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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Only an artist of Jay-Z's stature could have survived the indignity of In My Lifetime, Vol. 1, his stunningly poor second LP, and remain standing as one of the premier lyricists of his generation. Like Biggie did on Life After Death, Jay-Z diversifies his style here--with the Timbaland-laced "Nigga What, Nigga Who" and the dialogue "Coming of Age" (which revisits the young hustler from Jay-Z's first LP, Reasonable Doubt)--demonstrating that even when experimenting with flow, he can still crush his peers. Though the album falters notably at the end (the lazy funk of "Paper Chase," "Reservoir Dogs," and "It's Like That" could be safely cut without incident), Shawn Carter has nonetheless reclaimed his mantle as rap's leading don. --Jon Caramanica
Review
With production support from such diverse trackstars as Primo, Timbaland, Swizz and Erick Sermon, among others, Jigga is off to the finals. No creatine. No andro. Just a simple formula for quality hip-hop. -- The Source
[Jay-Z is] a street poet who delivers his tales of drugs, dollars and women in an almost deadpan style. Yet he's far from humorless. -- People
[Jay-Z is] a street poet who delivers his tales of drugs, dollars and women in an almost deadpan style. Yet he's far from humorless. -- People
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 21 people found the following review helpful
By Benjy
Format:Audio CD
There is a lot of hate around this album, mainly because it was the one that brought Jay-Z into the mainstream circuit.
It isn't as good as his previous 2 releases, Reasonable Doubt being certified classic by just about everyone who has heard it, and In My Lifetime being the most underrated album in the last decade, but it certainly does not disappoint.
'Hard Knock Life', the title track, won Jay-Z critical acclaim and heavy airplay all over America. It samples the chorus from the musical Annie, and with Jay-Z over the top of a simple drum and bass beat, it is an instant classic.
The next 2 songs, 'Ride Or Die' and 'If I Should Die' take it back to his hustling days, but give it a more mainstream feel than what he produced on his debut. The only criticism here is the theme of death being done twice in a row, but both songs are tight and produced well.
'Nigga What, Nigga Who' takes Jay-Z way back to his very early days when he used to rap as fast as Busta Rhymes, a style we virtually never see on his released work. The lyrics are great, delivered fast, and the collabo with Jaz O is a nice touch. Overall, a very underrated single, definitely deserved to perform better.
The next song, 'Money Cash Hoes', is definitely the beginning of the new Jay-Z focus. In later music, he enjoys flexing his masoginistic muscles, as well as flaunting the fact he is extremely rich. He got a lot of criticism over this song, and despite that and the theme of the song, it is still solid, and keeping in with Jay-Z's changing lifestyle. Good verse from DMX on there too.
The rest of the album is extremely solid. 'A Week Ago' showcases Jay-Z's storytelling ability, which we don't see enough anymore, 'Can I Get A...' is a great song, in which Jay expresses his dislike for gold diggers, and the bonus track, 'Money Ain't A Thang' is one of the best songs on the album.
Sure, Jay-Z has changed from rapping exclusively about hustling and snitching, but he is only trying to keep it real, and at the moment, what's real in Jay-Z's life is money, bitches and fame. Doesn't deserve any criticism, a great release.
It isn't as good as his previous 2 releases, Reasonable Doubt being certified classic by just about everyone who has heard it, and In My Lifetime being the most underrated album in the last decade, but it certainly does not disappoint.
'Hard Knock Life', the title track, won Jay-Z critical acclaim and heavy airplay all over America. It samples the chorus from the musical Annie, and with Jay-Z over the top of a simple drum and bass beat, it is an instant classic.
The next 2 songs, 'Ride Or Die' and 'If I Should Die' take it back to his hustling days, but give it a more mainstream feel than what he produced on his debut. The only criticism here is the theme of death being done twice in a row, but both songs are tight and produced well.
'Nigga What, Nigga Who' takes Jay-Z way back to his very early days when he used to rap as fast as Busta Rhymes, a style we virtually never see on his released work. The lyrics are great, delivered fast, and the collabo with Jaz O is a nice touch. Overall, a very underrated single, definitely deserved to perform better.
