Vol 2...Hard Knock Life 20th anniversary Thread

[Newark88]

On September 29, 1998, Jay-Z dropped his 3rd album Vol 2...Hard Knock Life. This was the album that made Jay-Z a superstar/household name (his first album to debut at #1 and going on to be certified 5x platinum). When this album came out, everyone had it. I remember cars in the hood driving by, bumping a different song off the album. Jay officially had the crown.

 

[Newark88]

Performing Hard Knock Life on the Chris Rock Show

 

[Nostalgic]

This album set the tone for the rest of his career.

 

[OfTheCross]

Sorry boys....but all the money in the world couldn't bring me back again..

Lay down...

lay down...

 

[AMcV'88]

one of the first albums i bought. people will argue but its a classic.
this album birthed a lot of fake Jay-Z's and had a direct influence on how mainstream EastCoast rap albums were made after.

 

[rbksNgirbauds]

Somewhere down the line, this has been labeled as a "meh" album by the Coli's finest (namely by the largest fanbase on this site who fav artist is from the antonym of Kings, u kno who u are) which is just laughable and revisionist history at its finest.

Album classic, with classic records that moved the culture.... when "Can I Get A" got play in the first Rush Hour .
And if I had to pick one album to represent the sound of post BIG, pre new millennium it would hands down be this one. Album a time capsule to hip hop from '98'-'00 before the sound switched up again. Any song from Vol. 2 would've fit perfect on the Belly soundtrack for further context.

Perfect night time album u throw on when u making late night runs. 4/5 album, easily.

 

[ManBearPig]

My 2nd least favorite jay-z album

 

[grandpianos]

CLASSIC

this is the first rap CD I owned

anniversary is a perfect excuse to play it

 

[Escobar305]

Sorry boys....but all the money in the world couldn't bring me back again..

Lay down...

lay down...

Fukking classic

 

[patscorpio]

most successful album of his but not the one i was feelin a whole lot outside of a few songs

with that being said nikka what, nikka who is a top 10 jay song ever and the best shyt i ever heard from timbo

 

[Newark88]

Somewhere down the line, this has been labeled as a "meh" album by the Coli's finest (namely by the largest fanbase on this site who fav artist is from the antonym of Kings, u kno who u are) which is just laughable and revisionist history at its finest.

Album classic, with classic records that moved the culture.... when "Can I Get A" got play in the first Rush Hour .
And if I had to pick one album to represent the sound of post BIG, pre new millennium it would hands down be this one. Album a time capsule to hip hop from '98'-'00 before the sound switched up again. Any song from Vol. 2 would've fit perfect on the Belly soundtrack for further context.

Perfect night time album u throw on when u making late night runs. 4/5 album, easily.

Right it's one of those take you back in time type of albums. This was the Iceberg sweater/jackets, Bentley Azure, going to the Tunnel every Sunday night era

 

[XannyWarbucks]

This is one of those albums that people loved-- then, people suddenly decided it was overrated, and then trash. To me, this is pretty much the start of Jay-Z. I prefer vol 1... but people always deny or downplay the impact that this album had. I still remember people playing this shyt from those fruity-colored Sony Boomboxes and I was a youngin. 98, was that year. ;_; X, Jay-Z, Puffy, Pun... all after the GOAT's death.

 

[DANJ!]

This is one of those albums that people loved-- then, people suddenly decided it was overrated, and then trash.

Yeap. When somebody acts like this shyt wasn't loved when it came out, I assume either A) it just wasn't poppin' where they lived, B) they weren't there, or C) they just hipstering

This shyt was coming outta everybody's cars and houses after it dropped. Howard Homecoming, Morgan State Homecoming... I was actually at a club called the Paradox the weekend after it dropped, Jay came and performed (obviously the last time he ever performed here in a building that small)... whole club of about 300-400 rockin' to Money Cash Hoes and Hard Knock Life... he had shyt in a smash with this album. That whole fall, this was the one to beat. You couldn't go anywhere and not hear this shyt- hood, suburbs, or otherwise.

 

[NYtymes]

commercial Hov still delivered a classic, def in my top 5 jay albums maybe even top 3

 

[Harry B]

Somewhere down the line, this has been labeled as a "meh" album by the Coli's finest (namely by the largest fanbase on this site who fav artist is from the antonym of Kings, u kno who u are) which is just laughable and revisionist history at its finest.

Album classic, with classic records that moved the culture.... when "Can I Get A" got play in the first Rush Hour .
And if I had to pick one album to represent the sound of post BIG, pre new millennium it would hands down be this one. Album a time capsule to hip hop from '98'-'00 before the sound switched up again. Any song from Vol. 2 would've fit perfect on the Belly soundtrack for further context.

Perfect night time album u throw on when u making late night runs. 4/5 album, easily.

shyt got 4.5 mics in the source when the Source was the thing and moving mad units, played everywhere and had a track for everything.
I don't know where those weirdo dikkriders got their ideas from, just look at one of them giving this thread a one star.

I feel like this is the type of album Drake should make 12 tracks instead of 25, where he flexes all his (or others) 12 styles on 12 tracks