On this date in 1998, Jay-Z and his Roc cohorts dropped his third album Vol.2…Hard Knock Life on their independent Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam imprint.
Recorded in some of NYC’s most coveted studio spaces, Vol. 2…Hard Knock Life featured some of the games best producers including Jermaine Dupri, Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, Hov’s third album was the proof that Jigga had found the formula to produce the most successful full length project of his career at that time.
Debuting at number 1 on the Billboard 200 and selling 350K in its first week, Vol.2 …Hard Knock Life was certified 5x platinum within two years of its release, setting Hov’s album bar so hight that it won a Golden Phonograph for Best Rap Album at the 41st Grammy Awards. Some of the top singles from the 14 track gem include “Nigga What, Nigga Who(Originator 99)”, “Hard Knock Life”, “Can I Get A…” and “Money Ain’t A Thang” featuring Jermaine Dupri.
Salute to Jigga, Dame, Biggs, Memphis Bleek, Sauce Money and the rest of the Roc for putting out such a timeless piece of Hip Hop history!
Every year, The Library Of Congress selects 25 musical titles to add to its National Recording Registry. This act is meant to honor pieces of art for their cultural significance for future generations. A National Recording Preservation Board decides the annual inclusions. This week, JAY-Z’s The Blueprint album became the most modern addition to the archive. It also becomes Shawn Carter’s first work of art to receive this prestigious honor.
Jay’s sixth album released on September 11, 2001, the same day as the attacks on the United States. Arriving less than a year afterThe Dynasty: Roc La Familia, The Blueprint marks the strongest pivot in Jay’s career. An artist with ties to The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac (in very different ways), to own the #1 spot squarely. One of the most poised contestants, Eminem, was a producer and lone guest MC on the album. The other contestant, Nas, was in Jay’s cross-hairs of high profile usurp, “The Takeover.” On The Blueprint, JAY-Zreinvented his sound with Kanye West, Just Blaze, and others during a series of sessions over just several days. The Roc-A-Fella Records co-founder found the ultimate five-year progression from debut Reasonable Doubt. With a D-boy’s confidence and an exec’s get-it-done mentality, he pivoted to his 2000s stand as a Rap magnate. Often criticized for his resistance to vulnerability, Jay let the songs cry on his behalf. As the Roc Boy was lunging for the top, he made some of his most relatable music. The writing on The Blueprint is ultra-specific, but the themes, sounds, and attitude of the double platinum campaign seemingly spoke to all. Jigga had transformed to Hov’, and when he put his legacy on the line for the belt.
“The Takeover” was Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots-meets-Monopoly, as JAY-Z, perceptively an artistic underdog to Nas, knocked the Queensbridge icon off of his block. Also addressing Mobb Deep’s Prodigy, Jay was naming names—unlike his ’90s tussles on wax. “U Don’t Know” was the ringside celebration after the fight. Once dismissed as a drug-dealer MC, Jay-Z used the cold Just Blaze sample chop as a chance to show his “Michael Corleone”-like transition from New York crimes to The New York Times. The title track would also prove significant. The cold exterior of Hov gave way to an MC unafraid to not only acknowledge pain in his childhood, but one who said thank you to his circle. That, and “Song Cry” were hyper-aware reactions to Jay’s often lack of intimacy in songs. Together, the Roc’s in-house hit-makers of ‘Ye, Just, and BINK! made an album that may as well have been produced by one set of ears. The prominence of Soul, intricate slices, and broad instrumentation made this man’s words sound like prophecy. “Renegade” placed Jay and Eminem back-to-back, with a song that put the comparisons in the backseat, and the lyrically-dense message in the front. The Blueprint cemented Jay’s pole position, and it showed how a great MC and a gripping story still needs patience and refinement. In the Hip-Hop landscape, The Blueprint is a skyscraper.
Jay’s specificity, his sound, and his confidence gave way to 50 Cent, Cam’ron, T.I., Young Jeezy, The Game, Rick Ross, and a host of other dominant 2000s voices. Notably, Jay followed with two additional volumes of The Blueprint. However, few can argue that nothing compares to the double-platinum, chart-topping debut article.
