JAY-Z
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010. He has sold approximately 50 million albums worldwide, while receiving thirteen Grammy Awards for his musical work, and numerous additional nominations. He is consistently ranked as one of the greatest rappers of all-time. He was ranked so by MTV in their list of The Greatest MCs of All-Time in 2006. Two of his albums, Reasonable Doubt (1996) and The Blueprint (2001) are considered landmarks in the genre with both of them being ranked in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Blender included the former on their 500 CDs You Must Own Before You Die.
Jay-Z co-owns the 40/40 Club, is part-owner of the NBA's New Jersey Nets and is also the creator of the line Rocawear. He is the former CEO of Def Jam Recordings, one of the three founders of Roc-A-Fella Records, and the founder of Roc Nation. As an artist, he holds the record for most number one albums by a solo artist on the Billboard 200 with eleven. Jay-Z also has had four number ones on the Billboard Hot 100, one as lead artist.
He married American R&B superstar Beyoncé Knowles on April 4, 2008. On December 11, 2009, Jay-Z was ranked as the 10th most successful artist of the 2000's by Billboard and ranking as the 5th top solo male artist and as the 4th top rapper behind Eminem, Nelly, and 50 Cent.
Originally from Marcy Houses, a housing project in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City, the future "Jay-Z" then known as Shawn Carter, was abandoned by his father and in 1982, he shot his brother in the shoulder for stealing his jewelry. Carter attended Eli Whitney High School in Brooklyn, along with future rapper AZ, until it was closed down. After that he attended George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School in Downtown Brooklyn, with fellow future rappers The Notorious B.I.G. and Busta Rhymes, and Trenton Central High School in Trenton, New Jersey, but did not graduate. In his music he refers to having been involved in selling crack cocaine.
According to his mother, Gloria Carter, her son Shawn used to wake his siblings up at night banging out drum patterns on the kitchen table. Eventually, she bought him a boom box for his birthday, sparking his interest in music. He began freestyling, writing lyrics, and followed the music of many artists popular at the time. In his neighborhood, Carter was known as "Jazzy", a nickname that eventually developed into his showbiz/stage name, "Jay-Z". The moniker is also an homage to his musical mentor, Jaz-O, as well as to the J/Z subway lines that have a stop at Marcy Avenue in Brooklyn.
Jay-Z that states his earliest exposure to music was through his parents' record collection, which was mostly of soul artists such as Marvin Gaye and Donny Hathaway. He says "I grew up around music, listening to all types of people... I'm into music that has soul in it, whether it be rap, R&B, pop music, whatever. As long as I can feel their soul through the wax, that's what I really listen to." He often uses excerpts from these artists as samples in his work, particularly in the Kanye West-productions included on The Blueprint.
Royce da 5'9" and Fredro Starr of Onyx both describe Jay-Z's emphasis on flow in the book How to Rap – Starr says that Jay-Z is "a master of the flow—he can flow fast, he can flow slow". The book describes how Jay-Z uses 'rests' to provide structure to a verse and how he uses 'partial linking' to add more rhymes to a verse. Jay-Z's early style is described by Vibe as "a distinctly Das EFX-type, stiggety style" on his 12" single "Can't Get With That", referring to the fast rhythms and vocal delivery of the group Das EFX. He is also known to write lyrics in his head, as described by Pusha T of Clipse in How to Rap, a style popular with many MCs such as The Notorious B.I.G., Everlast, Bobby Creekwater and Guerilla Black. Shock G of Digital Underground describes Jay-Z's performance style, saying he "rarely breaks a sweat, and instead uses smoothness and clever wordplay to keep the audience interested and entertained".
