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If Jay-Z had his way back in 1996, this list would be too brief to warrant compiling.
But the industry had different plans.
Jay-Zs adolescence coincided with the Reagan 80s.
But as an adolescent, he put his hobby on the backburner and crack sales on the front.
He followed that with the inconsistent, overly polishedIn My Lifetime, Vol.
From 1998 through 2003, Jay was unstoppable.
He released his career-defining LPThe Blueprintin 2001 and released the excellent retirement fake-outThe Black Albumjusttwo years later.
But Jay never really committed to his retirement.
These albums range from lyrically and musically progressive, to painfully awkward and unfocused.
So whats next for Jay-Z, who this week turned 50 andre-gifted Spotify with his full discographyto celebrate?
No leaked tracks, no mash-ups, and no remixes a tricky restriction given Jays penchant for sequels.
Heres Jay-Zs full canon (so far), from most regrettable twoalbums with R. Kelly!
The final minute features some struggle patois and one of Jays most throwaway of throwaway freestyles.
We couldve done without this song, too.
I Know What Girls Like,In My Lifetime, Vol.
Who decided it was a good idea to crate dig in the Waitresses catalogue?
Maurice White deserved better.
Those child-pornography charges were later dropped after a technicality deemed the photos inadmissible in court.
But yeah, this song is okay, I guess.
Singer K. Briscoes hook is robotic and irksome.
Hollywood fits much better there too much woe-is-me fame bemoaning from Jay on an already out-of-touchKingdom Come.
Kanyes hyperventilating synths and Run-DMC sample are ill-fitting for Hov.
Things That U Do,Vol.
S. Carter,Vol.
He mustve become a bit high on his own influence.
Still, Jay should stay away from 80s pop samples.
Even the titles are nearly identical, ugh.
Jay-Z syncs up with Rihanna and U2s Bono and the Edge for a sincere dedication.
Musically, the sum is not greater than its parts.
The Return,Unfinished Business(2004):Jay has better Slick Rick impressions in his catalogue.
H.O.V.A.,The Desert Storm Mixtape: DJ Envy Blok Party Vol.
Blues Freestyle/We Family,4:44(2017):Come for Blue Ivys mumble raps (that flow, though!
This bonus track is a decent addition to4:44, but sits among the projects weaker material.
You might believe him, if a usually high-energy Swizz didnt sound so dry on this overallmehloosie.
Pop 4 Roc,Vol.
Check out Amils 4 Da Fam, released one year later for the real deal.
The verses are choppy and the song is mostly bloated with soundbites from older material.
(Always Be My) Sunshine,In My Lifetime, Vol.
Feelin You in Stereo,Unfinished Business(2004):Well, this sure is meta.
Its not terrible, though, just too goofy for anyones sex playlist.
Girls Best Friend,Vol.
Wishing on a Star,In My Lifetime, Vol.
Paper Chase,Vol.
Still, Girl, why you never ready?
is a delicious Theyre just like us!
Real Niggaz,In My Lifetime, Vol.
Still, this beat is plodding, and the track slows the momentum ofVol.
But does the Carters wealth flaunting ever get old?
Instead it became a stand-alone short that finds Hov announcing his partial ownership of the Brooklyn Nets.
you might hear the latter here in references to Yasiin Bey (a.k.a.
The final draft retained some subliminal shots, but ultimately sounds like Hov is shadowboxing with himself.
Jays punch lines and puns show hes as light on his feet as ever.
Beanie Sigel and Jay-Z lend their support by splitting a verse.
B-Side (2018):Why this song was omitted fromEverything Is Loves track list is anyones guess.
Face Off,In My Lifetime, Vol.
1(1997):Jay-Zs lyrics about love have evolved since releasing this hump-and-dump anthem with Sauce Money.
Theyre a formidable tag team no matter the subject matter, and the fun theyre having here is palpable.
Jays words make the song cry and Dr. Dres piano keys sound like teardrops.
Snoopy Track,Vol.
Theres Been a Murder,Vol.
Its a morose three-and-a-half minutes that sink an often upbeat LP.
30 Something,Kingdom Come(2006):This was an awkward stage in Jays career.
He boasts about his maturity, which entails everything from smoking Cuban cigars to maintaining an excellent credit score.
Its elitist, but still, Jays lyrical interplay with Dr. Dres simple piano riff works.
Party Life,American Gangster(2007):This song sounds nothing like its title suggests.
Unsurprisingly, theres coke talk too.
A then-incarcerated Meek Mill receives shoutouts from Beyonce and Jay-Z.
Stop,Blueprint 2.1(2003):Making hits seemed so easy for Hov around this time.
The City Is Mine,In My Lifetime, Vol.
