Hard Knock Life [Explicit Lyrics]

( 7 )

Editorial Reviews

Barnes & Noble - Martin Johnson
Although he's still quite young, Jay-Z is a hip-hop veteran with roots in the music dating back to the late '80s, when he was a protégé of Big Jaz and a friend of Big Daddy Kane. Seeing how label troubles hampered Kane's career, Jay née Shawn Carter started his own imprint, Roc-a-Fella, and began working his way up the platinum-Rolex-and-diamond-bracelet encrusted ladder. On VOL. 2:HARD KNOCK LIFE, he expands on the methods -- and successes -- of its predecessors, REASONABLE DOUBT and IN MY LIFETIME, VOL. 1. Jay-Z brings superior rhyme skills to the table, and though his lyrical playing field of gangstas, shorties, and playa hatas is hardly groundbreaking, his tales ...
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Editorial Reviews

Barnes & Noble - Martin Johnson
Although he's still quite young, Jay-Z is a hip-hop veteran with roots in the music dating back to the late '80s, when he was a protégé of Big Jaz and a friend of Big Daddy Kane. Seeing how label troubles hampered Kane's career, Jay née Shawn Carter started his own imprint, Roc-a-Fella, and began working his way up the platinum-Rolex-and-diamond-bracelet encrusted ladder. On VOL. 2:HARD KNOCK LIFE, he expands on the methods -- and successes -- of its predecessors, REASONABLE DOUBT and IN MY LIFETIME, VOL. 1. Jay-Z brings superior rhyme skills to the table, and though his lyrical playing field of gangstas, shorties, and playa hatas is hardly groundbreaking, his tales feature rare depth. In his stories of crime and violence, the shady characters aren't stereotypes but thinking, breathing, almost sympathetic personae, and his take on a hard-knock childhood in the title track is poignant cinema verité. Musically, Jay-Z boldly pushes the envelope into areas that would make a lesser rapper seem soft, with the title track sampling a song from the Broadway play "Annie" leapin' lizards! and the hit "Can I Get A..." wearing the cheerful veneer of a '60s packaged-food commercial. This recording won a Grammy in 1999. Jay-Z, however, boycotted the ceremony, citing a lack of hip-hop representation among the featured performers.
All Music Guide - Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Coming on the heels of two strong records that revealed the extent of Jay-Z's talents, Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life it may be titled Vol. 2, but it's his third album, arguably his fourth if you count the Streets Is Watching soundtrack is a little bit of a relative disappointment. Jay-Z had established himself as a savvy, street-smart rapper on those two records, but with Hard Knock Life he decides to shoot for crossover territory, for better and for worse. At his best, he shows no fear -- witness how the title track shamelessly works a Broadway showstopper from Annie into a raging ghetto cry, yet keeps it smooth enough for radio. It's a stunning single, but unfortunately, it promises more than the rest of the album can deliver. Jay-Z remains a first-rate lyricist and MC, but too often his subjects are tired, especially since he winds up with no new revelations. Unfortunately, the same could be said for his music. For every "Hard Knock Life," there are a couple of standard post-gangsta jams that don't catch hold -- and that's really too bad, because the best moments including several tracks produced by such stars as Timbaland, Kid Capri, and Jermaine Dupri are state-of-the-art, R&B-inflected mainstream hip-hop. And that's the problem -- before, Jay-Z wasn't trying to play by the rules of the mainstream, but here he's trying to co-opt them. At times he does, but the times that fall flat have less strength or integrity than their predecessors, and that's what makes the entire record not quite as effective, despite its numerous high points. [Shortly after its initial release, Hard Knock Life was reissued with a pair of bonus tracks: "It's Alright," pulled from the Streets Is Watching soundtrack, and "Money Ain't a Thang," a catchy collabo single from Jermaine Dupri's Life in 1472 album.]
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 9/29/1998
  • Label: Roc-A-Fella
  • UPC: 731455890228
  • Catalog Number: 558902
  • Sales rank: 25,867

