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.
The Black Album is the eighth studio album by American rapper Jay-Z. It was released on November 14,2003,through Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings. It was advertised as his final album before retiring,which is also a recurring theme throughout the songs,although Jay-Z resumed his recording career in 2005. For the album,Jay-Z wanted to enlist a different producer for each song,working with Just Blaze,Kanye West,The Neptunes,Eminem,DJ Quik,Timbaland,9th Wonder and Rick Rubin,among others. The album also features a guest appearance by Pharrell Williams.
The Blueprint is the sixth studio album by American rapper Jay-Z,released on September 11,2001,through Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings. Its release was set a week earlier than initially planned in order to combat bootlegging. Recording sessions for the album took place during 2001 at Manhattan Center Studios and Baseline Studios in New York City. Contrasting the radio-friendly sound of Jay-Z's previous work,The Blueprint features soul-based sampling and production handled primarily by Kanye West,Just Blaze,and Bink,as well as Timbaland,Trackmasters,and Eminem,who also contributes the album's sole guest feature.
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.
Jay-Z:Unplugged is rapper Jay-Z's 2001 live album that contains some of his past songs with live instruments performed by the hip-hop band the Roots. The album,which sold more than 600,000 copies,was recorded during the taping of an MTV Unplugged 2.0 episode on November 18,2001.
"Still D.R.E." is a song by American rapper-producer Dr. Dre,featuring fellow American rapper Snoop Dogg. It was released on November 2,1999,as the lead single from Dre's multi-platinum second studio album,2001 (1999).
"99 Problems" is the third single released by American rapper Jay-Z in 2004 from The Black Album. It was released on April 27,2004. The chorus hook "I got 99 problems,but a bitch ain't one" is taken from the Ice-T single "99 Problems" from the album Home Invasion (1993). The hook was coined during a conversation between Ice-T and Brother Marquis of Miami-based 2 Live Crew. Marquis used the phrase in the 1996 2 Live Crew song "Table Dance".
"Can I Get A..." is a song recorded by American rapper Jay-Z,featuring Ja Rule and Amil. It was released on Def Jam's Rush Hour Soundtrack in promotion of the film Rush Hour,but also appears on Jay-Z's third album Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life as its first single. The song is produced by Irv Gotti and Lil' Rob. The song is notable for popularizing a young Amil and Ja Rule,as well as becoming one of Jay-Z's most commercially successful singles at the time,peaking at number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"Dead Presidents" is a 1996 song by American rapper Jay-Z. It was released as the first promotional single for Jay-Z's debut album Reasonable Doubt,though it did not directly appear on the album:a different version of the song with the same backing track and chorus but with different lyrics called "Dead Presidents II" appeared on Reasonable Doubt. "Dead Presidents II" was voted number 16 in About.com's Top 100 Rap Songs and number 42 in Rolling Stone's Top 50 Jay-Z Songs.
"Do It Again (Put Ya Hands Up)" is the lead single from rapper Jay-Z's fourth album Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter. The song features production by Rockwilder,including guest vocals by Amil and Beanie Sigel.
"Big Pimpin'" is a song by American rapper Jay-Z. It was released on April 11,2000 as the third and final single from his fourth studio album Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter (1999). It features a guest appearance from Southern hip hop duo UGK,and production from Timbaland.
"Ain't No Nigga" is the second single from the American rapper Jay-Z's first album,Reasonable Doubt,and is featured on the soundtrack to the 1996 film The Nutty Professor. It was released on March 19,1996. The track features Foxy Brown,and uncredited vocals by Jaz-O.
"Jigga My Nigga" is a single by Jay-Z from the Ruff Ryders Entertainment compilation Ryde or Die Vol. 1. It was released on May 28,1999. It also appeared as a hidden track on Jay-Z's fourth album,Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter,contained within the final track "Hova Song (Outro)". Produced by Swizz Beatz,it reached number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song interpolates "Just You Just Me" by The Counts and "What's My Name?" by Snoop Dogg,using the line "what's my motherfuckin' name?". The beat was later remade for "Scenario 2000" by Eve featuring Ruff Ryders.
"Money Ain't a Thang" is the second single from rapper Jermaine Dupri's 1998 album Life in 1472. It features rapper Jay-Z and appears as a bonus track on his album Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life. It is produced by Dupri,who samples "Weak at the Knees" by Steve Arrington for the track's beat. It can be found on two of Jay-Z's greatest hits compilations:Chapter One:Greatest Hits and Greatest Hits. In addition,it was nominated for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 41st Grammy Awards in 1999.
"Jigga That Nigga" is a song by the American rapper Jay-Z. It was the third single from his sixth studio album,The Blueprint. It has additional vocals from Stephanie Miller and Michelle Mills but they are not credited as featuring. In the US,the song peaked at #66 on the Hot 100. In recent years,his nickname "jigga" has become synonymous with being "fresh,fly" and "stylish."
"Niggas in Paris" is a song by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West from their collaborative album Watch the Throne (2011). The song is built around a synth bell loop from the Dirty South Bangaz music library,and contains vocal samples from "Baptizing Scene" by Reverend W.A. Donaldson,an interpolation of "Victory" by Puff Daddy featuring The Notorious B.I.G. and Busta Rhymes,and dialogue excerpts from the 2007 film Blades of Glory. On the week of the album's release,"Niggas in Paris" debuted at number 75 on the Billboard Hot 100,eventually peaking at number five. Outside of the United States,"Niggas in Paris" peaked within the top ten of the charts in the United Kingdom. As of 2018,it has sold 6.7 million archetype digital units in the United States. The song won Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards.
The Watch the Throne Tour was a co-headlining concert tour by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West that began on October 28,2011 in Atlanta and continued until June 22,2012 with its final show scheduled in Birmingham. Originally scheduled for 23 performances,the tour was expanded to 34 performances in North America due to heavy demand for tickets;29 shows were confirmed in the United States with 5 shows in Canada. Following massive success in the United States and Canada,Jay-Z &Kanye West announced the European leg of the tour on February 21,2012 which featured 23 performances,bringing the number of shows to 57 at the time.
"Clique" is a song by American rappers Kanye West,Jay-Z,and Big Sean from West's record label GOOD Music's debut compilation album,Cruel Summer (2012). The song features additional vocals from Cocaine 80s,Aude Cardona,and Travis Jones. It was produced by Hit-Boy,while co-produced by West,and additional production was handled by Anthony Kilhoffer alongside Noah Goldstein. Numerous rappers recorded verses for the song,yet only West,Jay-Z,and Big Sean made the final cut. Two days after it leaked,the song was debuted via West's website on September 7,2012,and simultaneously released for digital download as the album's fourth and final single,through GOOD Music and Def Jam.
"Control" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Big Sean,featuring fellow American rappers Kendrick Lamar and Jay Electronica. Lamar's verse was labelled a "wake-up call" for hip hop,both for his skill as a rapper and for calling out multiple fellow rappers by name.
Jonathan Burks,better known by his stage name Jaz-O,is an American rapper and record producer. Active in the late 1980s through the 1990s,and best known for being the mentor of Brooklyn rapper Jay-Z,Burks is nicknamed "the Originator",and had a song titled "The Originators" that featured a young Jay-Z in 1990.
