Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life

Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life
Studio album by Jay-Z
Released September 29, 1998
Recorded 1997–1998
Genre Hip hop
Length 61:43
Label Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam
Producer Jay Z (Executive) , Kareem "Biggs" Burke (Executive) , Damon Dash (Executive) , Swizz Beatz, DJ Premier, The 45 King, Timbaland, Stevie J, Irv Gotti, Erick Sermon, Kid Capri, Damon Dash, Jermaine Dupri, J-Runnah, Lil' Rob, Darold Trotter, Mahogany Music
Jay-Z chronology
In My Lifetime, Vol. 1
(1997)		 Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life
(1998)		 Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter
(1999)
Singles from Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life
  1. "Can I Get A..."
    Released: August 22, 1998
  2. "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)"
    Released: October 17, 1998
  3. "Money, Cash, Hoes"
    Released: May 1999
  4. "Nigga What, Nigga Who (Originator 99)"
    Released: April 24, 1999

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.

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 (Originator 99)" are also included.

Background

Speaking in December 1998 to noted UK urban writer Pete Lewis of the award-winning Blues & Soul, Jay described the background to the album's lyrical themes: "Primarily I see myself as so much more than a rapper. I really believe I'm the voice for a lot of people who don't have that microphone or who can't rap. So I wanted to represent and tell the story of everybody who's been through what I've been through, or knows somebody that has. I also wanted to speak about our lifestyle to people who - though they may live, say, in the suburbs and not be part of that world - still want to know about it and understand it."[1]

Production

Several tracks in this 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 Timbaland, Jermaine Dupri, and Irv Gotti for a more pop-oriented sound on three of the albums' singles. This would also be Jay-Z's last album to feature his mentor Big Jaz.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Christgau's Consumer Guide[3]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[4]
IGN8.3/10[5]
Los Angeles Times[6]
NME6/10[7]
Q[8]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[9]
The Source4.5/5[10]

In a contemporary review for Playboy, Robert Christgau deemed Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life a progression from its predecessor, featuring more noticeable beats that would appeal to listeners other than just hip hop aesthetes. He highlighted the title track's "audacious Annie sample" and the production of Swizz Beats, whom he believed took influence from postminimalist composers such Steve Reich and Philip Glass. "And whatever Jay-Z's moral values", Christgau wrote, "the man knows how to put words together and say them real fast."[11] He later gave it a three-star honorable mention in his Consumer Guide book, indicating "an enjoyable effort that consumers attuned to its overriding aesthetic or individual vision may well treasure".[3] In The A.V. Club, Nathan Rabin said the record was "an uneven if worthwhile" album whose best songs "strip gangsta rap of its superthug bravado and replace it with a more nuanced understanding of the human emotions behind the gangsta facade".[12] Q called it "the epitome of mainstream hip hop" at the time.[8]

Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life was later ranked number 46 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 greatest albums from the 1990s.[13]

Commercial performance

It is Jay-Z's best selling album as of 2013 and was certified 5x Platinum by the RIAA in 2000. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, selling over 350,000 copies in its first week.[14] By 2013, the album had sold 5,400,000 copies in the United States.[15] The album won Grammy Award for Best Rap Album at the 41st Annual Grammy Awards. Though he won the nomination he boycotted the ceremony, citing what he sees as the Grammys' continuing disrespect of hip-hop because they were not going to broadcast the rap nominations. He told MTV "I am boycotting the Grammys because too many major rap artists continue to be overlooked. Rappers deserve more attention from the Grammy committee and form the whole world. If it's got a gun everybody knows about it; but if we go on a world tour, no one knows."

Track listing

All lyrics written by Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, and featured rappers. 

No. TitleProducer(s) Length
1. "Intro - Hand It Down" (performed by Memphis Bleek)DJ Premier 2:56
2. "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)"  The 45 King 3:58
3. "If I Should Die" (featuring Da Ranjahz)Swizz Beatz 4:55
4. "Ride or Die"  Steven "Stevie J" Jordan of The Hitmen 4:48
5. "Nigga What, Nigga Who (Originator 99)" (featuring Amil & Big Jaz)Timbaland 3:53
6. "Money, Cash, Hoes" (featuring DMX)Swizz Beatz 4:46
7. "A Week Ago" (featuring Too $hort)J-Runnah 5:00
8. "Coming of Age (Da Sequel)" (featuring Memphis Bleek)Swizz Beatz 4:21
9. "Can I Get A..." (featuring Amil & Ja Rule)Irv Gotti, Lil Rob 5:09
10. "Paper Chase" (featuring Foxy Brown)Timbaland 4:34
11. "Reservoir Dogs" (featuring The LOX, Beanie Sigel & Sauce Money)Erick Sermon, Darold "POP" Trotter*; Rockwilder** 5:19
12. "It's Like That" (featuring Kid Capri & Liz Leite)Kid Capri 3:45
13. "It's Alright" (featuring Memphis Bleek) (bonus track)Damon Dash, Mahogany Music 4:01
14. "Money Ain't a Thang" (featuring Jermaine Dupri) (bonus track)Jermaine Dupri 4:13

