![]() The Black Album wasn’t the summation it was built up to be, but were it Jay’s final outing, it would have been a worthy end to a singular career. He’s run an ultra-successful record label, embarked on one of the most successful live tours of all time – alongside his wife, no less – bankrolled film projects, engaged in high-profile activism and entrepreneurship, and released one of the most acclaimed albums of his career… 21 years after his debut LP. Each producer brought their own distinct style to Jay’s overarching vision: there’s no mistaking Pharrell and Chad Hugo’s work on “Change Clothes” with Kanye’s take on “Lucifer” or Rubin’s flair throughout “99 Problems.” Though the production roster was large, and the anticipation undoubtedly massive, 9th Wonder claims the entire project – beats, bars and all – was completed in a single month.Ī decade and a half later, Jay-Z is an unstoppable pop culture icon. Production was handled by a roster of Jay’s closest collaborators including Just Blaze, Timbaland, Kanye West and The Neptunes, as well as new creative partners like Rick Rubin, DJ Quik and 9th Wonder. 9th Wonder, who produced “Threat,” played Jay twenty-nine beats on the Saturday they first met, only for the emcee to pitch him an entirely new idea: an instrumental based on a track he’d long wanted to sample. The album also showcased his curatorial talents: Jay makes the most of his collaborators through an exceptional selection of beats, identifying the strongest contributions from each of his offsiders. The Brooklyn-born rapper, then 34-years-old, had arguably reached the peak of his talents: his mastery of varying flows was matched by his biting lyricism, which he put to use recounting his origins ( “December 4th”), recalling police stops ( “99 Problems”), revelling in his status ( “Dirt Off Your Shoulder”) and courting violence ( “Threats”). More than that, however, it stands as one of Jay’s greatest efforts. Fate may have had other plans for Shawn Carter, but his eighth studio album still stands as a premature swan song one that acts as a conclusion to the first wave of his career. He planned to cast himself off with one final effort, The Black Album, a statement piece encapsulating his storied career and articulating his final thoughts. Seven years on from his debut LP, Reasonable Doubt, the era’s most celebrated emcee was on the verge of retirement. ![]() ![]() Fifteen years on, we reflect on the production throughout the LP, breaking down the sampling, examining the sonic palette and looking at the collaborators Jay chose to score his classic curtain closer.įifteen years ago, Jay-Z felt he’d said all he had to say. November 14, 2003: with nothing left to prove, Jay Z releases The Black Album, a project billed as his last.
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