| Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 29, 1998 | |||
| Recorded | December 1997 – August 1998 | |||
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| Genre | Hip-hop | |||
| Length | 61:43 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
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| Jay-Z chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life | ||||
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Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life is the thirdstudio album by American rapperJay-Z. It was released on September 29, 1998, byRoc-A-Fella Records andDef Jam Recordings. It went on to become his most commercially successful album, selling over 6 million copies in the United States. 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.
Jay described the background to the album's lyrical themes in a December 1998 interview withBlues & Soul, saying, "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] Jay toldMTV News that Vol. 2 was going to be his final album, but he later walked that statement back.
Several tracks in this feature a rougher sound than the glossierBad Boy production onIn My Lifetime, Vol. 1, most notably the three tracks produced byRuff Ryders beatmakerSwizz Beatz. With the exception of Stevie J on "Ride or Die," Bad Boy producers play no role inVol. 2, though Jay-Z enlistedTimbaland,Jermaine Dupri, andIrv Gotti for a more pop-oriented sound on three of the album's singles. This would also be Jay-Z's last album to feature his mentorBig Jaz.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [2] |
| The Baltimore Sun | [3] |
| Christgau's Consumer Guide |  [4] |
| Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [5] |
| IGN | 8.3/10[6] |
| Los Angeles Times | [7] |
| NME | 6/10[8] |
| Q | [9] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [10] |
| The Source | [11] |
In a contemporary review forPlayboy,Robert Christgau deemedVol. 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 "audaciousAnnie sample" and the production ofSwizz Beatz, who he believed took influence frompostminimalist composers such asSteve Reich andPhilip Glass. "And whatever Jay-Z's moral values", Christgau wrote, "the man knows how to put words together and say them real fast."[12] He later gave it a three-star honorable mention in hisConsumer Guide book, indicating "an enjoyable effort that consumers attuned to its overriding aesthetic or individual vision may well treasure".[4] InThe 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".[13]Q called it "the epitome of mainstream hip hop" at the time.[9]
Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life was later ranked number 46 onRolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 greatest albums from the 1990s.[14]
Vol. 2... became Jay-Z's first album to debut at #1 on theBillboard 200, selling over 350,000 copies in its first week, and spent a total of 5 consecutive weeks at the top spot.[15][16]Vol. 2... charted at number one in its second week earning 208,000 copies[16] and stayed at the top for a third consecutive week selling 186,000 copies.[17] In its fifth week, the album sold just under 174,000 copies and once again stayed at number one.[18] It is Jay-Z's best selling album as of 2013[update] and was certified 5× Platinum by theRIAA in 2000. By 2013, the album had sold 5,400,000 copies in the United States.[19] The album wonGrammy Award for Best Rap Album at the41st Annual Grammy Awards. Though he won the award, 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 from the whole world. If it's got a gun everybody knows about it; but if we go on a world tour, no one knows."
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro – Hand It Down" (featuringMemphis 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" |
| Stevie J | 4:48 |
| 5. | "Nigga What, Nigga Who (Originator 99)" (featuringBig Jaz) |
| Timbaland | 3:53 |
| 6. | "Money, Cash, Hoes" (featuringDMX) |
| Swizz Beatz | 4:46 |
| 7. | "A Week Ago" (featuringToo $hort) |
| J-Runnah | 5:00 |
| 8. | "Coming of Age (Da Sequel)" (featuring Memphis Bleek) |
| Swizz Beatz | 4:21 |
| 9. | "Can I Get A..." (featuringJa Rule andAmil) |
|
| 5:09 |
| 10. | "Paper Chase" (featuringFoxy Brown) |
| Timbaland | 4:34 |
| 11. | "Reservoir Dogs" (featuringThe LOX,Beanie Sigel andSauce Money) |
| 5:19 | |
| 12. | "It's Like That" (featuringKid Capri) |
| Kid Capri | 3:45 |
| 13. | "It's Alright" (featuring Memphis Bleek) |
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| 4:01 |
| 14. | "Money Ain't a Thang" (featuringJermaine Dupri) |
| Jermaine Dupri | 4:13 |
Notes
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
Weekly charts[edit]
Singles[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
Decade-end charts[edit]
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| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[32] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[33] | Gold | 100,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[34] | 6× Platinum | 6,000,000‡ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Studio albums | |
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| Collaborative albums |
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| Live albums | |
| Compilation albums | |
| Concert tours | |
| Related articles |
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