The Black Album (Jay-Z album)
Encyclopedia
The Black Album is the eighth studio album
by American rapper Jay-Z
, released November 14, 2003, on Roc-A-Fella Records
. It was promoted as his final studio album, which serves as a recurring theme, although Jay-Z returned to solo recording with Kingdom Come
in 2006.
The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200
chart, selling 463,000 copies in its first week. It produced three singles that attained Billboard
chart success, including Hot 100 top-ten hits "Change Clothes
" and "Dirt Off Your Shoulder
". Upon its release, The Black Album received general acclaim from most music critics. The Black Album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album
at the 47th Grammy Awards, ultimately losing to Kanye West
's The College Dropout
.
producers Kanye West
and Just Blaze
produced two tracks each, in addition to the two produced by frequent Jay-Z collaborators The Neptunes
. Some of the albums CD pressings come in a transparent black jewel case.
version of the album was released to provide material for remix
es and mashups
. Such albums included Kev Brown's, The Brown Album
, and Kno vs. HOV by Kno of CunninLynguists
, These were followed by Danger Mouse
's The Grey Album
. The latter gained attention due to unauthorized use of samples of songs by The Beatles
. Subsequent remixes have mashed-up the acapellas with Prince
(The Purple Album) and Dr. Dre
(The Black Chronic). Further mashups have been created using the music of alternative bands Pavement
("The Slack Album") and Weezer
("The Black and Blue Album").
The only officially released remix album is Collision Course
, Jay-Z's collaboration with Linkin Park
. It was produced by Mike Shinoda
and included a DVD
featuring the two acts performing together.
Lines from the album have been sampled by other artists into entirely new songs.
chart, selling 463,000 copies in its first week. It received general acclaim from most music critics, based on an aggregate score of 84/100 from Metacritic
. According to The Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004), The Black Album is "old-school and utterly modern", as it showed Jay-Z "at the top of his game, able to reinvent himself as a rap classicist at the right time, as if to cement his place in hip-hop's legacy for generations to come". Steve 'Flash' Juon at Rap Reviews.com gave the album a nine out of 10 rating and stated, "Whether this release will settle the debate about his rank in hip-hop or just fuel the discussion further is ultimately not as important as whether or not this is a good album. It's not a good album - it's a GREAT album."
Steve Jones of USA Today
gave the album four out of four stars and stated, "He enlisted beats from an all-star cast of producers, who come through with top-shelf work. But it's Jigga's trademark lyrical dexterity and diversified deliveries that put him on a level all his own." In a retrospective review, Robert Christgau
gave the album an A rating in his consumer guide for MSN Music
. Christgau noted varied producers on each track, writing that "each one sounds different, each one means different, and each one kills", and stated, "[Jay-Z]'s got a right to celebrate his autobiography in rhyme because he's on track to become a personage who dwarfs any mere rapper, and not only can he hire the best help dark green can buy, he can make it sing."
Pitchfork Media
ranked The Black Album at number 90 on its list of the top 200 albums of the 2000s, and Slant Magazine
ranked it number 7 on its list of the Top 100 Albums of the 2000s. According to Billboard
, the album is Jay-Z's top selling album of the 2000s and the 136th highest selling album of the decade in the United States.
Singles
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American rapper Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
, released November 14, 2003, on Roc-A-Fella Records
Roc-A-Fella Records
Roc-A-Fella Records is a record label founded by Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, Damon "Dame" Dash, and Kareem "Biggs" Burke. Today it operates as a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, and is distributed by Island Def Jam Motown Music Group.-Formation and Early Years:...
. It was promoted as his final studio album, which serves as a recurring theme, although Jay-Z returned to solo recording with Kingdom Come
Kingdom Come (Jay-Z album)
Kingdom Come is the ninth studio album by American rap artist Jay-Z. It was released on November 21, 2006. It was considered a "comeback album" for the established rapper, as 2003's The Black Album was slated to be his final release...
in 2006.
The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart, selling 463,000 copies in its first week. It produced three singles that attained Billboard
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
chart success, including Hot 100 top-ten hits "Change Clothes
Change Clothes
"Change Clothes" is the first official single from rapper Jay-Z's studio album The Black Album. It features additional vocals by Pharrell and is produced by The Neptunes. The song reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December, 2003. The video features appearances from supermodel Naomi Campbell,...
" and "Dirt Off Your Shoulder
Dirt off Your Shoulder
"Dirt off Your Shoulder" is the second single released from Jay-Z's 2003 album The Black Album.In 2004, the song was combined with the Linkin Park single "Lying from You" and released as a single for the mash-up album Collision Course....