Joining Jay’s album is Curtis Mayfield’s Superfly soundtrack album, Nina Simone’s Civil Rights outcry “Mississippi Goddamn,” Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September,” Cab Calloway’s “Minnie The Moocher” (which he performs in Blues Brothers), Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline,” Sam & Dave’s “Soul Man,” Richie Valens’ “La Bamba,” and others.
Every year, The Library Of Congress selects 25 musical titles to add to its National Recording Registry. This act is meant to honor pieces of art for their cultural significance for future generations. A National Recording Preservation Board decides the annual inclusions. This week, JAY-Z’s The Blueprint album became the most modern addition to the archive. It also becomes Shawn Carter’s first work of art to receive this prestigious honor.
Jay’s sixth album released on September 11, 2001, the same day as the attacks on the United States. Arriving less than a year afterThe Dynasty: Roc La Familia, The Blueprint marks the strongest pivot in Jay’s career. An artist with ties to The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac (in very different ways), to own the #1 spot squarely. One of the most poised contestants, Eminem, was a producer and lone guest MC on the album. The other contestant, Nas, was in Jay’s cross-hairs of high profile usurp, “The Takeover.” On The Blueprint, JAY-Zreinvented his sound with Kanye West, Just Blaze, and others during a series of sessions over just several days. The Roc-A-Fella Records co-founder found the ultimate five-year progression from debut Reasonable Doubt. With a D-boy’s confidence and an exec’s get-it-done mentality, he pivoted to his 2000s stand as a Rap magnate. Often criticized for his resistance to vulnerability, Jay let the songs cry on his behalf. As the Roc Boy was lunging for the top, he made some of his most relatable music. The writing on The Blueprint is ultra-specific, but the themes, sounds, and attitude of the double platinum campaign seemingly spoke to all. Jigga had transformed to Hov’, and when he put his legacy on the line for the belt.
“The Takeover” was Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots-meets-Monopoly, as JAY-Z, perceptively an artistic underdog to Nas, knocked the Queensbridge icon off of his block. Also addressing Mobb Deep’s Prodigy, Jay was naming names—unlike his ’90s tussles on wax. “U Don’t Know” was the ringside celebration after the fight. Once dismissed as a drug-dealer MC, Jay-Z used the cold Just Blaze sample chop as a chance to show his “Michael Corleone”-like transition from New York crimes to The New York Times. The title track would also prove significant. The cold exterior of Hov gave way to an MC unafraid to not only acknowledge pain in his childhood, but one who said thank you to his circle. That, and “Song Cry” were hyper-aware reactions to Jay’s often lack of intimacy in songs. Together, the Roc’s in-house hit-makers of ‘Ye, Just, and BINK! made an album that may as well have been produced by one set of ears. The prominence of Soul, intricate slices, and broad instrumentation made this man’s words sound like prophecy. “Renegade” placed Jay and Eminem back-to-back, with a song that put the comparisons in the backseat, and the lyrically-dense message in the front. The Blueprint cemented Jay’s pole position, and it showed how a great MC and a gripping story still needs patience and refinement. In the Hip-Hop landscape, The Blueprint is a skyscraper.
Jay’s specificity, his sound, and his confidence gave way to 50 Cent, Cam’ron, T.I., Young Jeezy, The Game, Rick Ross, and a host of other dominant 2000s voices. Notably, Jay followed with two additional volumes of The Blueprint. However, few can argue that nothing compares to the double-platinum, chart-topping debut article.
Joining Jay’s album is Curtis Mayfield’s Superfly soundtrack album, Nina Simone’s Civil Rights outcry “Mississippi Goddamn,” Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September,” Cab Calloway’s “Minnie The Moocher” (which he performs in Blues Brothers), Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline,” Sam & Dave’s “Soul Man,” Richie Valens’ “La Bamba,” and others.