Tracks

Disc 1
  1. 1 Hand It Down (Intro) - Memphis Bleek (2:56)
  2. 2 Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem) (3:58)
  3. 3 If I Should Die - Da Ranjahz (4:55)
  4. 4 Ride or Die (4:48)
  5. 5 Nigga What, Nigga Who (Originator 99) - Big Jaz (3:53)
  6. 6 Money, Cash, Hoes (4:46)
  7. 7 A Week Ago (5:00)
  8. 8 Coming of Age (Da Sequel) - Memphis Bleek (4:21)
  9. 9 Can I Get A... - Amil (5:09)
  10. 10 Paper Chase (4:34)
  11. 11 Reservoir Dogs - Beanie Sigel (5:19)
  12. 12 It's Like That (3:45)
  13. 13 It's Alright - Memphis Bleek (4:01)
  14. 14 Money Ain't a Thang (4:13)
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Album Credits

Performance Credits
Jay-Z Primary Artist
Foxy Brown Track Performer
Kid Capri Track Performer
DMX Track Performer
Jermaine Dupri Track Performer
Too Short Track Performer
Big Jaz Track Performer
Sauce Money Track Performer
Jake Carter Guitar
Ja Rule Vocals, Rap, Track Performer
Memphis Bleek Track Performer
Amil Track Performer
Technical Credits
Tony Black Engineer
Jimmy Douglass Engineer
Jermaine Dupri Producer
Joe Quinde Engineer
Eddie Sancho Engineer
Erick Sermon Producer
Doug Wilson Engineer
Tony Gillis Mastering
Mike Rew Engineer
Damon Dash Producer, Executive Producer
Shawn Carter Executive Producer
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 7 )
Rating Distribution

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(5)

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(1)

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1 Star

(1)

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Sort by: Showing all of 7 Customer Reviews

  • Posted October 1, 2010

    more from this reviewer

    I Also Recommend:

    Relapse
    Hell on Earth
    Get Rich or Die Tryin'
    Life After Death
    Illmatic

    His breakout album

    Although Jay-Z has made many hits that crossover from his past street life on his previous records, none with the force of Vol.2. This propelled him into the mainstream America selling multi-platinum status and solidifying his presence as a serious rap artist amongst other notables at that time. Tracks like his lead single that alerted us all of his songwriting, Hard Knock Life, a tune with the catchy Annie lyrics made that song definetly stand out. Others like the dance-ready Can I Get A... packed discos and made everyone sing along. In addition, while his pop songs are scatterred in the album, it still never loses it thug appeal and street credibility. It's Like That, Money, Cash, Hoes and Reservoir Dogs keep the album potent, chock full of hard rhymes and equally hard beats. Jay-Z really came into his own within this album, and has since proved to be an international sensation.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    I Also Recommend:

    Crack Addiction NY

    Jazy z

    Love This Album One Of his best If you like this album you definitely need to check out "Crack Addiction" Jay Z with DJ Bobby Black.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life

    Yo I don't know how he does it but he gets better and better.. He's really changing the game with this one...Jay-z is the hottest mc out notice I said mc.. He really make sense with every thing he say's and not jus talkin bout nothing like most people in the game... Great LP

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life

    Man all I can say is listen to it and listen to it good.. Cause there is no other Jigga and there will neva b anotha Jigga.. All of these joints go hard...This CD is highly recommended and he has the hardest beats to flow on and only he can do it.. He makes the beats better the beats don't make his songs like a lot of other artist....

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Alot of what's wrong with American society can be found here

    I thought he was supposed to be so talented. Get a vocabulary, Jay-Z!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    The millennium of jigga

    jay z is the best lyrical rapper since big daddy cane and rakim.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 8, 2011

    No text was provided for this review.

Sort by: Showing all of 7 Customer Reviews