Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life is the third album released by Jay-Z. The album propelled Jay-Z into superstar status and cemented him as a household name. It also helped him emerge as an extremely dominant force in the post Biggie/Tupac era of hip hop and won the Grammy award for Best Rap Album in 1999.
Vol. 2 received lukewarm reviews from critics and hip-hop purists who felt his aims to be a crossover success had compromised the quality and complexity of his music. It was also criticized for its numerous guest appearances. However, it received a near-perfect 4.5 (out of 5) mics from The Source.
Several tracks on this album feature a rougher sound than the glossier Bad Boy production on In My Lifetime, Vol. 1, most notably the three tracks produced by Ruff Ryders beatmaker Swizz Beatz. With the exception of Stevie J on “Ride or Die,” Bad Boy producers play no role in Vol. 2, though Jay-Z enlisted Jermaine Dupri, Timbaland and Irv Gotti for a more pop-oriented sound on three of the albums’ singles.
Singles
- “Money Ain’t a Thang”
- Released: April 1998
- “It’s Alright”
- Released: July 21, 1998
- “Can I Get A…”
- Released: September 1, 1998
- “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)”
- Released: October 20, 1998
- “Money, Cash, Hoes”
- Released: February 23, 1999
- “Nigga What, Nigga Who (Originator 99)”
- Released: November 30, 1999
U.S. Billboard Charts
#1 on Billboard 200
#1 on Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums
- The above information was taken from Wikipedia
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
“It’s a hard knock life, for us! it’s a hard knock liiiife, for usss” – yo I was young, didn’t know shit about hip hop, about jay-z, but this chorus is timeless to me, classic shit
Yo maybe it was only me but the way Memph Bleek started the album over Primo had me amped up!!! I just knew this cat was next. Prolly the illest verse Memp ever spit. Not to mention his verse on Coming of Age 2…not my fave Jay cd but had some heat on there
this record gets 4 stars for “Reservoir Dogs” alone.
I agree with JustinTime, I thought Memp was going to become a star the way he went in on the intro…..guess not.
The source got no credibility haha… decent album but not Jay’s best
i actually went out the country and bought a bunch of books for 1 dollar from Borders. One was Kim Oh Sorry Hoe’s book about the source. Man it was one of the worst books I’ve ever read. And she made herself look super ugly lol
so ill. You need to cop the making of Reasonable Doubt tho. Best Jay beat was Dead Presidents. Watch me play that on piano while rappin my own verse at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1k1gLFq-qw
I play Feelin It too, and Changes by Pac and Big Poppa by… Big Poppa.
Or for a better rendition of Big Poppa look up Will Ferrell as Robert Goulet singing rap classics.