On this day 20 years ago, Jay Z releases The Black Album

[TheDarceKnight]

some stuff on here hasn't aged gracefully, but it's still one of Jay's best albums, and the best stuff on here is incredible

 

[TheDarceKnight]

Bruuh a nikka old

20 years nikka?
Already

in some ways it's flown by but damn on the other hand a ton of damn stuff has happened in my life in the past twenty years. It's funny how time works. Goes by fast and slow for me at the same time

 

[FluffyEyes]

I remember I got this album for Christmas that year, played it right on outPSA is still one of my favorite Jay songs.

 

[BuckFilly]

Was yall nikkas rockin the beanie with the brim? I was .

 

[TheDarceKnight]

 

[stepbackj34spud]

Classic album.

 

[Busby]

If Hov would have took out “Change Clothes” and replaced that with the finished version of “Early This Morning.” And if he took out “Justify My Thug” and replaced that with “Ignorant shyt” cause he did record that during the “Black Album” sessions.

This album would have been perfection and would probably be battling for his top 3 of his greatest work. Instead it’s in his top 5…not like it’s a bad thing.

“Change Clothes” is a good record but it had no business being on that album. “Justify My Thug” was the definition of filler..

But overall this is still a classic ass album. 20 years later, this aged great.

 

[Street Knowledge]

99 Problems was the 3rd and last single released for this album and it came out 5 months after the Black Album dropped. That basically doesn’t happen with rap albums anymore now. You get the lead Single usually the week of or the week before it drops, one more single and within a month or 2 and that’s about it

 

[JustCKing]

Still hate Dirt off your Shoulder was never a huge fan. Aged horribly. fukkin hate the beat to 99 problems, it's ass, always been. Jay lyrics saved it. Never cared for Justify my thug. Aside from that all good to great to classic tracks on this. This is a good album

If you never liked the song, it didn't age horribly.

 

[KnickstapeCity]

Germany? c00n.

@Lucky_Lefty I dead ass called you a c00n for living in Germany????!







I don’t even remember that shyt. My bad, breh.

 

[Blurneed]

If you never liked the song, it didn't age horribly.

I thought about that. At the time I think the beat was of its time, just never liked it. I hear it now and it just sounds like 2003 and it's still ass, if that makes any sense.

 

[jensyao]

20 years ago? we getting old brehs

also, wished that Jay would have finished the change clothes remix and pharrell not given that hook/verse to slim thug

 

[Izanami]

Prime flow Jayz and a top 3 Jay album. Love the attention to detail and cohesiveness of this one. Unpopular opinion, Justify My Thug beat has aged the best out of any best on here. Moment of clarity and Dirt off my shoulder haven’t aged so well beat wise but Jays rap performance was elite on there

 

[Braman]

Allure-My First Song may be his best album closeout combo ever

 

[Braman]

Prime flow Jayz and a top 3 Jay album. Love the attention to detail and cohesiveness of this one. Unpopular opinion, Justify My Thug beat has aged the best out of any best on here. Moment of clarity and Dirt off my shoulder haven’t aged so well beat wise but Jays rap performance was elite on there

I know this is a celebration thread but I’d be remiss to let this go…Black album was not prime jay. And that’s fine. It doesn’t negatively affect the album. He has 3 near classics post-prime (black album, American gangster, 4:44).

But prime jay was reasonable doubt to blueprint.