Jay-Z: The Black Album (2LP) [ROC NATION]

Why you'll love it

This 2LP set spreads The Black Album across four sides in a gatefold jacket. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 463,000 copies in its first week and is certified quadruple platinum.

This edition

• 2LP set
• Gatefold jacket

About the album

Jay-Z billed The Black Album as his farewell, and he planned it like a final lap of honour: a different producer for nearly every song, each one a heavyweight. It came out in November 2003, with a retirement tour to match, and the result plays like a greatest-hits album made entirely of new songs.

Just Blaze sets the scene with the soulful "December 4th," where Jay's mother narrates his life story. Kanye West brings the horns on "Encore" and the reflective "Lucifer," The Neptunes glide through "Change Clothes" and "Allure," Timbaland's stuttering "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" became a cultural hand gesture, and Rick Rubin strips "99 Problems" down to rock drums and guitar crunch. Eminem produces "Moment of Clarity," 9th Wonder brings warm soul to "Threat," and "My 1st Song" closes things with a nod back to the hunger of his early days.

It was the best-selling album of his decade, and Danger Mouse later blended its vocals with The Beatles' White Album to make The Grey Album. As for the retirement, it lasted roughly as long as one of our staff holidays, and he came back with a tan too.

Also at Kops: more Jay-Z on vinyl · browse Hip Hop / R&B

Tracklist

Listen

On Roc-A-Fella / Def Jam (cat# B0001528-01), the 2003 album.