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Coming on the heels of two strong records that revealed the extent of Jay-Z's talents, Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life (it may be titled Vol. 2, but it's his third album, arguably his fourth if you count the Streets Is Watching soundtrack) is a little bit of a relative disappointment. Jay-Z had established himself as a savvy, street-smart rapper on those two records, but with Hard Knock Life he decides to shoot for crossover territory, for better and for worse. At his best, he shows no fear -- witness how the title track shamelessly works a Broadway showstopper from Annie into a raging ghetto cry, yet keeps it smooth enough for radio. It's a stunning single, but unfortunately, it promises more than the rest of the album can deliver. Jay-Z remains a first-rate lyricist and MC, but too often his subjects are tired, especially since he winds up with no new revelations. Unfortunately, the same could be said for his music. For every "Hard Knock Life," there are a couple of standard post-gangsta jams that don't catch hold -- and that's really too bad, because the best moments (including several tracks produced by such stars as Timbaland, Kid Capri, and Jermaine Dupri) are state-of-the-art, R&B-inflected mainstream hip-hop. And that's the problem -- before, Jay-Z wasn't trying to play by the rules of the mainstream, but here he's trying to co-opt them. At times he does, but the times that fall flat have less strength or integrity than their predecessors, and that's what makes the entire record not quite as effective, despite its numerous high points. [Shortly after its initial release, Hard Knock Life was reissued with a pair of bonus tracks: "It's Alright," pulled from the Streets Is Watching soundtrack, and "Money Ain't a Thang," a catchy collabo single from Jermaine Dupri's Life in 1472 album.]
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
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Malik Cox, ComposerLyricist - Jay-Z, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Eddie Sancho, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - DJ Premier, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Memphis Bleek, FeaturedArtist
℗ 1998 S. Carter Enterprises, LLC.
Shawn Carter, ComposerLyricist - Jay-Z, MainArtist - CHARLES STROUSE, ComposerLyricist - Martin Charnin, ComposerLyricist - Ken "Supa Engineer" Duro, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - The 45 King, Producer - Mark Howard James, ComposerLyricist - DJ Mark the 45 King, Producer
℗ 1998 S. Carter Enterprises, LLC.
Kasseem Dean, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Jay-Z, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Joe Quinde, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Da Ranjahz, FeaturedArtist - Malcolm Selwyn Byer, ComposerLyricist - Nigel Leguerre, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1998 S. Carter Enterprises, LLC.
Tony Black, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Jay-Z, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Steve A. Jordan, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1998 S. Carter Enterprises, LLC.
Jimmy Douglass, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Jonathan Burks, ComposerLyricist - Timbaland, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Jay-Z, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Big Jaz, FeaturedArtist
℗ 1998 S. Carter Enterprises, LLC.
Kasseem Dean, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Jay-Z, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - DMX, FeaturedArtist, ComposerLyricist - Joe Quinde, Mixer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1998 S. Carter Enterprises, LLC.
Chris Jasper, ComposerLyricist - Marvin Isley, ComposerLyricist - Ernest Isley, ComposerLyricist - Too Short, FeaturedArtist, ComposerLyricist - J. Stoute, ComposerLyricist - Jay-Z, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Ronald Isley, ComposerLyricist - RUDOLPH ISLEY, ComposerLyricist - Joe Quinde, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - O'Kelly Isley Jr., ComposerLyricist - J-Runnah, Producer
℗ 1998 S. Carter Enterprises, LLC.
Kasseem Dean, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Jay-Z, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Memphis Bleek, FeaturedArtist - Joe Quinde, Mixer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1998 S. Carter Enterprises, LLC.
Shawn Carter, ComposerLyricist - Amil, FeaturedArtist - Jeffrey Atkins, ComposerLyricist - Irving Lorenzo, ComposerLyricist - Jay-Z, MainArtist - Ja Rule, FeaturedArtist - Irv Gotti, Producer - Robin Mays, ComposerLyricist - Ken "Supa Engineer" Duro, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Lil Rob, Producer
℗ 1998 S. Carter Enterprises, LLC.
Jimmy Douglass, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Timbaland, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Jay-Z, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Foxy Brown, FeaturedArtist
℗ 1998 S. Carter Enterprises, LLC.
Dwight Grant, ComposerLyricist - Jason Phillips, ComposerLyricist - Sean Jacobs, ComposerLyricist - Isaac Hayes, ComposerLyricist - Jay-Z, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Styles, ComposerLyricist - Beanie Sigel, FeaturedArtist - Erick Sermon, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Sauce Money, FeaturedArtist - Joe Quinde, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Darryl "Pop" Trotter, Producer - L.O.X., FeaturedArtist - Todd Eric Gaither, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1998 S. Carter Enterprises, LLC.
Jay-Z, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - KEVIN CROUSE, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Kid Capri, Producer, FeaturedArtist, ComposerLyricist - Frank Friedman, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1998 S. Carter Enterprises, LLC.
Damon Dash, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Jay-Z, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - JERRY HARRISON, ComposerLyricist - Brian Eno, ComposerLyricist - David Byrne, ComposerLyricist - Tina Weymouth, ComposerLyricist - Mike Rew, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Christopher Franz, ComposerLyricist - Memphis Bleek, MainArtist - Joe Quinde, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Isomie Leeper, ComposerLyricist - Mahagony, Producer
℗ 1998 S. Carter Enterprises, LLC.
Shawn Carter, ComposerLyricist - Charles Carter, ComposerLyricist - STEVE ARRINGTON, ComposerLyricist - Roger Parker, ComposerLyricist - Jay-Z, MainArtist - JD, Producer, FeaturedArtist - JERMAINE DUPRI, ComposerLyricist - Buddy L. Hank, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1998 S. Carter Enterprises, LLC.
Album review
Coming on the heels of two strong records that revealed the extent of Jay-Z's talents, Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life (it may be titled Vol. 2, but it's his third album, arguably his fourth if you count the Streets Is Watching soundtrack) is a little bit of a relative disappointment. Jay-Z had established himself as a savvy, street-smart rapper on those two records, but with Hard Knock Life he decides to shoot for crossover territory, for better and for worse. At his best, he shows no fear -- witness how the title track shamelessly works a Broadway showstopper from Annie into a raging ghetto cry, yet keeps it smooth enough for radio. It's a stunning single, but unfortunately, it promises more than the rest of the album can deliver. Jay-Z remains a first-rate lyricist and MC, but too often his subjects are tired, especially since he winds up with no new revelations. Unfortunately, the same could be said for his music. For every "Hard Knock Life," there are a couple of standard post-gangsta jams that don't catch hold -- and that's really too bad, because the best moments (including several tracks produced by such stars as Timbaland, Kid Capri, and Jermaine Dupri) are state-of-the-art, R&B-inflected mainstream hip-hop. And that's the problem -- before, Jay-Z wasn't trying to play by the rules of the mainstream, but here he's trying to co-opt them. At times he does, but the times that fall flat have less strength or integrity than their predecessors, and that's what makes the entire record not quite as effective, despite its numerous high points. [Shortly after its initial release, Hard Knock Life was reissued with a pair of bonus tracks: "It's Alright," pulled from the Streets Is Watching soundtrack, and "Money Ain't a Thang," a catchy collabo single from Jermaine Dupri's Life in 1472 album.]
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 14 track(s)
- Total length: 01:01:33
- Main artists: Jay Z
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Roc Nation - Jay-Z
- Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap
© 1998 S. Carter Enterprises, LLC. ℗ 1998 S. Carter Enterprises, LLC.
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