". Upon its release, The Black Album received general acclaim from most music critics. The Black Album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album
Grammy Award for Best Rap Album
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Album is an award presented to recording artists for quality albums with rapping at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards...
at the 47th Grammy Awards, ultimately losing to Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
's The College Dropout
The College Dropout
The College Dropout is the debut album by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released February 10, 2004, on Roc-A-Fella Records. It was recorded over a period of four years, beginning in 1999. Prior to the album's release, West had worked on rapper Jay-Z's The Blueprint , which showcased his...
.
Release and promotion
Jay-Z said the album would have a different producer for each track, and early magazine advertisements listed a series of numbers (representing tracks) and a producer for each number. The final album did feature a variety of producers, although Roc-A-FellaRoc-A-Fella Records
Roc-A-Fella Records is a record label founded by Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, Damon "Dame" Dash, and Kareem "Biggs" Burke. Today it operates as a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, and is distributed by Island Def Jam Motown Music Group.-Formation and Early Years:...
producers Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
and Just Blaze
Just Blaze
Justin Smith, better known as Just Blaze, is an American hip hop music producer from Paterson, New Jersey. Blaze is also the CEO of Fort Knocks Entertainment. He is most well known for producing Jay-Z songs on the albums The Blueprint, The Blueprint 2, and The Black Album. He is also known for...
produced two tracks each, in addition to the two produced by frequent Jay-Z collaborators The Neptunes
The Neptunes
The Neptunes are a record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for many successful hip hop, R&B and pop artists in the late-1990s and 2000s...
. Some of the albums CD pressings come in a transparent black jewel case.
Remixes
An acappellaAcappella
Acappella may refer to:* Acapella , by Johnny Maestro & The Brooklyn Bridge* Acappella...
version of the album was released to provide material for remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
es and mashups
Mashup (music)
A mashup or bootleg is a song or composition created by blending two or more pre-recorded songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the instrumental track of another...
. Such albums included Kev Brown's, The Brown Album
The Brown Album (rap album)
The Brown Album is an album by rapper/producer Kev Brown. Recorded inside a week, it was the first unofficial remix of Jay-Z's The Black Album, and one of many remixes of that album, released by various, mostly unknown, producers...
, and Kno vs. HOV by Kno of CunninLynguists
Cunninlynguists
CunninLynguists are a hip hop trio from Lexington, Kentucky and Atlanta, Georgia. The group currently consists of Deacon the Villain, Kno, and Natti...
, These were followed by Danger Mouse
Danger Mouse
Brian Joseph Burton , better known by his stage name Danger Mouse, is an American musician, songwriter and producer. He came to prominence in 2004 when he released The Grey Album, which combined vocal performances from Jay-Z's The Black Album with instrumentals from The Beatles' White Album.He...
's The Grey Album
The Grey Album
The Grey Album is a mashup album by Danger Mouse, released in 2004. It uses an a cappella version of rapper Jay-Z's The Black Album and couples it with instrumentals created from a multitude of unauthorized samples from The Beatles' LP The Beatles...
. The latter gained attention due to unauthorized use of samples of songs by The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
. Subsequent remixes have mashed-up the acapellas with Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
(The Purple Album) and Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
(The Black Chronic). Further mashups have been created using the music of alternative bands Pavement
Pavement (band)
Pavement is an American alternative rock band that formed in Stockton, California in 1989. In their career, they achieved a significant cult following, and they were called the best band of the 1990s by prominent music critics Robert Christgau and Stephen Thomas Erlewine...
("The Slack Album") and Weezer
Weezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
("The Black and Blue Album").
The only officially released remix album is Collision Course
Collision Course (album)
Critics were divided over Collision Course, with some praising the album, while others negatively received it.David Jeffries of allmusic praised the album, calling it "awesomely fun". K.B...
, Jay-Z's collaboration with Linkin Park
Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries...
. It was produced by Mike Shinoda
Mike Shinoda
Michael "Mike" Kenji Shinoda is an American musician, record producer, and artist. He is best known as the rapper, principal songwriter, keyboardist, vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Linkin Park, along with his co-frontman and lead singer Chester Bennington, and as a solo rapper in...
and included a DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
featuring the two acts performing together.
Lines from the album have been sampled by other artists into entirely new songs.
- The chorus to T.I.T.I.Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. , better known by his stage name T.I., is an American rap artist, film and music producer, actor and author. He is also the founder and co-chief executive officer of Grand Hustle Records....
