Reasonable Doubt is the debut studio album by American rapper Jay-Z. It was released on June 25, 1996, by Roc-A-Fella Records and 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.
Leslie Edward Pridgen, better known by his stage name Freeway, is an American rapper from North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is best known as a member of the rap group State Property and its 2000s run at Roc-A-Fella Records alongside Jay-Z. In 2009, Freeway was briefly signed to Cash Money Records, but returned to work again with Jay-Z at the mogul's entertainment organization and record label, Roc Nation, with his 2018 album Think Free.
The Blueprint is the sixth studio album by American rapper Jay-Z. It was released on September 11, 2001, by 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.
Roc-A-Fella Records was an American hip hop record label founded by rapper/entrepreneur Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, Damon "Dame" Dash, and Kareem "Biggs" Burke in 1995. It was operated as a division of Def Jam Recordings.
Malik Deshawn Cox, better known by his stage name Memphis Bleek, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record executive, perhaps best known being the hype man for hip hop luminary and fellow New York rapper Jay-Z. Cox has started his own labels: Get Low Records in 1998, and Warehouse Music Group in 2016. He has released four albums during his career, and had planned to release The Process in 2011, although the album has yet to be released.
Dwight Equan Grant, better known by his stage name Beanie Sigel, is an American rapper and actor from South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He first became known for his association with Jay Z and Roc-A-Fella Records, releasing his debut studio album The Truth through Roc-A-Fella in February 2000 to critical and commercial success.
The Dynasty: Roc-La-Familia is the fifth studio album by American rapper Jay-Z, featuring prominent appearances from signees of Roc-A-Fella Records. It was released on October 31, 2000, by Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings. Its lead single, "I Just Wanna Love U ", produced by The Neptunes, was one of Jay-Z's most successful singles peaking at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 with 557,789 copies sold in its first week. The album is certified 2x Multi-Platinum by the RIAA. The album received widely positive reviews from music critics and the album ended up becoming the 20th highest selling R&B/Hip-Hop Album of the 2000–2010 decade according to Billboard.
The Blueprint 2: The Gift and the Curse is the seventh studio album by American rapper Jay-Z. It was released on November 12, 2002, by Roc-A-Fella Records and Island Def Jam Music Group. The album serves as a sequel to his sixth album The Blueprint (2001). Parts of the album were later reissued for his compilation album, titled Blueprint 2.1 (2003). The album debuted at number one, shipping with first-week sales of 545,000 units. The album is certified 3x Multi-Platinum by the RIAA.
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 was recorded during the taping of an MTV Unplugged 2.0 episode on November 18, 2001. It sold more than 600,000 copies.
Amil Kahala Whitehead is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. She was prominent in the late 1990s as a Jay-Z protégé, and recorded the single "Can I Get A..." with him from the Rush Hour soundtrack.
Pedro Louis Zayas, known as Peedi Crakk and Peedi Peedi is an American rapper of Puerto Rican descent. He is a member of State Property and is currently signed to Amalgam Digital and G-Unit Philly.
Unfinished Business is the second and final collaboration album between R&B singer R. Kelly and rapper Jay-Z and was released worldwide on October 26, 2004. It was distributed in the United States and Canada by Jive Records and Island Def Jam Music Group, by the Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG) and its subsidiary Jive Records, except in Canada and the United States of America where Island Def Jam Music Group and its labels Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records replaced BMG. The album was composed of unreleased tracks from the recording sessions of 2002's The Best of Both Worlds, although slight additions were made.
Kingdom Come is the ninth studio album by American rapper Jay-Z. It was released on November 21, 2006, by Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings. It was considered a "comeback album" for the rapper, as 2003's The Black Album was promoted as his final release. Kingdom Come received generally lukewarm reviews but was a commercial success, selling 680,000 copies in its first week, while earning Jay-Z a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap Album.
"In My Lifetime" is the debut single by Jay-Z. It is produced by Ski and contains samples from "Oh Baby" by Aretha Franklin and two Soul II Soul songs: "Back to Life " and "Get a Life". The original version of the single was sold by Jay-Z and his friend Damon Dash out of Dash's car in 1993. It was released by Payday Records, but Jay-Z had royalty conflicts with his label and soon decided to start Roc-A-Fella Records to release his material. The single features a remix by Big Jaz and the b-side, "Can't Get Wid That" produced by Clark Kent. The song is not featured on either of Jay-Z's first two albums, but the Big Jaz remix is featured on the Streets Is Watching soundtrack.
All Money Is Legal, also known as A.M.I.L.: , is the debut studio album by American rapper Amil. It was released on August 29, 2000, through Roc-A-Fella, Columbia, and Sony Music. Jay-Z, Damon Dash, and Amil served as executive producer with a team of producers that included Just Blaze. Before the album's release, Amil was best known for her feature on Jay-Z's 1998 single "Can I Get A...". She was one of several up-and-coming artists signed to Roc-A-Fella, alongside Memphis Bleek and Beanie Sigel, who released an album in 2000. Although it was her only album on Roc-A-Fella, Amil had been closely associated with the label and its cofounder Jay-Z, earning the moniker "First Lady of Roc-A-Fella".
"Can't Knock the Hustle" is the third single from rapper Jay-Z's debut album Reasonable Doubt. The song features a beat produced by Knobody. It is co-produced by Sean C and Dahoud Darien. The chorus is sung by Mary J. Blige.
American Gangster is the tenth studio album by American rapper Jay-Z. It was conceived as a concept album—inspired by the 2007 film of the same name—and released on November 6 of that year by Roc-A-Fella Records. The album features production from Diddy & The Hitmen, Just Blaze, and The Neptunes, among others. Guest appearances include Beanie Sigel, Lil Wayne, Pharrell, and Nas.
The Last Kiss is the third studio album by American rapper Jadakiss. The album was released on April 7, 2009, on D-Block Records, Ruff Ryders Entertainment, Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings, after numerous delays. The album features guest appearances from Faith Evans, Swizz Beatz, Bobby V, Pharrell Williams, OJ da Juiceman, Sheek Louch, Mary J. Blige, Styles P, Ghostface Killah, Ne-Yo, Raekwon, Young Jeezy, D-Block, U.S.D.A., Lil Wayne, & Avery Storm. Production on the album is handled by The Alchemist, Buckwild, Swizz Beatz, Neo da Matrix, The Neptunes, Baby Grand, Eric Hudson, Needlz, Sean C & LV and more
Aaron LaCrate is an American music producer, recording artist, DJ, fashion designer of Milkcrate Records and Milkcrate clothing, and a film director. He was born in Baltimore, Maryland and grew up in Highlandtown; East Baltimore.
"Gotta Have It" is a song by American hip hop artists Kanye West and Jay-Z from their first collaborative album Watch the Throne (2011). The song was produced by West and The Neptunes, and samples three original compositions by James Brown: "Don't Tell a Lie About Me and I Won't Tell the Truth About You", "People Get Up and Drive Your Funky Soul" and "My Thang". The song explores themes of wealth, decadence and the economic stature in the US. The song received positive reviews from critics who complimented the production and the clever wordplay of the two rappers.
