (EP), The Warmup (2021) was the first release from the Roc Nation subsidiary, Equity Distribution. He has also been credited with production work for other artists including Puff Daddy, Rakim, Usual Suspects, GZA, Kool G Rap, Queen Latifah, M.O.P., and Group Home, among others.
"I'll Be Missing You" is a song by American rapper Puff Daddy and American singer Faith Evans, featuring R&B group 112, in memory of fellow Bad Boy Records artist Christopher "The Notorious B.I.G." Wallace, who was murdered on March 9, 1997. Released as the second single from Puff Daddy and the Family's debut album, No Way Out (1997), "I'll Be Missing You" samples the Police's 1983 hit song "Every Breath You Take" with an interpolated chorus sung by Evans and interpolated rhythm. The song also interpolates the 1929 Albert E. Brumley hymn "I'll Fly Away" and features a spoken intro over a choral version of Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings".
Deric Michael Angelettie, also known by his stage names D-Dot, Papa Dot, and the Madd Rapper, is an American record producer. He served as executive producer and A&R for the album No Way Out (1997) by Puff Daddy & the Family, which won a Grammy Award. He has since done so for three other albums nominated for the award, and won the BMI Urban Award in 2001.