's "Bring Em OutBring 'Em Out (song)"Bring Em Out" is the first single from T.I.'s third album Urban Legend. He used a vocal sample from Jay-Z's "What More Can I Say" from The Black Album to create the hook. "Bring Em Out" became T.I.'s first top 10 single, peaking at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was produced by Swizz Beatz...
" was based on a line from "What More Can I Say", which Jay-Z in turn got from Audio TwoAudio TwoAudio Two were the Brooklyn, New York hip hop duo of emcee Kirk "Milk Dee" Robinson and DJ Nat "Gizmo" Robinson, most famous for its first hit, the classic "Top Billin'." The members of the duo are also the older brothers of female hip-hop star MC Lyte.-History:The duo’s debut single, "Make it...
's "Top Billin'". - Joe BuddenJoe Budden-Early life:Budden was born in Spanish Harlem, but lived in Queens until he was 12 and from there moved to Jersey City, New Jersey. He is one of five boys...
's "Stuntin'" based on a line from "What More Can I Say". - Cassidy's "I'm a Hustla" and JuvenileJuvenile (rapper)Terius Gray, better known by his stage name Juvenile, is an American rapper, He is also a former member of hip-hop group the Hot Boys . At the age of 19, he began recording raps, releasing his debut album Being Myself in 1995...
's "Way I Be Leanin'" were based on lines from "Dirt Off Your Shoulder". - ClipseClipseClipse is a Virginia Beach, Virginia-based hip hop duo. Formed in 1992 by brothers Malice and Pusha T , the group is heavily affiliated with production team The Neptunes and signed to Star Trak Entertainment.- Exclusive Audio Footage :The Thornton brothers were born in The Bronx, New...
's "Number One Supplier" was based on a line from "Public Service Announcement". - ClipseClipseClipse is a Virginia Beach, Virginia-based hip hop duo. Formed in 1992 by brothers Malice and Pusha T , the group is heavily affiliated with production team The Neptunes and signed to Star Trak Entertainment.- Exclusive Audio Footage :The Thornton brothers were born in The Bronx, New...
's "Where You Been" was based on a line from "Threat". - Beanie SigelBeanie SigelDwight Grant , also known as Beanie Sigel, is a American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,most recently he was in talks with 50 Cent to sign with G-Unit Records and is a former member/artist of Dame Dash Music Group and Roc-A-Fella Records where he had formed a close association with rappers...
's "All the Above" uses a line from "Public Service Announcement (Interlude)". - The chorus to FreewayFreeway (rapper)Leslie Edward Pridgen , better known by his stage name Freeway, is an American rapper. Best known for his tenure on Roc-A-Fella Records and his affiliation with Jay-Z and Beanie Sigel, he is recognized by his high-pitched delivery and for the long beard he keeps due to his Muslim faith...
's "It's Over" was based on a line in "Encore". - RZARZARobert Fitzgerald Diggs, better known by his stage name RZA , is an American Grammy-winning music producer, multi-instrumentalist, author, emcee, and occasional actor, director, and screenwriter. A prominent figure in Hip Hop, RZA is the de facto leader of the Wu-Tang Clan. He has produced almost...
's "Straight Up the Block" chorus was based on a line in "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" - Jedi Mind TricksJedi Mind TricksJedi Mind Tricks is a hip hop duo with Vinnie Paz from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Jus Allah from Camden, New Jersey. The group was founded by two high school friends, rapper Vinnie Paz and former producer/DJ Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind...
' "Put 'em In The Grave" chorus samples "Threat." - Bobby CreekwaterBobby CreekwaterBobby Creekwater is an American rapper and hip-hop producer from Atlanta, Georgia who is a former member of Shady Records.-Biography:...
's "Hello World" samples "December 4th." - VakillVakillVakill is an American rapper from Chicago, Illinois. Vakill is known through his association with Chicago Hip Hop collective The Molemen, and for his literate, witty, punch line-filled lyricism and detailed story-telling.-Early years:Raised on the South side of Chicago on 119th Street, Vakill was...
's "Farewell to the Game" samples "December 4th."
Reception
The album debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart, selling 463,000 copies in its first week. It received general acclaim from most music critics, based on an aggregate score of 84/100 from Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. According to The Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004), The Black Album is "old-school and utterly modern", as it showed Jay-Z "at the top of his game, able to reinvent himself as a rap classicist at the right time, as if to cement his place in hip-hop's legacy for generations to come". Steve 'Flash' Juon at Rap Reviews.com gave the album a nine out of 10 rating and stated, "Whether this release will settle the debate about his rank in hip-hop or just fuel the discussion further is ultimately not as important as whether or not this is a good album. It's not a good album - it's a GREAT album."
