Jay-Z - Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life

Jay-Z 3rd album Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life features the hits "Hard Knock Life", "Can I Get A" and "Money, Cash, Hoes", with production by Damon Dash, Kid Capri, The 45 King, DJ Premier, Erick Sermon, Swizz Beatz, and Timbaland. Released on September 29, 1998, Vol. 2 became JAY-Z's first album to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, selling over 350,000 units in its first week.

In his book Decoded, Jay-Z writes about how he got approval to use the Annie sample that effectively destroyed any remaining barriers between Rap and so-called Pop (popular) music. To clear that sample, Jay wrote a letter to Martin Charnin, the song’s lyricist. In that letter, Jay told a story about how he’d won an essay contest in seventh grade. As the prize, he got a trip to Manhattan to see Annie on Broadway. In the letter, Jay wrote about the feeling he had seeing that play the feeling that he was seeing his own story playing out on the stage. It was all a lie. Jay never won an essay contest, and he never saw Annie on Broadway. He saw the movie on TV, like everyone else. The lie worked. The rest is history.

Heavyweight double vinyl produced by ROC-A-FELLA records in 2015.