* Indicates co-producer
** Ghost produced by Rockwilder

Sample credits

Intro (Hand It Down)

Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)

Money, Cash, Hoes

A Week Ago

Reservoir Dogs

It's Like That

It's Alright

Money Ain't a Thang

Chart positions

Album

Chart (1998) Peak
position
Canadian Albums Chart[16] 20
German Albums Chart[17] 76
U.S. Billboard 200[18] 1
U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums[19] 1

End of decade charts

Chart (1990–1999) Position
U.S. Billboard 200[20] 62

Singles

Year Song Billboard Hot 100 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks Hot Rap Singles
1998 "Can I Get A..." 19 6 22
"Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" 15 10 2
1999 "Money, Cash, Hoes" 116 36 19
"Jigga What, Jigga Who" 84 23 19

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
Canada (Music Canada)[21] Platinum 100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[22] Silver 60,000^
United States (RIAA)[23] 5× Platinum 5,000,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

See also

References

  1. ↑ Lewis, Pete. Jay-Z: A B&S classic interview December 1998, Blues & Soul
  2. ↑ Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life at AllMusic
  3. 1 2 Christgau, Robert (2000). Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. Macmillan. pp. xvi, 149. ISBN 0312245602.
  4. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2011). "Jay-Z". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 0857125958.
  5. ↑ "Vol. 2...Hard Knock Life - IGN". Music.ign.com. 2003-11-11. Retrieved 2013-07-16.
  6. ↑ Baker, Soren (1998-10-10). "Jay-Z Offers Intense Tales of 'Life' and the Street - Los Angeles Times". Articles.latimes.com. Retrieved 2013-07-16.
  7. ↑ "NME Album Reviews - Volume 2... Hard Knock Life". Nme.Com. 1999-01-18. Retrieved 2013-07-16.
  8. 1 2 "Review". Q. December 2000. p. 144.
  9. ↑ The New Rolling Stone Album Guide - Google Boeken. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2013-07-16.
  10. ↑ "Music: Vol. 2, Hard Knock Life (CD) by Jay-Z (Artist)". Tower.com. 1998-09-29. Retrieved 2013-07-16.
  11. ↑ Christgau, Robert (November 1998). "Beck, Jay-Z". Playboy. Retrieved September 4, 2016.
  12. ↑ Rabin, Nathan (2002-03-29). "Jay-Z: Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life | Music | MusicalWork Review". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2013-07-16.
  13. ↑ "100 Best Albums of the Nineties". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 4, 2016.
  14. ↑ Reiss, Randy (October 14, 1998). "Jay-Z's New Hard Knock Life Has A Golden Week".
  15. ↑ "The 50 Best Selling Rap Albums of All Time18. Jay-Z Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life (1998)".
  16. ↑ "Canadian Albums Chart - November 14, 1998". Billboard.
  17. ↑ http://www.charts.org.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Jay%2DZ&titel=Vol%2E+2%2E%2E%2E+Hard+Knock+Life&cat=a. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  18. ↑ "Billboard 200 - October 17, 1998". Billboard.
  19. ↑ "Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums - October 17, 1998". Billboard.
  20. ↑ Geoff Mayfield (December 25, 1999). 1999 The Year in Music Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade - The listing of Top Pop Albums of the '90s & Hot 100 Singles of the '90s. Billboard. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
  21. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – JAY Z – Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life". Music Canada.
  22. ↑ "British album certifications – JAY Z – Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Silver in the field By Award. Click Search
  23. ↑ "American album certifications – JAY Z – Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH

External links

Preceded by
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
by Lauryn Hill		 Billboard 200 number-one album
October 17, 1998 – November 20, 1998 		Succeeded by
Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie
by Alanis Morissette
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