Steve Jones of USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
gave the album four out of four stars and stated, "He enlisted beats from an all-star cast of producers, who come through with top-shelf work. But it's Jigga's trademark lyrical dexterity and diversified deliveries that put him on a level all his own." In a retrospective review, Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
gave the album an A rating in his consumer guide for MSN Music
MSN Music
MSN Music was a part of the MSN web services. It delivered music news, music videos, spotlights on new music, artist information, and live performances of artists. In 2004, Microsoft created an MSN Music download store to compete with Apple's iTunes Music Store, though its sales in comparison were...
. Christgau noted varied producers on each track, writing that "each one sounds different, each one means different, and each one kills", and stated, "[Jay-Z]'s got a right to celebrate his autobiography in rhyme because he's on track to become a personage who dwarfs any mere rapper, and not only can he hire the best help dark green can buy, he can make it sing."
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
ranked The Black Album at number 90 on its list of the top 200 albums of the 2000s, and Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
ranked it number 7 on its list of the Top 100 Albums of the 2000s. According to Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
, the album is Jay-Z's top selling album of the 2000s and the 136th highest selling album of the decade in the United States.
Track listing
| # | Title | Producer(s) | Samples | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Interlude" | Just Blaze Just Blaze Justin Smith, better known as Just Blaze, is an American hip hop music producer from Paterson, New Jersey. Blaze is also the CEO of Fort Knocks Entertainment. He is most well known for producing Jay-Z songs on the albums The Blueprint, The Blueprint 2, and The Black Album. He is also known for... |
1:22 | |
| 2 | "December 4th" | Just Blaze Just Blaze Justin Smith, better known as Just Blaze, is an American hip hop music producer from Paterson, New Jersey. Blaze is also the CEO of Fort Knocks Entertainment. He is most well known for producing Jay-Z songs on the albums The Blueprint, The Blueprint 2, and The Black Album. He is also known for... |
|
4:32 |
| 3 | "What More Can I Say What More Can I Say "What More Can I Say" is a song from rap artist Jay-Z's studio album The Black Album. It was released as a street single simultaneously as the official single "Change Clothes". It premiered on Hot 97 on October 22, 2003 and was the first track from The Black Album to be heard by the public... " |
The Buchanans |
MFSB MFSB was a pool of more than thirty studio musicians based at Philadelphia’s famed Sigma Sound Studios. They worked closely with the production team of Gamble and Huff and producer/arranger Thom Bell, and backed up such groups as Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, the O’Jays, the Stylistics, the... Gladiator (2000 film) Gladiator is a 2000 historical epic film directed by Ridley Scott, starring Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Ralf Möller, Oliver Reed, Djimon Hounsou, Derek Jacobi, John Shrapnel and Richard Harris. Crowe portrays the loyal Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius, who is betrayed... |
4:55 |
| 4 | "Encore Encore (Jay-Z song) "Encore" is a song from Jay-Z's The Black Album. "Encore" received much popularity when it was mixed with Linkin Park's hit single "Numb" on the mash-up album Collision Course as "Numb/Encore" and eventually went on to win a Grammy Award.-Background:... " |
Kanye West Kanye West Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and... |
John Holt (singer) John Holt is a reggae singer and songwriter.-Biography:Holt was born in Kingston in 1947. By the age of 12, he was a regular entrant in talent contests run at Jamaican theatres by Vere Johns... |
4:11 |
| 5 | "Change Clothes" (featuring Pharrell Pharrell Williams Pharrell Williams , commonly known simply as Pharrell, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, composer, and fashion designer. Williams and Chad Hugo make up the record production duo The Neptunes, producing hip hop and R&B music... ) |
The Neptunes The Neptunes The Neptunes are a record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for many successful hip hop, R&B and pop artists in the late-1990s and 2000s... |
Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010... & Pharrell Williams Pharrell Williams Pharrell Williams , commonly known simply as Pharrell, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, composer, and fashion designer. Williams and Chad Hugo make up the record production duo The Neptunes, producing hip hop and R&B music... |
4:18 |
