In My Lifetime, Vol. 1

by Jay-Z

Overview

After the death of friend and compatriot the Notorious B.I.G. in early 1997, Jay-Z made his claim for the title of best rapper on the East Coast (or anywhere) with his sophomore shot, In My Lifetime, Vol. 1. Though the productions are just a bit flashier and more commercial than on his debut, Jay-Z remained the tough street rapper, and even improved a bit on his flow, already one of the best in the world of hip-hop. Still showing his roots in the Marcy projects (he's surrounded by a group of kids in a picture on the back cover), Jay-Z struts the line between project poet and up-and-coming player, and manages to have it both ways. He slings some of the most cutting rhymes heard in hip-hop, brushing off a legion of rappers riding his coattails on "Imaginary Player." For "Streets Is Watching," high-tension background strings and vocal samples from the gangster film Sleeper emphasize the pitfalls of a rapper everyone's gunning for ("If I shoot you, I'm brainless/But if you shoot me, then you famous"). The song leads right into "Friend or Foe '98," the sequel to a track from Reasonable Doubt that only increases the sense of paranoia. But Jay-Z plays the ghetto celebrity equally well, and continues his slick, Cristal-sipping image with "I Know What Girls Like" (featuring Puff Daddy and Lil' Kim), "(Always Be My) Sunshine" (featuring Babyface and Foxy Brown), and "Lucky Me." Puff Daddy's Bad Boy stable is responsible for almost half the productions, and though they often verge far into pop territory, Jay-Z usually rescues them from a complete crossover. (Ironically, the most commercial production is actually from Teddy Riley on "The City Is Mine," with an unfortunate interpolation of Glenn Frey's "You Belong to the City.") Having one of the toughest producers around (Premier) as well as one of the slickest (Puff Daddy) sometimes creates a disconnect between who Jay-Z really is and who he wants to become, but he balances both personas with the best rapping heard in the rap game since the deaths of 2Pac and Notorious B.I.G. ~ John Bush

Product Details

Release Date:	11/04/1997
Label:	Def Jam / Roc-A-Fella
UPC:	0731453639218

Tracks

1. Medley
2. The City Is Mine
3. I Know What Girls Like
4. Imaginary Player
5. Streets Is Watching
6. Friend or Foe '98
7. Lucky Me
8. Sunshine, (Always Be My)
9. Who You Wit II
10. Face Off
11. Real Niggaz
12. Rap Game/Crack Game
13. Where I'm From
14. You Must Love Me

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Jay-Z   Primary Artist
Too $hort   Primary Artist,Guest Artist,Featured Artist
Sauce Money   Primary Artist,Guest Artist,Featured Artist
Blackstreet   Primary Artist,Guest Artist,Featured Artist
Babyface   Primary Artist,Guest Artist,Featured Artist
Lil' Kim   Primary Artist,Guest Artist,Featured Artist
Diddy   Primary Artist
Foxy Brown   Primary Artist,Featured Artist,Guest Artist
Puff Daddy   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Kelly Price   Vocals
Chad Hugo   Saxophone
Earth   Vocals (Background)
Karen Anderson   Vocals
P. Diddy   Featured Artist
George Fontenette   Keyboards
DJ Premier   Scratching

Technical Credits

Serban Ghenea   Mixing,Engineer
Tony Maserati   Mixing
T. Riley   Composer
Teddy Riley   Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Producer
Ski   Producer
Blackstreet   Performer
Big Jaz   Producer
Babyface   Performer
Kenny Gamble   Composer
Chris Butler   Composer
J. Burks   Composer
Bobby Robinson   Composer
Labi Siffre   Composer
J.T. Burks   Composer
Beck   Composer
Jack Tempchin   Composer
Lane Craven   Mixing,Engineer
Terry Lewis   Composer
Clark Kent   Producer
D. Willis   Composer
D. Vanderpool   Composer
Gary "Mudbone" Cooper   Composer
Eddie Sancho   Mixing,Engineer
Doug Wilson   Mixing,Engineer
Joe Quinde   Mixing,Engineer
M. Robinson   Composer
Jay-Z   Composer
Walter Sigler   Composer
David Willis   Composer
Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie   Composer,Producer
Samuel Barnes   Composer
Sean Combs   Composer,Producer
Ron Lawrence   Composer,Producer
Pierce   Composer
Poke   Producer
Karen Anderson   Composer
Rev. Dan Willis   Composer
Rene Moore   Composer
Michael Patterson   Mixing,Engineer
Middlebrooks   Composer
A. Winbush   Composer
Tone   Producer
Stevie J   Producer
P. Diddy   Composer
Damon Dash   Executive Producer
Timothy Moore   Composer
Todd Shaw   Composer
George Meyers   Mixing,Engineer
Glenn Frey   Composer
Commissioner Gordon   Mixing
T. Gaither   Composer
Andre Benjamin   Composer
Steven Jordan   Composer
Angela Winbush   Composer
J. Lorber   Composer
Clarence "Satch" Satchell   Composer
D. Barksdale   Composer
James Harris III   Composer
Taj   Engineer
Foxy Brown   Performer
Jean-Claude Olivier   Composer
Leon Huff   Composer
S. Barnes   Composer
S. Jordan   Composer
Ron Tyson   Composer
Sauce Money   Performer
K. Anderson   Composer
Richard Travali   Mixing
Prestige   Producer
Primo   Producer
Puff Daddy   Composer
Organized Noize   Composer
Daven "Prestige" Vanderpool   Composer,Producer
Bunny Sigler   Composer
Glen Marchese   Engineer
DJ Premier   Composer,Producer
Norman Whitfield   Composer
William Beck   Composer
Herb Powers   Mastering
Too $hort   Composer,Performer
Williams   Composer
Moore   Composer
Trackmasters   Producer
R. Moore   Composer
Jonathan Mannion   Photography
Shawn Carter   Composer,Executive Producer
Anthony Dent   Composer,Producer
Buckwild   Composer,Producer
Odilien Dibango   Composer
Nasheem   Producer
David Spradley   Composer
Robin   Engineer
Joe Malloy   Composer
Paul J. Falcone   Engineer
Ralph "Pee Wee" Middlebrooks   Composer
Herman Chainey   Composer
William Stroman   Composer
Don Barksdale   Composer
Jones   Composer
Todd Gaither   Composer
Kareem "Biggs" Burke   Executive Producer
A. Dent   Composer
Herman Chaney   Composer
Jonathan Burks   Composer
Chris Martin   Composer
James Williams   Composer
Nasir Jones   Composer
Marshall Jones   Composer
Billie Calvin   Composer
Marvin R. Pierce   Composer
Anthony Best   Composer
Leroy Bonner   Composer
Ineffie Woods   Composer
Kimberly Jones   Composer
David Anthony Willis   Composer
Antoine Patton   Composer
Darryll Le Roy Barksdale   Composer
Roosevelt Sheriff   Composer
Nashiem Myrick   Composer,Producer