The next song, 'Money Cash Hoes', is definitely the beginning of the new Jay-Z focus. In later music, he enjoys flexing his masoginistic muscles, as well as flaunting the fact he is extremely rich. He got a lot of criticism over this song, and despite that and the theme of the song, it is still solid, and keeping in with Jay-Z's changing lifestyle. Good verse from DMX on there too.
The rest of the album is extremely solid. 'A Week Ago' showcases Jay-Z's storytelling ability, which we don't see enough anymore, 'Can I Get A...' is a great song, in which Jay expresses his dislike for gold diggers, and the bonus track, 'Money Ain't A Thang' is one of the best songs on the album.
Sure, Jay-Z has changed from rapping exclusively about hustling and snitching, but he is only trying to keep it real, and at the moment, what's real in Jay-Z's life is money, bitches and fame. Doesn't deserve any criticism, a great release.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
By J. Cummins
Format:Audio CD
Jay-Z began his career off with Reasonable Doubt sounding somewhat underground [which he actually was] and blazing rhymes/lyrics. If the game is the NBA and each album is a player then Reasonable Doubt was definitely "Rookie of the Year." In My Lifetime Vol. 1 signalled Jay-Z attempting to go a bit more mainstream but keeping it street and still in the gutter. It was a great mix.
Hard Knock Life Vol. 2 is, in my eyes, the best overall mainstream attempt by an originally underground artist. He uses the likes of producers from MANY backgrounds to give a very diverse sound that always sounds the right pitch in my ears. His first two albums were introducing one of the greats and Hard Knock Life signalled that Jay was here to stay.
This album was for sure the first to give Jay MAJOR air and video play. It was through this album that I was introduced to Jay and his unique sound and for many others, I'm SURE.
Intro f/ Memphis Bleek: Nice bad-ass intro making Jay appear to be some supreme gangster that can't be touched. Bleek [Jay's protege] rides the Primo beat very well in his first return on a Jay album since Reasonable Doubt [he was, like what, 15 when he debuted on that].
Hard Knock Life: I would have thought that using the theme from Annie would be corny and useless but, in a strange way, he uses it to make his hot lyrics and delivery much harder. His 1st signle is a sure-shot-hit that will stick in your head.
If I Should Die f/ Da Ranjahz: Hot song produced by Swizz Beats. Jay provied a classic and Da Ranjahz, whoever they are, are tight as well. They talk about what it would be like if they died and how to leave their legacies going. One of my favorites from the album.
Ride Or Die: One of the very few average songs. Still nice... it's like Jay can take any beat and sound ill over it no matter what.
*iggawhat, *iggawho f/ Big Jaz-O & Amil: One of Timbo's BEST BEST tracks ever. Sometimes I wonder how the hell he can come up with tracks like this. Jay raps faster than normal as does Jaz-O and they both tear up this track probably better than any other. Another favorite.
Money, Cash, Hoes f/ DMX: More Swizz Beats... hot track and DMX outshines Jay on his own sh*t only because D is one of the best as well. Peep the remix with Bleek and Beanie--even hotter and one of the crew's best!
A Week Ago f/ Too $hort: Great track that tells a story of Jay and a friend upon which one gets locked up and how their relationship develops. Chill beat but hard at the same time. Too $hort gives only the chorus but just that contribution is tight alone. Good example of how all the collabos are relevant and none are useless or bad. Definitely one of my favs.
Coming of Age Pt. 2 f/ Memphis Bleek: Another Swizz track that BANGS. Tight narration of Jay and his protege in the drug game and how he wants more power to overthrow his mentor. They occasionally switch off between the hot chorus only to tear it up! Outshined pt. 1 which is hard to do because the track off Reasonable Doubt was flawless as well--same story too. First album favorite and one of the all-time contenders for Jay's best song.
Can I Get A... f/ Ja Rule & Amil: Wow... one of the hottest songs ever recorded! Production surprisingly by Irv Gotti from Murder Inc. definitely a stand-out and Irv's best beat. Amil is hot over it as is Ja Rule [this was actually Ja's first appearance on a major track--ever!] Introduced Ja to the world for the first time. Another fav!
Paper Chase f/ Foxy Brown: Hot song which sounds a lot like Foxy's Bonnie & Clyde Pt. 2 from Chyna Doll. Timbo gives his other ill-contribution here. Foxy does well teaming up wit her boy HOVA.
