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songs
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- 1
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Can't Knock the Hustle
- 05:17
- 133,747 plays
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- 2
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Politics as Usual
- 03:41
- 85,634 plays
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- 3
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Brooklyn's Finest
- 04:36
- 130,478 plays
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- 4
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Dead Presidents II [New Lyrics]
- 04:27
- 148,240 plays
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- 5
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Feelin' It
- 03:48
- 139,246 plays
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- 6
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D'evils
- 03:31
- 86,915 plays
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- 7
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22 Two's
- 03:29
- 76,610 plays
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- 8
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Can I Live
- 04:10
- 109,911 plays
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- 9
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Ain't No *****
- 04:03
- 81,945 plays
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- 10
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Friend or Foe
- 01:49
- 62,589 plays
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- 11
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Coming of Age
- 03:59
- 61,213 plays
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- 12
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Cashmere Thoughts
- 02:56
- 51,032 plays
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- 13
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Bring It On
- 05:01
- 54,644 plays
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- 14
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Regrets
- 04:34
- 61,563 plays
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- 15
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Can I Live II [*]
- 03:57
- 30,229 plays
album review
Before Jay-Z fashioned himself into hip-hop's most notorious capitalist, he was a street hustler from the projects who rapped about what he knew -- and was very, very good at it. Skeptics who've never cared for Jigga's crossover efforts should turn to his debut, Reasonable Doubt, as the deserving source of his legend. Reasonable Doubt is often compared to another New York landmark, Nas' Illmatic: A hungry young MC with a substantial underground buzz drops an instant classic of a debut, detailing his experiences on the streets with disarming honesty, and writing some of the most acrobatic rhymes heard in quite some time. (Plus, neither artist has since approached the street cred of his debut, The Blueprint notwithstanding.) Parts of the persona that Jay-Z would ride to superstardom are already in place: He's cocky bordering on arrogant, but playful and witty, and exudes an effortless, unaffected cool throughout. And even if he's rapping about rising to the top instead of being there, his material obsessions are already apparent. Jay-Z the hustler isn't too different from Jay-Z the rapper: Hustling is about living the high life and getting everything you can, not violence or tortured glamour or cheap thrills. In that sense, the album's defining cut might not be one of the better-known singles -- "Can't Knock the Hustle," "Dead Presidents II," "Feelin' It," or the Foxy Brown duet, "Ain't No Nigga." It just might be the brief "22 Two's," which not only demonstrates Jay-Z's extraordinary talent as a pure freestyle rapper, but also preaches a subtle message through its club hostess: Bad behavior gets in the way of making money. Perhaps that's why Jay-Z waxes reflective, not enthusiastic, about the darker side of the streets; songs like "D'Evils" and "Regrets" are some of the most personal and philosophical he's ever recorded. It's that depth that helps Reasonable Doubt rank as one of the finest albums of New York's hip-hop renaissance of the '90s. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
more albums by this artist
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- American Gangster (Parental Advisory)
- Released 2007
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- The Black Album (Parental Advisory)
- Released 2003
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- The Blueprint 3
- Released 2009
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- Collision Course
- Released 2004
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listener reviews
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cLASSI C SHIT JIGGA BABY
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- By RebornBre
- 9/19/2009 01:55:15
- IMMA TOP LISTEN I LISTEN TO THIS AND BP3 EVERYDAY..IMMA BE A TOP LISTENNER OF THAT NEXT
- Be the first person to rate this review!
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Classic
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- By Doe B
- 5/27/2009 16:23:30
- A must have classic by the "BEST"
- 1 out of 1 people
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Clas-sick!
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- By Scizzle333
- 3/10/2009 17:18:25
- This CD put Jay-Z on the map. It didn't have a commercial jingle first single. It seemed like he made this record as if he wasn't going to make another. I liked it more and more as time went on. I miss this Jay-Z though. it seemed like he really didn't care and simply did him. Nowadays, you know that part is an act because too many people depend on him. It was just more raw then. Standout cuts in my opinion are Dead Presidents, Coming Of Age, Regrets, and D'evils. Classic Hov!!!
- 2 out of 2 people
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back in tha day
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- By chocolatemuzik
- 1/2/2009 06:34:50
- wow, this brings me back to the mid 90s...when hip hip still had at least some substance to it.
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Classic Jigga...
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- By BigVeney24
- 11/15/2008 19:11:58
- Classic Shit, and the only guest appearances was from Foxy, Biggie, and Memphis, he let you know he could carry an album, every track will have you figuring out what he means, you got to listen to it more than once, he's a genius!
- 4 out of 4 people
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