Greatest Hits

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Jay-Z's career includes thirteen studio albums, starting with *Reasonable Doubt* (1996), which peaked at number 23 on the US Billboard 200 and is recognized as a seminal hip hop work. His third album, *Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life* (1998), became his first number-one album and won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album in 1999. *The Blueprint* (2001) topped the Billboard 200 and produced his first Billboard Hot 100 top ten single, "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)". With *The Blueprint 3* (2009), Jay-Z surpassed Elvis Presley as the solo artist with the most number-one albums on the Billboard 200. A Greatest Hits compilation would draw from these and other chart-topping albums like *The Black Album* (2003), *Kingdom Come* (2006), *American Gangster* (2007), *Watch the Throne* (2011), and *Magna Carta Holy Grail* (2013).

In Their Own Story

A fan puts on a Greatest Hits compilation and hears "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" from *Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life*, which reached the top twenty of the Billboard Hot 100. Next comes "Big Pimpin'" from *Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter* (1999). Then "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" from *The Blueprint* plays—Jay-Z's first Billboard Hot 100 top ten single. Later tracks include "'03 Bonnie & Clyde" and "Excuse Me Miss" from *The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse* (2002), and "Run This Town", "Empire State of Mind", and "Young Forever" from *The Blueprint 3* (2009). Each song marks a specific moment in his career, from his debut to his record-breaking run of number-one albums.

Reader's Guide

A Greatest Hits compilation by Jay-Z would include singles from his studio albums. Key tracks from the source include: "Dead Presidents", "Ain't No Nigga", and "Can't Knock the Hustle" from *Reasonable Doubt*; "Can I Get A..." and "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" from *Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life*; "Big Pimpin'" from *Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter*; "I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)" from *The Dynasty: Roc La Familia* (2000); "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" from *The Blueprint*; "'03 Bonnie & Clyde" and "Excuse Me Miss" from *The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse*; "Run This Town", "Empire State of Mind", and "Young Forever" from *The Blueprint 3*. The source does not provide a specific tracklist, release date, or critical reception for a Greatest Hits album.

Did You Know?

• Jay-Z's third album, *Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life* (1998), was his first number-one album in the United States and won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album in 1999.
• With *The Blueprint 3* (2009), Jay-Z surpassed Elvis Presley as the solo artist with the most number-one albums on the Billboard 200.
• Jay-Z's debut album *Reasonable Doubt* (1996) peaked at number 23 on the US Billboard 200 and is recognized as a seminal work of hip hop.
• As of December 2014, Jay-Z sold 29,179,000 studio albums in the United States.
• Jay-Z became president of Def Jam Recordings in December 2004.