Jay-Z is married to American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles. In 2002, Jay-Z and Knowles collaborated for the song "'03 Bonnie & Clyde". Jay-Z also appeared on Knowles' hit single "Crazy In Love" and as well as "That's How You Like It" from her debut Dangerously in Love. On her second album, B'Day, he made appearances on the 2006 hits, "Déjà Vu" and "Upgrade U". In the video for the latter song, she comically imitates his appearance. The couple generally avoid discussing their relationship. Knowles has stated that she believes that not publicly discussing their relationship has helped them. Jay-Z said in a People article, "We don't play with our relationship." They kept a low profile while dating, and married quietly in April 2008. It became a matter of public record on April 22, 2008, but Knowles did not publicly debut her $5 million Lorraine Schwartz-designed wedding ring until the Fashion Rocks concert on September 5, 2008 in New York City. Knowles and Jay-Z were listed as the most powerful couple for TIME magazine's 100 most influential people of 2006. In January 2009, Forbes ranked them as Hollywood's top-earning couple, with a combined total of $162 million. They also made it to the top of the list the following year, with a combined total of $122 million between June 2008 and June 2009. At the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, Beyoncé revealed that she was pregnant with their first child and on January 7, 2012, she gave birth to their daughter, named Blue Ivy Carter, at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. On January 9, 2012, Jay-Z released "Glory", a song dedicated to their child, on his social website LifeandTimes.com. The song detailed the couple's pregnancy struggles, including a miscarriage Knowles suffered before becoming pregnant with their daughter. Because Blue's cries were included at the end of the song and she was officially credited on the song as "B.I.C", at 2 days old she became the youngest person ever to appear on a Billboard chart when "Glory" debuted on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs at Number 74.
During his retirement, Jay-Z also became involved in philanthropic activity. On August 9, 2006, he met with United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan at the organization's headquarters in New York City. The rapper pledged to use his upcoming world tour to raise awareness of and combat global water shortage. Already on the look-out for a way to, in his own words, "become helpful", he had been made aware of this issue during a visit to Africa. The effort took place in partnership with the UN, as well as MTV, which produced a documentary entitled Diary of Jay-Z: Water for Life, first airing in November 2006. Along with Sean "Diddy" Combs, Jay-Z pledged $1 million to the American Red Cross' relief effort after Hurricane Katrina. Jay-Z stated his support for Kanye West after the latter's outburst against President Bush during a live Katrina charity telethon. He also addressed the issue of the Katrina disaster, and the government's response, in his song "Minority Report".
Jay-Z got actively involved in politics during the 2008 presidential campaign, where he supported increased voter participation and helped send voters to polling stations. He was an early supporter for the candidacy of Illinois senator and subsequent U.S. president Barack Obama, performing for free in voter-drive concerts financed by the Democrats' campaign. He also became acquainted with Obama himself, who stated "Every time I talk to Jay-Z, who is a brilliant talent and a good guy, I enjoy how he thinks. That's somebody who is going to start branching out and can help shape attitudes in a real positive way." During the 2010 mid-term elections' campaign, Jay-Z appeared, along with other artists, in an ad prepared by the HeadCount organization, urging voters, and especially younger ones, to register and vote.
Discography:
REASONABLE DOUBT
(1996)
Reasonable Doubt is the debut album of American rapper Jay-Z, released June 25, 1996 on Roc-A-Fella Records in the United States and on Northwestside Records in the United Kingdom. The album features production by DJ Premier, Ski, Knobody and Clark Kent, and guest appearances from Memphis Bleek, Mary J. Blige, and The Notorious B.I.G., among others. Similar to Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... (1995), Reasonable Doubt incorporates a mafioso theme, while it also integrates topics such as betrayal and reminiscence.