| 6 | "Dirt Off Your Shoulder Dirt off Your Shoulder "Dirt off Your Shoulder" is the second single released from Jay-Z's 2003 album The Black Album.In 2004, the song was combined with the Linkin Park single "Lying from You" and released as a single for the mash-up album Collision Course.... " |
Timbaland Timbaland Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper.... |
4:05 | |
| 7 | "Threat" | 9th Wonder 9th Wonder Patrick Douthit , better known as 9th Wonder is a hip hop record producer, record executive, DJ, professor, and lyricist from Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S.A. He began his career as the main producer for the hip hop group Little Brother, and has also worked with Mary J... |
R. Kelly Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play... |
4:05 |
| 8 | "Moment of Clarity" | Eminem Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition... , Luis Resto (co) |
4:24 | |
| 9 | "99 Problems 99 Problems "99 Problems" is the third single released by American rapper Jay-Z in 2004 from The Black Album. Throughout the song Jay-Z tells a story about dealing with a racist cop who wants to illegally search his car, dealing with rap critics, and dealing with an aggressor... " |
Rick Rubin Rick Rubin Frederick Jay "Rick" Rubin is an American record producer and the co-president of Columbia Records. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin was the co-founder of Def Jam Records and also established American Recordings... |
Mountain (band) Mountain is an American hard rock band that formed in Long Island, New York in 1969. Originally comprising vocalist and guitarist Leslie West, bassist Felix Pappalardi and drummer N. D. Smart, the band broke up in 1972 before reuniting in 1974 and remaining active until today... Wilson Pickett Wilson Pickett was an American R&B/Soul singer and songwriter.A major figure in the development of American soul music, Pickett recorded over 50 songs which made the US R&B charts, and frequently crossed over to the US Billboard Hot 100... Billy Squier William Haislip "Billy" Squier is an American rock musician. Squier had a string of arena rock hits in the 1980s. He is best known for the song "The Stroke" on his 1981 album release Don't Say No... ICE-T * Ice-T, an American rapper and actor* ICE T , a tilting model of the German InterCityExpress series of high-speed trains... UGK UGK was an American hip hop duo from Port Arthur, Texas formed in 1987 by the late Chad "Pimp C" Butler . He then joined with Bernard "Bun B" Freeman, who became his longtime partner... Children's Story "Children's Story" is a single by British-born American hip hop artist Slick Rick, from his album The Great Adventures of Slick Rick.-Reception:It's on the list of the top 100 rap songs, and is ranked #61 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop.... " by Slick Rick Slick Rick Richard Walters , better known by his stage name Slick Rick is a Grammy-nominated English-American rapper... |
3:56 |
| 10 | "Public Service Announcement" | Just Blaze Just Blaze Justin Smith, better known as Just Blaze, is an American hip hop music producer from Paterson, New Jersey. Blaze is also the CEO of Fort Knocks Entertainment. He is most well known for producing Jay-Z songs on the albums The Blueprint, The Blueprint 2, and The Black Album. He is also known for... |
Brand Nubian Brand Nubian is an American hip hop group from New Rochelle, New York, consisting of three MC's: Grand Puba , Sadat X and Lord Jamar , and two DJs: DJ Alamo and DJ Sincere... Rico Love Richard Preston Butler, Jr. , better known by his stage name Rico Love, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. Love wrote and produced hit records such as Usher’s "There Goes My Baby" and "Hey Daddy ”, Nelly's "Just a Dream" and "Gone", Beyoncé Knowles' "Sweet Dreams"... |
2:53 |
| 11 | "Justify My Thug" | DJ Quik DJ Quik David Martin Blake , better known by his stage name DJ Quik, is an MC and record producer. According to Quik himself, his stage name reflects his ability to produce records in short time.... |
Bill Haley & His Comets Bill Haley & His Comets was an American rock and roll band that was founded in 1952 and continued until Haley's death in 1981. The band, also known by the names Bill Haley and The Comets and Bill Haley's Comets , was the earliest group of white musicians to bring rock and roll to the attention of... Justify My Love "Justify My Love" is the first single by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her 1990 greatest hits compilation The Immaculate Collection and was released on November 6, 1990, by Sire Records. It caused international controversy due to the accompanying music video which was sexually explicit... " by Madonna Madonna (entertainer) Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983... |
4:05 |
| 12 | "Lucifer" | Kanye West Kanye West Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and... |
|
3:12 |
| 13 | "Allure" | The Neptunes The Neptunes The Neptunes are a record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for many successful hip hop, R&B and pop artists in the late-1990s and 2000s... |