Ride or Die,Vol.
Dope Man,Vol.
3 and was soon facing 15 years in prison if convicted.
But life didnt completely imitate art.
Unlike his dramatic victory in Dope Man, Jigga copped a plea deal for three years of probation.
If I Should Die,Vol.
Come and Get Me,Vol.
Kanye Wests sped sample adds some sunniness.
Beyonces background vocals shine through as well.
), Takeover].
But this song is different.
The electric guitar-powered beat during the second half would sound at home onVol.
1, in the best way.
Rap Game / Crack Game,In My Lifetime, Vol.
Turns out, theyre not all that different.
Blue Magic,American Gangster(2007):Rakim guests here, too, albeit only in spirit.
He returned home to a mess.
R. Kellys singing is over-the-top at times, but it works.
Hov ad-libs in the background, after bearing witness to Beyonces acrobatic flow and mind-blowing breath control.
Hova Song(Intro) / Hova Song (Interlude) / Hova Song (Outro),Vol.
Its Hova the God.
A Week Ago,Vol.
2 … Hard Knock Life(1998):Jay-Z is a master at humanizing tales from the hood.
Its a needed personal touch on an album stacked to the brim with hits.
Watch Me,Vol.
Ball till your days is up.
Its Alright,Vol.
The song ends in a place of peace, acceptance, and forgiveness.
Close your eyes and listen to Jays narrative; its like a movie in itself.
Its a nice score, a bright spot on an uneven thirdBlueprintalbum.
DJ Toomp provides a stirring, cinematic backdrop these two really should work together again.
But that doesnt mean theres no room for dark humor.
Those jabs likely never get old depending on whom you ask.
Hov lifts a memorable lyric from Shawty Is Da Shit to tie together three tough verses of his own.
121.713,Everything Is Love(2018):Between hooks that interpolate Dr. Dres 1999 single Still D.R.E.
Somebodys Girl,The Best of Both Worlds(2002):Jay-Z may have been the original Mr.
They keep the winning streak going with this mellifluous retrospective about escaping poverty.
Glory (B.I.C.)
Blue Ivy is gonna be.
The Marcy lyricists narrate scenarios that prove in the streets, wolves can take on many different forms.
- Who You Wit/Who You Wit II,In My Lifetime, Vol.
Then, with a wink, Jay includes himself in the assessment.
Money Aint a Thang,Vol.
Its a welcome voyage.
Its a captivating audio memoir set to a stirring Just Blaze beat.
The trio brings exactly that over this bouncy Rick Rock production the best example of their gratifying synergy.
Dear Summer,534(2005):Reasonable Doubtwas supposed to be Jay-Zs first and only album.
But as his storied career proves, he could never definitively say good-bye to music.
Still, the chipmunked Tom Brock sample is undeniable.
Simpson as a worst-case scenario.
It turned out that couldnt have been further from the truth.
Hov slithers about, lamenting the plummeting stock of rap lyricism.
Its a memorable album intro, Hovs own State of the Union address.
Wasnt I a good king?
Maybe too much of a good thing, huh?
Mr. Hudson redeems himself for Young Forever with a fitting vocal on the hook.
Its Like That,Vol.
This gets bumped up ten spots for Cedric the Entertainers comic relief.
Cashmere Thoughts,Reasonable Doubt(1996):This song started out as a joke.
Either way, this is another masterful pairing with the great Frank Ocean.
My 1st Song,The Black Album(2003):Bye-bye Jigga, again.
ThisBlack Albumadieu sounds like a tropical vacation, with dancing strings that Jay skips across in double-time.
The spoken outro may or may not have inspired Kanye to rant at the end ofThe College Dropout.
Lyrically, its just a bunch of bragging about being a supreme emcee.
Coming of Age (Da Sequel),Vol.
Take You Home With Me a.k.a.
Santigolds sung hook and bridge are 24 karat.
His moratorium was issued over an insane guitar-and-brass medley that was just begging to be sampled.
Its Hot (Some Like It Hot),Vol.
But this Roc classic is most significant for introducing the world to Freeway.
His elevated vocal pitch is sui generis.
The Neptunes cook up some humming synths and soft bongos for Jay to stroke his own ego in rhyme.
Reservoir Dogs,Vol.
Youll find neither on this high-stakes posse cut.
Every verse here deserves a flame emoji but leaving it at that is no fun.
Jay contemplates ancient Socratic philosophy, while Kanye praises polygamy, cocaine, and Red Bull.
Frank Ocean ties it all together by singing a string of rhetorical questions, but sounds great nonetheless.
He does a convincing job.
Imaginary Player,In My Lifetime, Vol.