The album peaked at number 23 on the Billboard 200, received platinum status in 2002, and sold 1.5 million copies as of 2006. Four singles were released, with the most successful being "Ain't No Nigga" and "Can't Knock the Hustle". Reasonable Doubt has received strong critical reviews and has been heralded as Jay-Z's "crowning achievement", "a seminal work" and an "undisputed classic". Over the years, the album has appeared on a number of famous publishers "best of" lists, including The Source, which selected it on their 100 Best Rap Albums, Blender, which included it on their 500 CDs You Must Own Before You Die, and Rolling Stone, which ranked it number 248 on their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
In 2006, Jay-Z performed the songs from Reasonable Doubt at the Radio City Music Hall to celebrate its tenth anniversary. The concert's band included The Roots' drummer Questlove, the Illadelphonics, a 50-piece orchestra dubbed The Hustla's Symphony and Just Blaze, the performance's disc jockey. It featured vocals from all original album guests except Mary J. Blige, The Notorious B.I.G. and Jaz-O. Beyoncé Knowles replaced Mary J. Blige for "Can't Knock the Hustle", Jay-Z rapped The Notorious B.I.G.'s verses on "Brooklyn's Finest" and Jaz-O's verse was left out of "Bring It On". While Blige was preparing for her Breakthrough Tour and The Notorious B.I.G. had died nine years before the concert, Jaz-O did not perform because of his feud with Jay-Z. Jay-Z added a verse to "22 Two's" in which he says variations of the words "for/four" 44 times over the beat of "Can I Kick It?" by A Tribe Called Quest. The track was later released on his 2006 album Kingdom Come, under the title "44 Fours". Other alterations include Jay-Z changing a lyrical mention of Cristal to Dom Pérignon and Jay-Z's band "spruc[ing] up tracks like 'Regrets' to add more energy". Celebrities including Alicia Keys, Young Jeezy, Jadakiss, Chris Tucker, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony attended the concert. Three thousand tickets were put on sale; all were sold within two minutes according to Roc-A-Fella Records' website.
IN MY LIFETIME, VOL. 1
(1997)
In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 is the second studio album by American rapper Jay-Z, released November 4, 1997 on Roc-A-Fella Records. Despite mixed criticism towards its more mainstream-oriented sound and lyrical substance, the album debuted at number 3 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and was certified platinum in sales by the RIAA in the United States.
The album features guest contributions by Foxy Brown, Babyface, Blackstreet, Teddy Riley, Too $hort, Lil' Kim, and Puff Daddy. Producers for Reasonable Doubt such as DJ Premier and Ski contribute to a limited number of beats on this album, though the majority of the production is handled by beatmakers from Puff Daddy's Bad Boy label, giving the album a generally glossier sound than its predecessor. It displayed a shift from the mafioso rap themes of his first effort to the so called "jiggy" era of late 90's hip-hop, often credited to videos and albums from Puff Daddy and his Bad Boy record label's roster of artists including Notorious B.I.G. (the first two singles from his second album were both huge pop hits) and Mase.
VOL.2... HARD KNOCK LIFE
(1998)
Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life is the third studio album by American rapper Jay-Z, released on September 29, 1998, on Roc-A-Fella Records in the United States. The album propelled Jay-Z into superstar status and cemented him as a household name in the post Biggie/Tupac era of hip hop. This album also won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album in 1999. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, and also went to #1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. (This marks the first of nine consecutive chart-topping albums on both charts to date from Jay-Z, not counting the collaboration albums with R. Kelly or Kanye West.) Upon its release, the album received generally mixed to positive reviews from most music critics, while hip hop purists felt his aims to be a crossover success had compromised the quality and complexity of his music.
In the liner notes of the album, Jay-Z gives his thoughts on various tracks. The lyrics to the fast paced "Nigga What, Nigga Who (Originator 99)" are also included.
Speaking in December 1998 to noted UK urban writer Pete Lewis of the award-winning Blues & Soul, Jay described the background to the album's lyrical themes: "Primarily I see myself as so much more than a rapper. I really believe I'm the voice for a lot of people who don't have that microphone or who can't rap. So I wanted to represent and tell the story of everybody who's been through what I've been through, or knows somebody that has. I also wanted to speak about our lifestyle to people who - though they may live, say, in the suburbs and not be part of that world - still want to know about it and understand it."
Several tracks on this album feature a rougher sound than the glossier Bad Boy production on In My Lifetime, Vol. 1, most notably the three tracks produced by Ruff Ryders beatmaker Swizz Beatz. With the exception of Stevie J on "Ride or Die," Bad Boy producers play no role in Vol. 2, though Jay-Z enlisted Jermaine Dupri, Timbaland and Irv Gotti for a more pop-oriented sound on three of the albums' singles. This would also be Jay-Z's last album to feature his mentor Big Jaz.
VOL.3... LIFE AND TIMES OF S. CARTER
(1999)
Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter is the fourth studio album by American rapper Jay-Z, released December 28, 1999 on Roc-A-Fella Records. It exhibits a return to the street-oriented sound of his debut album, Reasonable Doubt (1996). Production for the album was handled by several hip hop producers, including Swizz Beatz, Timbaland, K-Rob, DJ Premier, Rockwilder, DJ Clue, and Irv Gotti.
