"The Blueprint" and "American Gangster" Are Also Excellent
After releasing "The Blueprint 3" on Sept. 8, 2009, Jay-Z has now released 11 albums that have reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts.Of those 11 albums, two are collaborations (one with Linkin Park, the other with R. Kelly), but Jay-Z has also released 11 solo albums.
Those 11 albums have been a mix of classics, near-classics and pretty good albums. Jay-Z moved from having a very hard, street sound on his debut in 1996, to a more commercial sound that was heavily featured in 2002's double album "The Blueprint 2: The Gift and The Curse."
He has also moved from being a critically acclaimed rapper to being considered the greatest rapper of all time by many, which is no small feat.
When considering the best of Jay-Z's albums, an easy grading tool would be the number of good songs on the album. But other tools that can be used to judge one of his albums are the number of classic Jay-Z songs on the album (since a lot of his classic songs are spread across different albums) and the time period of his career when the album was released.
So what are the greatest Jay-Z albums of all time? Below is the list, starting with the best.
1. "The Black Album" (2003)
Jay-Z's supposed retirement album is his greatest because it not only has 10 standout tracks (of 14), includes two of his all-time greatest songs in "99 Problems" and "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" and is the one album that can be put on to show someone that Jay-Z's boast of being the best rapper alive wasn't just hyperbole, it was the real deal.
Featuring outstanding production from Rick Rubin, Timbaland, Kanye West, The Neptunes and Just Blaze, and just two songs that feature a guest artist, "The Black Album" is Jay-Z at his best.
Lyrically he comes to grips with rising to the top of the rap world, bowing out on top and remaining true to his gangster past.
The absence of any other big names appearing on tracks only further pushes Jay-Z's lyrical flow to the forefront, allowing him to show just how great he truly is.
Not only is "The Black Album" Jay-Z's greatest; it should be on any list of greatest albums of all time.
2. "The Blueprint" (2001)
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