The fact that this song is definitely probably a reenactment of how Jay wooed Beyonce doesnt hurt, either.
Here he tackles four (and for, etc.)
Is That Yo Bitch,Vol.
Especially considering Hovs recount of his backseat encounters with Carmen on the below-the-belt diss Super Ugly.
3before Memphis Bleek revamped it for his own sophomore album.
I found a new route, you bout to see my life change, Jay rhymes.
Boy, was he right.
If theThroneset out to make a statement, well, mission accomplished.
The 18-year-old was killed in a car accident while driving the Chrysler 300 that Jay bought him.
Even the greatest loss holds the possibility of redemption, Jay wrote inDecoded.
So Ghetto,Vol.
is endearing, like the musical equivalent of renewing wedding vows.
You Must Love Me,In My Lifetime, Vol.
It was the first time Jay-Z truly opened up his closet for the world to see his skeletons.
He gets a nudge here from the Neptunes sophisticated piano-based instrumental.
Intro/A Million and One Questions/Rhyme No More,In My Lifetime, Vol.
Jigga My Nigga, Ruff RyderssRyde or Die Vol.
The distorted Nina Simone sample adds a mystical feel.
Contrived as it was, the analogy is ingenious.
Lucky Me,In My Lifetime, Vol.
Its a vulnerable, insightful look inside the mind of a young Shawn Carter.
Theres no bluster here, just menacing, smoothly delivered demands laid over Preems chilly horns.
Do It Again (Put Ya Hands Up),Vol.
Still, Jays weight-loss tale is one of his careers greatest urban legends.
The song completely penned by Jay positions Hov as an OG seeking a hustler apprentice.
Its a masterful recruitment that presents the eager Bleek and streetwise Jay effectively.
Friend or Foe 98,In My Lifetime, Vol.
you’re free to just hear the vulnerability.
Beanie Sigel is audibly in tears.
At times, Jay-Z raps through clenched teeth.
Nigga What, Nigga Who (Originator 99),Vol.
4:44,4:44(2017):This is what a sincere version of Song Cry might sound like.
No, this one is full of genuine remorse.
Otis,Watch the Throne(2011):
The quintessential Jay and Kanye collaboration.
Jay has two Rolex watches; Kanye has three Benzes.
Yeezy hints at birthing Drakes style; Jigga insinuates that he predates an entire swag rap subgenre.
Hov can buy political asylum; Kanye is protected from eternal damnation.
Here, he gets a bit more personal, using tension brilliantly throughout.
Money, Cash, Hoes,Vol.
Things reportedly got tense; the winner of the face-off varies based on who you ask.
By then, X was New Yorks grittiest emcee, coming off of a massively successful debut LP.
Jay was all about flossing, but had the ear of the streets as well.
As for Jay, he births the oft-quoted phrase all-black everything here.
But musically, this is bigger than just a battle song.
The gloves are off, and Jay taught a new generation how to pick apart an enemy.
Streets Is Watching,In My Lifetime, Vol.
The final verse colorfully runs down Jays criminal capers over Skis epic string sample.
But the hit single, which nicely renovates Melisa Morgans 1986 track Fools Paradise, almost didnt happen.
According to Damon Dash, Jay was hesitant to rap over the beat.
Can I Get A …,Vol.
she asks, just months before TLC dropped No Scrubs.
All these years later, the question is still up for debate.
The result makes for an interesting juxtaposition between Keyss celebratory vocals and Hovs lyrics about prostitution.
Grand and gritty, a proper hip-hop ode to Gotham City.
Where Im From,In My Lifetime, Vol.
Quotables abound, especially from Kanye (What she order?
Hit-Boy instantly became a go-to producer after lacing these hypnotic synths that give way to explosive drums.
The awesome instrumental is the product of a friendly in-studio beat battle with Kanye West.
As a wordsmith, its Jay at his most macabre.
Jay took that dramatic melody and ran with it.
His first verse is all spelled-out flows, declarative bravado, and sneaky puns.
The second is largely inspired by journalist Elizabeth Mendez Berry, who attended a preliminary album playback for media.
Once the Notorious B.I.G.
you’re able to hear each verse upping the ante for the next.
Big Pimpin,Vol.
Bun Bs unorthodox flow sounds right at home, but Pimp Cs bouncy, fun verse has aged best.
The opposite can be said for Jays savage, misogynistic rhymes.
What kind of animal would say this sort of thing?
he wrote inDecodedyears later.
Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem),Vol.
Jays street-conscious lyricism oozes authenticity and bridges the gap, making this song a crown jewel in his discography.
Can I Live,Reasonable Doubt(1996):
This is all sonic dramatics and verbal acrobatics.
