Reasonable Doubt is the debut studio album by American rapper Jay-Z. It was released on June 25, 1996, by his own record label Roc-A-Fella Records and distributed by Priority Records. The album features production provided by DJ Premier, Ski, Knobody and Clark Kent, and also includes guest appearances from Memphis Bleek, Mary J. Blige, Jaz-O, and The Notorious B.I.G., among others. The album features mafioso rap themes and gritty lyrics about the "hustler" lifestyle and material obsessions.

Reasonable Doubt debuted at number 23 on the US Billboard 200, on which it charted for 18 weeks. It was promoted with four singles; including "Ain't No Nigga" and "Can't Knock the Hustle". Reasonable Doubt was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and, as of 2006, has sold 1.5 million copies in the United States. A critical success, it has been ranked on several publications' lists of hip-hop's greatest albums, while many hip hop fans have viewed it as Jay-Z's best work. In August 2019, Reasonable Doubt was released to digital and streaming platforms under Roc Nation's independent label, Equity Distribution.

Background

In 1989, aspiring rapper Jay-Z was recruited by mentor Jaz-O to appear on his song "Hawaiian Sophie". The recording sessions were often competitive; Ski and Clark Kent created similar beats for "Politics as Usual", but Ski submitted his to Jay-Z first causing his to appear on the album.

Music and lyrics

An East Coast hip-hop record, Reasonable Doubt was noted for having mafioso rap themes, Writer dream hampton believed that although rappers had alluded to hustling before, Jay-Z "talks about what it can do to a person's inner peace, and what it can do to their mind". Huey summarizes the album's subject matter saying:

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Reasonable Doubt was met with widespread acclaim from music critics. It spent 18 weeks on the chart, and 55 weeks on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, on which it reached number 3. The album was promoted with the release of four singles, none of which reached the Top 40; "Ain't No Nigga" was the highest-charting single at number 50, "Can't Knock the Hustle" and "Feelin' It" did not peak higher than 70, and "Dead Presidents" did not chart altogether. By year end, the album had sold 420,000 copies.

On February 7, 2002, Reasonable Doubt was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for shipments of a million copies in the US. According to Respect magazine, it had sold 1.5 million copies in the United States by 2006.

Legacy and influence

Since its initial reception, Reasonable Doubt has received further acclaim from music critics and writers. Vibe, who ranked it seventh on their 2002 list, MTV.com, who ranked it sixth on their 2005 list, and About.com's Henry Adaso; Adaso ranked it as the 14th greatest hip hop album, the second best rap record of 1996, and the fifth most "essential" hip hop album ever. Blender included Reasonable Doubt on the magazine's 2003 list of "500 CDs You Must Own Before You Die". That same year, Rolling Stone ranked it number 248 on their list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, number 250 on the 2012 revision, and the album's rank shot up to number 67 on the 2020 reboot of the list. The magazine also named it the 17th best album of the 1990s. It was included in Vibes "51 Essential Albums" (2004), and Hip Hop Connections "The 100 Greatest Rap Albums 1995–2005".

In 2006, Jay-Z performed the songs from Reasonable Doubt at the Radio City Music Hall to celebrate its tenth anniversary. The concert's band included the Roots' drummer Questlove, the Illadelphonics, a 50-piece orchestra dubbed the Hustla's Symphony and Just Blaze, the performance's disc jockey.

Track listing

Notes

  • <sup></sup> signifies a co-producer.
  • "Can't Knock the Hustle" features intro vocals by Pain in Da Ass.
  • "Brooklyn's Finest" features intro vocals by Pain in Da Ass and background vocals by DJ Clark Kent.
  • "22 Two's" features additional vocals by Mary Davis.
  • "Ain't No Nigga" features additional vocals by Khadijah Bass and Big Jaz.

Sample credits

  • "Can't Knock the Hustle" contains samples of "Much Too Much" by Marcus Miller, "I Know You Got Soul" by Eric B. & Rakim and interpolations of "Fool's Paradise" by Meli'sa Morgan, and dialogue from the film Scarface.
  • "Politics as Usual" contains a sample of "Hurry Up This Way Again" by The Stylistics.
  • "Brooklyn's Finest" contains samples of "Ecstasy" by The Ohio Players, "Brooklyn Zoo" by Ol' Dirty Bastard and interpolates dialogue from the film Carlito's Way.
  • "Dead Presidents II" contains samples of "A Garden of Peace" by Lonnie Liston Smith, "The World Is Yours (Tip Mix)" by Nas,

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Certifications

See also

  • It Was Written
  • Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...

References

  • Reasonable Doubt at Discogs
  • The Making of Reasonable Doubt — XXL
  • Jay-Z Marks Anniversary of Debut Album at Radio City Music Hall — The New York Times