The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 462,000 copies in its first week. It was a significant commercial success, shipping two million copies within its first month of release. Upon its release, Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter received positive reviews from most music critics. On February 14, 2001, the album was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, for shipments of three million copies in the United States.
It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling 462,000 copies in its first week, which is thirty-percent more than the first-week sales of Jay-Z previous album Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life (1998). Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter peaked at number one on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The album shipped two million copies in its first month of release. On February 14, 2001, it was certified triple platinum in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for shipments of three million copies in the United States.
In a retrospective review, Steve Juon of RapReviews gave it an eight-and-a-half out of 10 rating and viewed it as an improvement over Jay-Z's previous two albums. Allmusic editor John Bush complimented his lyricism and called the album "a set of hard-hitting tracks with some of the best rhymes of Jay-Z's career … much more invigorating than its predecessor, and almost as consistently entertaining as his best album, In My Lifetime, Vol. 1". However, IGN columnist Spence D. wrote that Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter presents Jay-Z "in battle with his two personas: the street soldier and the pop star". The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004) gives the album four out of five stars and states, "Life & Times of S. Carter took [Vol. 2's] combination of style and substance to its apotheosis. In addition to maintaining a strong lyrical presence, Jay also showcased his talents as a master of flow, changing cadences and rhyme patterns with impressive regularity and flexibility. [...] Nearly every track on this album was sonically unique, and Jay rode each one with aplomb and skill".
THE DYNASTY: ROC LA FAMILIA
(2000)
The Dynasty: Roc La Familia is the fifth studio album released by American rapper Jay-Z. Its lead single, "I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)", produced by The Neptunes, was one of Jay-Z's most successful singles peaking at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. On the Billboard 200, the album debuted at #1 on the charts with 557,000 copies sold in its first week and more than 2.3 million copies sold to date. The album ended up becoming the 20th Highest selling R&B/Hip-Hop Album of the 2000-2010 decade according to Billboard.
Originally a Roc-A-Fella Records collaboration album, a showcase for Roc-A-Fella artists such as Memphis Bleek, Beanie Sigel and Freeway, it eventually became another Jay-Z solo album (or at least marketed as one to increase sales), although the Roc-A-Fella artists are abundant on this album. Big name guest appearances have been limited to three – Snoop Dogg, R. Kelly, and Scarface – to make room for the Roc-A-Fella family. Rather than using big-name producers such as Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, who had featured prominently on Vol. 2 and Vol. 3, Jay-Z decided to feature more up-and-coming producers at the time of this album, such as Just Blaze, Kanye West, Bink! and The Neptunes. Partially as a result of this exposure, these producers would achieve notable success in the future. This was also the first album of Jay-Z 's not to feature work by long time producer DJ Premier. Given Just Blaze and Kanye West's penchant for utilizing soul samples in their beats, the album features a smoother sound than Jay-Z's previous efforts, though Bay Area-based producer Rick Rock includes a more minimalist sound in his four beats.
THE BLUEPRINT
(2001)
The Blueprint is the sixth studio album by American rapper Jay-Z, released September 11, 2001 on Roc-A-Fella Records in the United States. Its release was set a week earlier than initially planned in order to combat bootlegging. Recording sessions for the album took place during 2001 at Manhattan Center Studios and Baseline Studios in New York City. Contrasting the radio-friendly sound of Jay-Z's previous work, The Blueprint features soul-based sampling and production handled primarily by Kanye West and Just Blaze. At the time of its recording, Jay-Z was awaiting two criminal trials, one for gun possession and another for assault, and had become one of hip hop's most dissed artists, receiving insults from rappers such as Nas, Prodigy, and Jadakiss.
In spite of its release coinciding with the 9/11 attacks, The Blueprint sold over 426,000 copies in its opening week, becoming Jay-Z's fourth consecutive album to reach number one on the Billboard 200 chart. It was certified double platinum as sales stand at over two million units in the U.S. The album received a perfect "XXL" rating from XXL magazine, while The Source awarded The Blueprint a classic 5 mic rating. The Blueprint received general acclaim from most music critics, based on an aggregate score of 88/100 from Metacritic. In 2003, the album was ranked number 464 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. In 2010, Pitchfork Media ranked it number 5 on their The Top 200 Albums of the 2000s list.
