American rapper Jay-Z has released thirteen studio albums, five collaboration studio albums, one compilation album, one soundtrack album, two live albums, and two mixtapes. Jay-Z sold 29,179,000 studio albums in the United States as of December 2014.

He began his music career by building a reputation as a fledgling rapper in his hometown of Brooklyn after collaborating with his mentor and fellow American rapper Jaz-O in the 1980s. Jay-Z later founded a label-imprint Roc-A-Fella Records with close friends Damon Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke, and released his debut studio album, Reasonable Doubt (1996). His second studio album (1997's In My Lifetime, Vol. 1)—in which saw Jay-Z collaborating with producers such as Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs and Teddy Riley—peaked at number three on the Billboard 200, and earned a platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Following two more chart-topping albums with Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter (1999) and The Dynasty: Roc La Familia (2000), his sixth studio album—The Blueprint (2001)—topped the Billboard 200 and became Jay-Z's first record to be critically-reviewed as his best album, while two other records being his first collaborative album (2002's The Best of Both Worlds with American singer and songwriter R. Kelly), and his seventh studio album (2002's The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse) peaked at number one on the Billboard 200. His eighth studio album, The Black Album (2003), was intended by Jay-Z to be his final studio album and features his impending retirement as a recurring theme. The album performed well commercially and was later certified 3x Multi-Platinum by the RIAA. His tenth and concept album, American Gangster (2007), continues his streak of number-one albums in the United States. His fourth collaborative album (2011's Watch the Throne with American rapper Kanye West) became Jay-Z's eleventh number-one album in the United States. His twelfth studio album, Magna Carta Holy Grail (2013), was a great commercial success, topping the Billboard 200 and having the second-biggest sales week for 2013 at the time of its release.

Studio albums

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

|+ List of studio albums, with selected chart positions, sales figures and certifications

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:13em;"| Title

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:20em;"| Album details

! scope="col" colspan="10"| Peak chart positions

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:11em;"| Sales

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:12em;"| Certifications

|-

! scope="col" style="width:2.8em;font-size:90%;"| US<br />

! scope="col" style="width:2.8em;font-size:90%;"| CAN<br />

! scope="col" style="width:2.8em;font-size:90%;"| FRA<br />

! scope="col" style="width:2.8em;font-size:90%;"| GER<br />

! scope="col" style="width:2.8em;font-size:90%;"| NLD<br />

|-

! scope="row"| Reasonable Doubt

|

  • Released: June 25, 1996 <span style="font-size:85%;">(US)</span>
  • Label: Roc-A-Fella, Priority
  • Formats: CD, LP, cassette, digital download

| 23 || 3 || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || 140

|

  • US: 1,514,000

|

  • RIAA: Platinum
  • BPI: Gold

|-

! scope="row"| In My Lifetime, Vol. 1

|

  • Released: November 4, 1997 <span style="font-size:85%;">(US)</span>
  • Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam
  • Formats: CD, LP, cassette, digital download

| 3 || 2 || 36 || — || — || — || — || — || — || 78

|

  • US: 1,412,000
  • Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam
  • Formats: CD, LP, cassette, digital download

| 1 || 1 || 13 || — || 76 || — || — || 34 || 49 || 109

|

  • US: 5,400,000

|-

! scope="row"| Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter

|

  • Released: December 28, 1999 <span style="font-size:85%;">(US)</span>
  • Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam
  • Formats: CD, LP, cassette, digital download

| 1 || 1 || 8 || — || — || — || — || — || 75 || 155

|

  • US: 3,093,000
  • Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam
  • Formats: CD, LP, cassette, digital download

| 1 || 1 || 5 || — || 98 || — || — || — || 89 || 86

|

  • US: 2,521,000
  • Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam
  • Formats: CD, LP, cassette, digital download

| 1 || 1 || 3 || 73 || 55 || 51 || 36 || 30 || 59 || 30

|

  • US: 2,711,000

|

  • RIAA: 3× Platinum
  • Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam
  • Formats: CD, LP, cassette, digital download

