The Black Album (Jay-Z-Album)

Production

• Jay Z ( Executive Producer)
• Kareem Burke ( Executive Producer)
• Just Blaze
• The Neptunes
• Kanye West
• Eminem
• Rick Rubin
• Timbaland
• 9th Wonder
• DJ Quik
• The Buchanans
• Luis Resto
• Aqua
• 3H

The Black Album (Eng. The Black Album ) is the eighth studio album by American rapper Jay Z. It was released on 14 November 2003 on the label Roc -A -Fella and Def Jam. The music magazine Rolling Stone led the album in 2012 at No. 349 to its list of the 500 best albums of all time.

Production and samples

In the production of the album acted Jay Z himself and his business partner Damon Dash and Kareem Burke as executive producers. Just Blaze produced the title Interlude, December 4th and Public Service Announcement (Interlude). The instrumentals to Encore and Lucifer come from Kanye West, while the Neptunes created the beats of the songs Change Clothes and Allure. In each case, a production comes from The Buchanans ( What More Can I Say ), Timbaland (Dirt off Your Shoulder ), 9th Wonder ( Threat ), Rick Rubin ( 99 Problems ) and DJ Quik ( Justify My Thug ). In addition, Eminem produced in collaboration with Luis Resto the song Moment of Clarity and the piece My 1st Song is a co-production of aqua and 3H.

Ten of the 14 tracks contain samples of songs by other artists. Thus, in December 4th elements of the song That's How Long the singing group The Chi- Lites can be used. What More Can I Say is sampling the song Something for Nothing by MFSB and contains sound bites of the film Gladiator. In Encore, a sample of the piece I Will by John Holt is included, while Change Clothes is sampling the track Change by Jay Z and Pharrell Williams himself. 99 Problems contains elements from six different songs: Long Red of the band Mountain, Get Me Back on Time, Engine Number 9 by Wilson Pickett, The Big Beat by Billy Squier, 99 Problems rapper Ice-T, Touched by UGK and Children's Story of Slick Rick. In addition, when a threat is the song A Woman's Threat by R. Kelly is sampled while in Public Service Announcement (Interlude) sample of the title Seed of Love by Little Boy Blues, and No One Can Do It Better by The DOC are included. Justify My Thug samples the pieces Rock Around the Clock by Bill Haley & His Comets, Rock Box of rap group Run DMC and Justify My Love by Madonna. In addition, be used in Lucifer elements of the song Chase the Devil by Max Romeo and My 1st song contains excerpts from an interview by The Notorious BIG from 1996 and a sample of the song Tu y Tu Mirar ... Yo y Mi Canción group Los Ángeles Negros.

Cover design

The album cover is black and dark gray. It shows Jay Z, of a black baseball cap sits on the head with both hands. In the upper part of the image are the logos and Jay Z The Black Album in white or gray.

Guest Posts

The only guest appearance on the album comes from the US- American singer and rapper Pharrell Williams, who is featured in the song Change Clothes.

Title list

Chart hits and singles

The Black Album reached # 47 on the German album charts and remained in the top 100 eight weeks. In the U.S., the album of which two weeks rose to the top position and remained in the charts for 59 weeks to Tier 1

As singles the songs Change Clothes (6 DE # 67, Where. ) Were (DE # 54, 5 wk. ) Dirt off Your Shoulder and 99 Problems decoupled.

Sales figures and awards

For more than three million copies sold The Black Album in the U.S. has been awarded 3 -times platinum. In addition, the album received a platinum record for more than 300,000 copies sold in the UK.