In late August, Jay-Z announced a September–October tour in small venues. Because of the 9/11 attacks, the first two performances were rescheduled, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles were added and donated a dollar out of every ticket sold to relief organizations.
THE BLUEPRINT 2: THE GIFT AND THE CURSE
(2002)
The Blueprint 2: The Gift & the Curse is rapper Jay-Z's seventh studio album, released in November 2002. Parts of the album were later reissued as The Blueprint 2.1 in 2003.
This album, like Jay-Z's previous four, debuted at #1 with over 545,000 units shipped in its first week of sales, and eventually sold 2 million units in the U.S. The album was criticized for its more pop-oriented sound as well as its plethora of guests, while The Blueprint had been almost devoid of guest appearances.
THA BLACK ALBUM
(2003)
The Black Album is the eighth studio album by American rapper Jay-Z, released November 14, 2003, on Roc-A-Fella Records. It was promoted as his final studio album, which serves as a recurring theme, although Jay-Z returned to solo recording with Kingdom Come in 2006.
The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 463,000 copies in its first week. It produced three singles that attained Billboard chart success, including Hot 100 top-ten hits "Change Clothes" and "Dirt Off Your Shoulder". Upon its release, The Black Album received general acclaim from most music critics. The Black Album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album at the 47th Grammy Awards, ultimately losing to Kanye West's The College Dropout.
Jay-Z said the album would have a different producer for each track, and early magazine advertisements listed a series of numbers (representing tracks) and a producer for each number. The final album did feature a variety of producers, although Roc-A-Fella producers Kanye West and Just Blaze produced two tracks each, in addition to the two produced by frequent Jay-Z collaborators The Neptunes. Some of the albums CD pressings come in a transparent black jewel case.
KINGDOM COME
(2006)
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Kingdom Come is the ninth studio album by American rap artist Jay-Z. It was released on November 21, 2006. It was considered a "comeback album" for the established rapper, as 2003's The Black Album was slated to be his final release. The album was a big commercial success, selling about 680,000 copies in its first week, making it Jay-Z's highest selling album within a one-week period. The album received generally positive to mixed reviews. Kingdom Come was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, losing to Kanye West's Graduation at the 50th Grammy Awards Many of the CD pressings come in a transparent red jewel case.
Kingdom Come was a commercial success, with 680,000 copies sold in its first week of release. This also made it Jay-Z's highest selling album within one week. The album debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200. As of December 14, 2009, the album has been certified platinum in the United States.
Kingdom Come opened up to generally positive reviews. It currently holds an average score of 67/100 on the website aggregator Metacritic. Andy Kellman of Allmusic wrote: "...the album is a display of complacency and retreads — a gratuitous, easily resistible victory lap — that very slightly upgrades the relative worth of The Blueprint²." Entertainment Weekly wrote: "Four duds out of 14 tracks isn't a fireable offense. But shouldn't the corner-office mogul demand more of his top earner?" Many critics criticised the album for it "not being the comeback fans were expecting."
AMERICAN GANGSTER
(2007)
American Gangster is the tenth studio album by American rapper Jay-Z, released November 6, 2007 on Roc-A-Fella Records. It is Jay-Z's last studio release for the Def Jam and Roc-A-Fella Records label and his first concept album, which was inspired by the film of the same name. The album features production from Diddy & The Hitmen, Just Blaze, and The Neptunes, among others. Guest appearances include Beanie Sigel, Lil Wayne, Pharrell, and Nas. Jay-Z released an a cappella version of the album on the date of his 38th birthday, December 4, 2007.
The album was released to commercial success, despite being pulled from the iTunes Store at Jay-Z's request. It debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling 425,861 copies in its first week, while tying Elvis Presley for the second most U.S. number-one albums. Upon its release, American Gangster received general acclaim from most music critics. Rolling Stone named it the third best album of 2007. The album has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipments in excess of one million copies in the United States.