| 1 || 1 || 8 || 79 || 61 || 66 || — || — || 52 || 23

|

  • US: 2,117,000
  • Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download

| 1 || 1 || 12 || 66 || 47 || 66 || 18 || 41 || 29 || 34

|

  • US: 3,516,000
  • Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download

| 1 || 1 || 6 || 79 || 76 || 71 || — || 45 || 17 || 35

|

  • US: 1,510,000
  • Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download

| 1 || 1 || 3 || 58 || 99 || 64 || 29 || — || 17 || 30

|

  • US: 1,131,000
  • Label: Roc Nation, Atlantic
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download

| 1 || 1 || 1 || 20 || 22 || 12 || 15 || 44 || 12 || 4

|

  • US: 2,000,000

|

  • RIAA: 2× Platinum
  • BPI: Platinum

|-

! scope="row"| Magna Carta Holy Grail

|

  • Released: July 9, 2013 <span style="font-size:85%;">(various)</span>
  • Label: Roc Nation, Roc-A-Fella
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download

| 1 || 1 || 1 || 12 || 9 || 7 || 2 || 8 || 1 || 1

|

  • US: 1,130,000

|

  • RIAA: 3× Platinum

|

  • RIAA: 2× Platinum

! scope="col" style="width:2.8em;font-size:90%;"| NOR<br />

! scope="col" style="width:2.8em;font-size:90%;"| SWE<br />

! scope="col" style="width:2.8em;font-size:90%;"| SWI<br />

! scope="col" style="width:2.8em;font-size:90%;"| UK<br />

  • Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam, Jive
  • Formats: CD, LP, cassette

| 2 || 1 || 19 || 20 || 22 || 12 || — || 42 || 18 || 37

|

|

  • RIAA: Platinum
  • Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam, Jive
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download

| 1 || 1 || — || 68 || 77 || 60 || — || — || 65 || 61

|

|

  • RIAA: Platinum
  • Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam, Machine Shop, Warner
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download

| 1 || 3 || 6 || 20 || 5 || 9 || 1 || 9 || 2 || 15

|

|

  • RIAA: 2× Platinum
  • BPI: Platinum
  • IFPI SWI: Platinum
  • MC: 2× Platinum
  • Label: Roc Nation, Roc-A-Fella
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download

| 1 || 1 || 1 || 10 || 2 || 3 || 1 || 27 || 1 || 3

|

  • US: 1,573,000
  • WW: 2,000,000

|

  • RIAA: 5× Platinum
  • BPI: Platinum
  • Label: Roc Nation, Parkwood
  • Formats: CD, digital download

| 2<br /> || 44 || 23 || 4 || 11<br /> || 14<br /> || 5 || 5

|

  • US: 70,000

|

  • RIAA: Gold
  • MC: Gold

|}

Compilation albums

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

|+ List of compilation albums, with selected chart positions and certifications

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:13em;"| Title

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:20em;"| Album details

! scope="col" colspan="8"| Peak chart positions

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:12em;"| Certifications

|-

! scope="col" style="width:2.8em;font-size:90%;"| US<br />

! scope="col" style="width:2.8em;font-size:90%;"| CAN<br />

! scope="col" style="width:2.8em;font-size:90%;"| GER<br />

  • Label: Roc Nation, Def Jam
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download

| 43 || 11 || 83 || 35 || 89 || 16 || 98 || 20

|

  • BPI: Platinum
  • Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download

| 27 || 3

|}

Live albums

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

|+ List of live albums, with selected chart positions

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:13em;"| Title

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:20em;"| Album details

! scope="col" colspan="3"| Peak chart positions

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:12em;"| Certifications

|-

! scope="col" style="width:2.8em;font-size:90%;"| US<br />

  • Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download

| 31 || 8 || 153

|

  • RIAA: Gold
  • Label: Roc Nation, Def Jam
  • Formats: Digital download

| 35 || 6 || —

|

|-

| colspan="14" style="font-size:90%"| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

|}

Mixtapes

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

|+ List of mixtape albums

! scope="col" style="width:13em;"| Title

! scope="col" style="width:20em;"| Album details

|-

! scope="row" | S. Carter Collection

|

  • Released: April 18, 2003 <span style="font-size:85%;">(US)</span>
  • Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam
  • Formats: Digital download

|-

! scope="row" | S. Carter: The Re-Mix

|

  • Released: 2004
  • Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam, Reebok
  • Formats: CD

|}

Notes

See also

  • Jay-Z singles discography
  • The Carters

References

  • Jay-Z at AllMusic