Vol. 2, Hard Knock Life
By: Jay-Z
Price: $7.88
Only an artist of Jay-Z's stature could have survived the humiliation of In My Lifetime, Vol. 1, remain his astonishingly poor second LP, and stood as one of the best lyricists of his generation. How not to Life After Death Biggie, Jay-Z diversifies his style here - with the Timbaland-laced "Nigga What, Nigga Who" and the dialogue "Coming of Age" (the young hustler from Jay-Z's first LP revisits, Reasonable Doubt show) - that even when experimenting with flow, he can still destroy his kind. Though the album falters notably at the end of the lazy funk of "Paper Chase (" Reservoir Dogs "and" It's Like That "could safely be cut without incident), Shawn Carter has nonetheless reclaimed his mantle as rap's leading don . - Jon Caramanica
Price: $7.88
Only an artist of Jay-Z's stature could have survived the humiliation of In My Lifetime, Vol. 1, remain his astonishingly poor second LP, and stood as one of the best lyricists of his generation. How not to Life After Death Biggie, Jay-Z diversifies his style here - with the Timbaland-laced "Nigga What, Nigga Who" and the dialogue "Coming of Age" (the young hustler from Jay-Z's first LP revisits, Reasonable Doubt show) - that even when experimenting with flow, he can still destroy his kind. Though the album falters notably at the end of the lazy funk of "Paper Chase (" Reservoir Dogs "and" It's Like That "could safely be cut without incident), Shawn Carter has nonetheless reclaimed his mantle as rap's leading don . - Jon Caramanica