In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 is the second studio album by American rapper Jay-Z. It was released on November 4, 1997, by Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings. The album debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 chart and was certified Platinum by the RIAA, selling over 138,000 copies in its first week of release. In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 also served as Jay-Z's first album release following the sudden death of fellow Brooklyn rapper and collaborator The Notorious B.I.G. in March 1997.

Production

The album features guest contributions by Lil' Kim, Foxy Brown, Babyface, Blackstreet, Teddy Riley, Too $hort, Sauce Money and Puff Daddy. Producers for Reasonable Doubt such as DJ Premier and Ski contribute to a limited number of beats on this album, though the majority of the production is handled by Puff Daddy's production team The Hitmen from the Bad Boy label, giving the album a generally glossier sound than its predecessor. It displayed a shift from the mafioso rap themes of Reasonable Doubt to the so-called "jiggy" era of late 90s hip-hop, often credited to videos and albums from Puff Daddy and his Bad Boy record label's roster of artists including The Notorious B.I.G. (the first two singles from his second album were both huge pop hits) and Mase. "Reasonable Doubt was like an introduction," Jay-Z told MTV News. "Like, you know, meeting somebody out on the street... Everything, your whole conversation is very general, not too much detail and things like that. Its just that 'In My Lifetime' is more detailed, more in-depth. Much more personal".

Influence of the Notorious B.I.G.

In a 1998 interview with MTV News, Jay-Z explained how the death of fellow Brooklyn rapper and collaborator The Notorious B.I.G. shaped parts of In My Lifetime, Vol. 1. In the interview, he explained how the album was not as fun to record as his debut, (Reasonable Doubt (1996)), and that certain tracks, such as "The City is Mine", were influenced by the rapper's death.

Critical reception

In a contemporary review, Steve Jones of USA Today called In My Lifetime "a rock-solid set with both street and pop appeal". indicating a "likable effort consumers attuned to its overriding aesthetic or individual vision may well enjoy". He named "(Always Be My) Sunshine" and "Real Niggaz" as highlights while calling Jay-Z "arrogant yet diffident, ruthless yet cute—a scary original".

| 85

|-

! scope="col"| Chart (1998)

! scope="col"| Position

|-

! scope="row"| US Billboard 200

| 150

|-

! scope="row"| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)

| 36

|}

Singles

{| class="wikitable"

! Year

! Song

! Billboard Hot 100

! Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks

! Hot Rap Singles

|-

|rowspan="2"| 1997

| "Who You Wit"

|align="center"| #84

|align="center"| #25

|align="center"| #18

|-

| "(Always Be My) Sunshine"

|align="center"| #95

|align="center"| #37

|align="center"| #16

|-

| 1998

| "The City Is Mine"

|align="center"| #52

|align="center"| #37

|align="center"| #14

|-

|}

Certifications

References

  • In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 at Discogs
  • Album Review at RapReviews