Resevoir Dogs f/ Sauce Money, Beanie Sigel & the LOX: Hot song surprisingly produced by E-Dub [Erick Sermon]. Different choice but WORKS! The LOX rip it up with Beanie and Jay but I think it is Sauce $$$ that takes the track! No real chorus so it's just a tight-ass crew track.
It's Like That f/ & produced by Kid Capri: I've heard this sample before... tight beat ha ha! Chiller than normal and Kid Capri adds to this. Jay stays consistent and provides tight lyrics as normal. Nice chorus.
It's Alright f/ Memphis Bleek: Hmmm... one of the weirdest beats I've ever heard [maybe that's cuz Dame Dash produced it and he's just good for running the biz and crap like that?...] Curious to hear another from Dame. Jay and Bleek do hot like normal and ride the weird beat pretty good. The weakest song on the cd--still nice though.
Money Ain't A Thang f/ & produced by Jermaine Dupri: HOT HOT HOT song by Jay & JD. The way mainstream sh*t should be. One of the hottest beats I've ever heard which is kinda weird cuz it's rather simple. But that can be explained by JD being behind the boards. Another great fav!
This album brought Jay to the masses! This is my favorite album of his though I know it isn't his best ~ the Blueprint and Reasonable Doubt etc. No matter what, it is some of the HOTTEST stuff I've ever heard. I'm a real hip-hop fan who appreciates everything the game has to offer so finding such a mainstream release to be so TIGHT is a miracle of God and H.O.V.A.! Cop it!
Hard Knock Life Vol. 2 is, in my eyes, the best overall mainstream attempt by an originally underground artist. He uses the likes of producers from MANY backgrounds to give a very diverse sound that always sounds the right pitch in my ears. His first two albums were introducing one of the greats and Hard Knock Life signalled that Jay was here to stay.
This album was for sure the first to give Jay MAJOR air and video play. It was through this album that I was introduced to Jay and his unique sound and for many others, I'm SURE.
Intro f/ Memphis Bleek: Nice bad-ass intro making Jay appear to be some supreme gangster that can't be touched. Bleek [Jay's protege] rides the Primo beat very well in his first return on a Jay album since Reasonable Doubt [he was, like what, 15 when he debuted on that].
Hard Knock Life: I would have thought that using the theme from Annie would be corny and useless but, in a strange way, he uses it to make his hot lyrics and delivery much harder. His 1st signle is a sure-shot-hit that will stick in your head.
If I Should Die f/ Da Ranjahz: Hot song produced by Swizz Beats. Jay provied a classic and Da Ranjahz, whoever they are, are tight as well. They talk about what it would be like if they died and how to leave their legacies going. One of my favorites from the album.
Ride Or Die: One of the very few average songs. Still nice... it's like Jay can take any beat and sound ill over it no matter what.
*iggawhat, *iggawho f/ Big Jaz-O & Amil: One of Timbo's BEST BEST tracks ever. Sometimes I wonder how the hell he can come up with tracks like this. Jay raps faster than normal as does Jaz-O and they both tear up this track probably better than any other. Another favorite.
Money, Cash, Hoes f/ DMX: More Swizz Beats... hot track and DMX outshines Jay on his own sh*t only because D is one of the best as well. Peep the remix with Bleek and Beanie--even hotter and one of the crew's best!
A Week Ago f/ Too $hort: Great track that tells a story of Jay and a friend upon which one gets locked up and how their relationship develops. Chill beat but hard at the same time. Too $hort gives only the chorus but just that contribution is tight alone. Good example of how all the collabos are relevant and none are useless or bad. Definitely one of my favs.
Coming of Age Pt. 2 f/ Memphis Bleek: Another Swizz track that BANGS. Tight narration of Jay and his protege in the drug game and how he wants more power to overthrow his mentor. They occasionally switch off between the hot chorus only to tear it up! Outshined pt. 1 which is hard to do because the track off Reasonable Doubt was flawless as well--same story too. First album favorite and one of the all-time contenders for Jay's best song.