The Neptunes provide production twice on the album, with the first single "Blue Magic" which is the fourteenth track, and the eighth track "I Know". Diddy and two of his producers known as LV & Sean C, who are from his production team, The Hitmen, are responsible for six tracks on the album. They are credited with the second single "Roc Boys (And the Winner Is)...", "American Dreamin'" (where his other production partner Mario Winans assists), "No Hook", "Party Life", "Pray", and finally "Sweet".
DJ Toomp delivers one track for the album, while Just Blaze is credited for a bonus track and the re-make of "Ignorant Shit". Kanye West mentor No I.D. gives two tracks also, one which he co-produces with Jermaine Dupri and vice versa. Finally, three lesser known producers lend hand to the "Intro", which is credited to Chris Flames and co-production from Idris "Driis" Elba, while Bigg D produces the Beastie Boys sampling-Lil Wayne assisted track, "Hello Brooklyn 2.0".
Jay-Z pulled American Gangster from the popular iTunes Store. Jay-Z stated "as movies are not sold scene by scene, this collection will not be sold as individual singles." However, the album is available for digital download, in its entirety, at Amazon.com and Rhapsody.com.
On October 21, 2007, Jay-Z announced his American Gangster Live tour to promote the album. Jay-Z stated that he would only perform material from American Gangster. The tour consisted of five smaller sized venues across the U.S., starting on November 6, 2007 in L.A. and ending on November 12, 2007 in Philadelphia.[16] According to a statement on the Roc-A-Fella website, the five-city club tour sold out in less than 60 seconds.
American Gangster debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Top Rap Album charts selling 425,861 records in the United States its first week. American Gangster is Jay-Z's tenth number one album, officially tying him with Elvis Presley for the second highest number of number one albums behind The Beatles. On December 6, 2007, the album was certified platinum in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America, after sales in excess of one million copies in the United States.
Two singles have been released from American Gangster. The first, "Blue Magic", was released on September 20, 2007, peaking at 55 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, 31 on the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and 17 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Tracks. The track's name is a reference to the kind of heroin that Frank Lucas sold in the movie American Gangster; the CD even came in a package similar to the one the heroin came in. The second single, "Roc Boys (And the Winner Is)..." was released on October 10, 2007, and reached 63 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, 15 on the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and 8 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Tracks.
THE BLUEPRINT 3
(2009)
The Blueprint 3 is the eleventh studio album by American rapper Jay-Z, released September 8, 2009, on Roc Nation. It is the final installment in The Blueprint trilogy, preceded by The Blueprint (2001) and The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse (2002). Production for the album took place during 2008 to 2009 at several recording studios and was handled by Kanye West, The Neptunes, Jeff Bhasker, Al Shux, Jermone Harmon, No I.D., The Inkredibles, Swizz Beatz, and Timbaland.
The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 476,000 copies in its first week. It became Jay-Z's eleventh US number-one album, breaking the record he had previously shared with Elvis Presley, and produced five singles that achieved chart success. Upon its release, The Blueprint 3 received generally mixed to positive reviews from music critics. Rolling Stone named it the fourth best album of 2009.
The album was released September 8, 2009 on Roc Nation in the United States. It was also released digitally on September 11, 2009 in the US, and its United Kingdom and international release followed on September 14 that same year. Prior to its official release, the album leaked in its entirety on August 31, 2009. When asked about the leak, Jay-Z stated "It's a preview. I'm excited for people to hear the album. I'm very proud of the work I've done, so enjoy it".
The album's promotional single "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)" was premiered on June 5, 2009 via New York radio station Hot 97. On June 7, 2009 Jay-Z made a guest appearance at Hot 97's Summer Jam concert, and performed D.O.A. live on stage, for the first time. On May 20, 2009, Jay-Z confirmed that he bought out the remainder of his contract from Def Jam Records in order to start his contract with Live Nation, as The Blueprint 3 was set to be released under Roc Nation and distributed by Atlantic Records. In August 2008, Jay-Z performed the Kanye West–produced song "Jockin' Jay-Z" during the latter's Glow in the Dark Tour.
And now feel the beat of big Jay-Z:
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