4:52 | |
| 14 | "My 1st Song My 1st Song "My 1st Song" is the last song on Jay-Z's The Black Album.-Background:In a sample of an interview with Biggie Smalls at the beginning of the song, the late rapper is heard saying he tries to "treat everything like it's [his] first project." Hence, the name of the song, which Jay-Z is apparently... " |
Aqua Aqua (producer) Nicholas McCarrell , otherwise known as Aqua, is an American record producer and composer of film and television scores. As a record producer, he has most notably worked with Roc-a-fella Records artists Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Beanie Sigel... , Joe "3H" Weinberger |
Los angeles negros Los Ángeles Negros was a Chilean music band that recorded primarily during the mid and late 1970s. Formed in 1967, the band released several albums after coming together through a local radio competition.... MTV Networks MTV Networks is a division of media conglomerate Viacom that oversees the operations of many television channels and Internet brands, including the original MTV channel in the United States... interview |
4:45 |
Chart positions
Album| Chart (2003) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
1 |
| U.S. Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums | 1 |
| U.S. Top Rap Albums | 1 |
Singles
| Year | Song | Chart positions | ||
| Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | Hot Rap Singles | ||
| 2003 | "What More Can I Say What More Can I Say "What More Can I Say" is a song from rap artist Jay-Z's studio album The Black Album. It was released as a street single simultaneously as the official single "Change Clothes". It premiered on Hot 97 on October 22, 2003 and was the first track from The Black Album to be heard by the public... " |
- | #48 | - |
| "Change Clothes Change Clothes "Change Clothes" is the first official single from rapper Jay-Z's studio album The Black Album. It features additional vocals by Pharrell and is produced by The Neptunes. The song reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December, 2003. The video features appearances from supermodel Naomi Campbell,... " |
#10 | #6 | #4 | |
| 2004 | "Encore Encore (Jay-Z song) "Encore" is a song from Jay-Z's The Black Album. "Encore" received much popularity when it was mixed with Linkin Park's hit single "Numb" on the mash-up album Collision Course as "Numb/Encore" and eventually went on to win a Grammy Award.-Background:... " |
#106 | #30 | #22 |
| "Dirt Off Your Shoulder Dirt off Your Shoulder "Dirt off Your Shoulder" is the second single released from Jay-Z's 2003 album The Black Album.In 2004, the song was combined with the Linkin Park single "Lying from You" and released as a single for the mash-up album Collision Course.... " |
#5 | #3 | #2 | |
| "99 Problems 99 Problems "99 Problems" is the third single released by American rapper Jay-Z in 2004 from The Black Album. Throughout the song Jay-Z tells a story about dealing with a racist cop who wants to illegally search his car, dealing with rap critics, and dealing with an aggressor... " |
#30 | #26 | #10 |
Chart procession and succession
Personnel
- Executive Producers: Shawn Carter, Damon DashDamon Dash__NOINDEX__...
, Kareem "Biggs" Burke - A&R Direction: Kyambo "Hip Hop" Joshua
- A&R: Lenny S.
- A&R Direction/Join Venture: Darcell Lawrence
- A&R Administration: Rob Mitchell
- Recording Administration: Rob Mitchell
- Mastering: Tony Dawsey
- Marketing: Shari Bryant, Amber Noble
- Management: Roc-A-Fella Management
- Art Direction & Design: Robert Sims
- Principal Photography: Jonathan Mannion
- Additional Photography: Lenny "kodak man" Santiago, Walik Goshorn
- Legal Counsel: Michael Guido, Jennifer Justice
- Business Affairs for Roc-A-Fella Records: Michael Seltzer, Ian Allen, Antoinette Trotman, Jeff Kempler
- Sample Clearance Agent: Eric Weissman
See also
- Kev Brown – The Brown Album (2004)
- Danger MouseDanger MouseBrian Joseph Burton , better known by his stage name Danger Mouse, is an American musician, songwriter and producer. He came to prominence in 2004 when he released The Grey Album, which combined vocal performances from Jay-Z's The Black Album with instrumentals from The Beatles' White Album.He...
– The Grey AlbumThe Grey AlbumThe Grey Album is a mashup album by Danger Mouse, released in 2004. It uses an a cappella version of rapper Jay-Z's The Black Album and couples it with instrumentals created from a multitude of unauthorized samples from The Beatles' LP The Beatles...
(2004) - List of number-one albums of 2003 (U.S.)
- List of number-one R&B albums of 2003 (U.S.)
External links
- The Black Album at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- The Black Album at MetacriticMetacriticMetacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
- In Brief: Jay-Z at New YorkNew York (magazine)New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
- Jay-Z Raps On the Fly Like a Man Set to Die at New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...