Can I Get A... f/ Ja Rule & Amil: Wow... one of the hottest songs ever recorded! Production surprisingly by Irv Gotti from Murder Inc. definitely a stand-out and Irv's best beat. Amil is hot over it as is Ja Rule [this was actually Ja's first appearance on a major track--ever!] Introduced Ja to the world for the first time. Another fav!
Paper Chase f/ Foxy Brown: Hot song which sounds a lot like Foxy's Bonnie & Clyde Pt. 2 from Chyna Doll. Timbo gives his other ill-contribution here. Foxy does well teaming up wit her boy HOVA.
Resevoir Dogs f/ Sauce Money, Beanie Sigel & the LOX: Hot song surprisingly produced by E-Dub [Erick Sermon]. Different choice but WORKS! The LOX rip it up with Beanie and Jay but I think it is Sauce $$$ that takes the track! No real chorus so it's just a tight-ass crew track.
It's Like That f/ & produced by Kid Capri: I've heard this sample before... tight beat ha ha! Chiller than normal and Kid Capri adds to this. Jay stays consistent and provides tight lyrics as normal. Nice chorus.
It's Alright f/ Memphis Bleek: Hmmm... one of the weirdest beats I've ever heard [maybe that's cuz Dame Dash produced it and he's just good for running the biz and crap like that?...] Curious to hear another from Dame. Jay and Bleek do hot like normal and ride the weird beat pretty good. The weakest song on the cd--still nice though.
Money Ain't A Thang f/ & produced by Jermaine Dupri: HOT HOT HOT song by Jay & JD. The way mainstream sh*t should be. One of the hottest beats I've ever heard which is kinda weird cuz it's rather simple. But that can be explained by JD being behind the boards. Another great fav!
This album brought Jay to the masses! This is my favorite album of his though I know it isn't his best ~ the Blueprint and Reasonable Doubt etc. No matter what, it is some of the HOTTEST stuff I've ever heard. I'm a real hip-hop fan who appreciates everything the game has to offer so finding such a mainstream release to be so TIGHT is a miracle of God and H.O.V.A.! Cop it!
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
It seems like a lot of reviewers are idiots and just want to bash Jay-Z.
Jay-Z's third album Hard Knock life was a boost in his commercial sucess. More money, more cash, more hoes...and what not comming to him. Ironically, he decides to take a dive in the subject on the song "Money, Cash, Hoes". His second single "Hard Knock Life" was a rememberable song, because it was played on the radio. No problem with that, but it was stuck in my head. "N***a What?, N***a Who?" (or Jigga What? Jigga Who?) is a fast paced song featuring Jaz-O and Amil. I have the edited version of this CD, and for some reason they took out the entire hook to the song, so I'm just left with blank spots as the chorus and Amil comming in as the song fades out. One of my favorite tracks is "Reservoir Dogs" with The Lox, Beanie Sigel, and Sauce Money. Another favorite track is "It's Alright" with Memphis Bleek, rapping decent, but the beat makes the song more enjoyable.
There are a few skippable tracks though. "Comming Of Age (Da Sequel)" is okay, but I like the first one on the Reasonable Doubt album. "Ride Or Die" and "If I Should Die" both sounds dry and slapped together. "Paper Chase" isn't all that good because Foxy Brown spits some trashy rhymes in the beginning. The well known hit "Can I Get A..." from the Rush Hour OST. I have the radio edited version of this album, but I've also heard the explicit version to the song and it sounds trashy because of it's heavy vulgarity (mostly comming from Amil).
Those are the only flaws on this album. Other than that, if you love Jay-Z or mainstream 1998 rap music, I recommend this to you.
Lyrics: B
Production: B+
Guest Appearances: C+
Fav Tracks: Hand It Down, Hard Knock Life, Jigga What..., Money Cash Hoes, A Week Ago, Reservoir Dogs, It's Alright, Money Ain't A Thang
P.S.- To the reviewer below me: If you hate rap and Jay-Z so much, why did you buy this album?
