RANKING: Jay-Z’s discography.

[A THREAD]

17 / 16. The Best Of Both Worlds (2002) & Unfinished Business (2004):

Two largely ignored records in Hov’s catalogue and rightly so. Unfortunately I can’t say that one is better than the other so they both take last place on here.

Favourite track: None

15. EVERYTHING IS LOVE (2018):

This was released as part of ‘The Carters’ duo, with this being their only release to date. The timing of this albums was the 4:44 & Lemonade era, so more was expected of this record given the quality of those.

Favourite track: BLACK EFFECT

14. Kingdom Come (2006):

Jay’s comeback was highly anticipated. It was clear that this was not his best effort, but there were positives from this. In 2006, Hov was a decade into his career and still at the top. A rarity in rap at this point.

Favourite track: Minority Report

13. The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse (2002):

There are definitely highs to this album, however it released at a time when every artist had a double album. As such, this suffers with filler tracks, which is usually the case with these albums.

Favourite track: Blueprint 2

12. Magna Carta... Holy Grail (2013):

This record seems uninspired at times. Hov’s rapping ability is still great, and the highlight of the album, however I come away from this hearing a veteran reminding people of who he is without much substance.

Favourite track: F.U.T.W.

11. The Blueprint 3 (2009):

It may be a mixed bag quality wise, but there are some great tracks on this album which deserve more credit. Features on this album helped propel the careers of Drake, J. Cole & Kid Cudi. An over-hated album.

Favourite track: Empire State Of Mind

10. Volume 3... Life And Times of S. Carter (1999):

After Vol 2, Hov truly was rap’s superstar. To follow this up, he continued to merge street talk with a radio sound, whilst not losing sight of what was important - being the best MC.

Favourite track: So Ghetto

9. Watch The Throne (2011):

The collaboration album which everybody wanted to see did not disappoint. Two legends at established points in their respective careers competing on every track is a joy to witness.

Favourite track: Murder To Excellence

8. The Dynasty (2000):

Originally made as a Roc-A-Fella collaborative effort, The Dynasty was released as a solo Jay-Z record, with stellar performances from Jay’s peers when called upon.

Favourite track: Intro / This Can’t Be Life

7. In My Lifetime Vol.1 (1997):

This was Hov’s first attempt to merge into the mainstream whilst maintaining his street roots. This record showed Hov’s character and aspirations of becoming the type of rapper he wanted to be, and would become.

Favourite track: Where I’m From

6. Vol.2 ... Hard Knock Life (1998):

This album turned Jay-Z into the biggest rapper in the world. This was Hov mastering giving street talk to a mainstream audience and sat him comfortably in the throne of NYC.

Favourite track: Hard Knock Life

5. American Gangster (2007):

This was Hov’s true comeback album after his brief retirement. Released alongside the crime film by the same name, American Gangster is somewhat a concept album following a gangster’s life, with Hov’s street stories.

Favourite track: No Hook

4. 4:44 (2017):

This is Hov’s ‘grown man’ album. 4:44 shows a side of Jay-Z which the listener had rarely heard before when displaying self-reflection on infidelity & looking back on his own legacy, whilst teaching some valuable lessons in the process.

Favourite track: Marcy Me

3. The Black Album (2003):

When Jay-Z announced that The Black Album would be his retirement album, everyone’s attention was on this release with the same question in mind - why is Jay-Z retiring at the peak of his career? Hov is the self-proclaimed Michael Jordan of rap for a

reason. Hov recruited several producers to work on this project including Kanye West, Just Blaze & Timbaland to give a different sound to each track. The outcome? A 55 minute classic. If you’re a fan of Jay-Z, this album will hold a special place for you.

Favourite track: PSA

2. The Blueprint (2001):

This album is a masterpiece and one of my favourites ever. This album was everything Jay had been working towards. With the help of Kanye West & Just Blaze, Jay-Z started to shift the sound of rap music by implementing soul samples over Jay’s impeccable

flow and razor-sharp lyricism. I often think if ‘Jigga That N***a’ was taken off the album, where would this album rank? Top 5 all-time for me.

Favourite track: Blueprint (Momma Loves Me) / Heart Of The City

1. Reasonable Doubt (1996):

One of the greatest debut albums ever and one of the best rap albums of all time. This is the introduction to the street hustler turned rapper, who uses his vivid storytelling and witty lyricism to paint pictures of his journeys through the street

life. His flows, wordplay, double entendres & drug slang is unmatched in one of the best lyrical performances on an album.

This is Jay-Z’s greatest album.

Favourite track: Dead Presidents II / D’evils

Thanks for checking this out and I hope you enjoyed reading this thread. Jay-Z has one of the greatest, if not the greatest, discographies in hip-hop so ranking this was not easy given the quality.

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