Jay-Z's third album Hard Knock life was a boost in his commercial sucess. More money, more cash, more hoes...and what not comming to him. Ironically, he decides to take a dive in the subject on the song "Money, Cash, Hoes". His second single "Hard Knock Life" was a rememberable song, because it was played on the radio. No problem with that, but it was stuck in my head. "N***a What?, N***a Who?" (or Jigga What? Jigga Who?) is a fast paced song featuring Jaz-O and Amil. I have the edited version of this CD, and for some reason they took out the entire hook to the song, so I'm just left with blank spots as the chorus and Amil comming in as the song fades out. One of my favorite tracks is "Reservoir Dogs" with The Lox, Beanie Sigel, and Sauce Money. Another favorite track is "It's Alright" with Memphis Bleek, rapping decent, but the beat makes the song more enjoyable.
There are a few skippable tracks though. "Comming Of Age (Da Sequel)" is okay, but I like the first one on the Reasonable Doubt album. "Ride Or Die" and "If I Should Die" both sounds dry and slapped together. "Paper Chase" isn't all that good because Foxy Brown spits some trashy rhymes in the beginning. The well known hit "Can I Get A..." from the Rush Hour OST. I have the radio edited version of this album, but I've also heard the explicit version to the song and it sounds trashy because of it's heavy vulgarity (mostly comming from Amil).
Those are the only flaws on this album. Other than that, if you love Jay-Z or mainstream 1998 rap music, I recommend this to you.
Lyrics: B
Production: B+
Guest Appearances: C+
Fav Tracks: Hand It Down, Hard Knock Life, Jigga What..., Money Cash Hoes, A Week Ago, Reservoir Dogs, It's Alright, Money Ain't A Thang
P.S.- To the reviewer below me: If you hate rap and Jay-Z so much, why did you buy this album?
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
JIGGA!
Great album for those that enjoy the mid to late 90's eastern rap and hip hop.
Jigga fan for life.
Jigga fan for life.
Published 10 days ago by Joseph J Marcellus
5.0 out of 5 stars
Jay-Z Third Studio album
Hard Knock Life is a classic sample from the Broadway show "Annie", however, the way Jay-Z mixes in his rhymes to the beat is dope. Most definitely another classic Jay album. Read more
Published 11 months ago by L. Langenkamp
4.0 out of 5 stars
not classic, but not bad
To me, this is Jay-Z's weakest album. But its still nearly perfect. The song that made Jay-Z big, "Hard Knock Life," and the following singles "Can I Get A... Read more
Published 22 months ago by ihaveeleventoes
5.0 out of 5 stars
Yes, What A Great Album
1998 was a good year for Jay-z because he released his best song of his career "Hard Knock Life" The album is very good, I cant name not one bad song. Read more
Published on November 24, 2009 by G. H. D. lll
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Best Jay Z Ever Did !
To me this was the Best he ever did .
I can put this album on and sing the entire thing.
It stands the test of time over all his other music
This was Jay-Z's... Read more
I can put this album on and sing the entire thing.
It stands the test of time over all his other music
This was Jay-Z's... Read more
Published on September 5, 2009 by Diggiti
1.0 out of 5 stars
Jay-Z 2nd straight wack album
Most overrated rapper of all time!This album is wack!All the beats are simple and the lyrics are boring.All he raps about is money,cash,hoes,cars,and how tough or great he is. Read more
Published on March 23, 2009 by J. Osborne
5.0 out of 5 stars
If you want a piece of history buy this cd
This cd is an all-time great! Jay Z was on top of his game and this is some of his best work. I have this Cd in my car as we speak and i dont plan on ever taking it out. Read more
Published on March 10, 2009 by Asim Hakanjin
5.0 out of 5 stars
Jay-Z goes Hard!
This CD is Jay-Z's hardest CD to date. He has awesome collaborations with the Roc-A-Fella camp and his most successful tour (Hard Knock Life Tour)featured music from this CD. Read more
Published on February 8, 2009 by Laquanda Askew
1.0 out of 5 stars
Vol. 2 Hard Knock Sympathy
awww it must be such a hard knock life.
doing nothing and recording trash talk
and gettin millions and a nice car
on the CD cover.
what a hard knock life! Read more
doing nothing and recording trash talk
and gettin millions and a nice car
on the CD cover.
what a hard knock life! Read more
Published on November 7, 2007 by Lover of TRUE Music
5.0 out of 5 stars
Album of the year doesn't lie.
Great album,one of Jay-z's best. An album you can bang from start to finish.
Published on September 21, 2007 by WhtDaddy
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