Whether it’s Jay-Z, Jigga, J-Hova, H-to-the-Izzo or Mr. Beyonce, he has become one of the most recognizable faces in music today. After 10 top-selling solo albums, establishing his own clothing line, giving fame to artists like Kanye West and Pharrell Williams, and now owning parts of the 40/40 Club as well as the New Jersey Nets, Jay-Z is not finished with his rapping career. This week he releases his 11th album, titled ‘The Blueprint 3.’ His current single ‘Run This Town,’ featuring Rihanna and Kanye West, has already received impressive reviews. In honor of Jay-Z’s newest release, The Feature Staff charts his progression as a solo artist.

(1996) ‘Reasonable Doubt’ – Jay-Z’s debut album started off a steady flow, reaching No. 23 on the Billboard 200. The album went platinum and brought Jay-Z into the spotlight with a guest appearance by The Notorious B.I.G. 95 decibels

(1997) ‘In My Lifetime, Vol. 1’ – Showing his emotions after the death of good friend The Notorious B.I.G., ‘In My Lifetime Vol. 1’ told the intimate story of Jay-Z’s upbringing. 60 decibels

(1998) ‘Vol. 2…Hard Knock Life’ – Sampling the chorus line from ‘Hard Knock Life,’ (a song from the play ‘Annie’), this album clearly made Jay-Z more than just a name in the rap world. 80 decibels

(1999) ‘Vol. 3: The Life and Times of S. Carter’ – Though not quite up to par with ‘Hard Knock Life,’ ‘Vol.3’ still produced inescapable hits like ‘Big Pimpin.’ The careers of other members of The Roc, like Beanie Siegel, were sparked by their contributions to the album. 75 decibels

(2000) ‘The Dynasty: Roc La Familia’ – Don’t let the album name fool you – ‘The Dynasty’ is still a Jay-Z solo album, though it features many members of the Roc Family. Pharrell Williams sings a good hook in the song ‘Give It To Me.’ 55 decibels

(2001) ‘The Blueprint’ – Despite being released on Sept. 11, ‘The Blueprint’ proved to be Jay-Z’s best CD to this point. The album featured hit after hit, including ‘Izzo (H.O.V.A.),’ ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’ and ‘Takeover,’ a song that highlights Jay-Z’s rap battle with Nas. Jigga even slows it down for the track ‘Song Cry,’ which seems a bit out of character, but is pulled off. 90 decibels

(2002) ‘The Blueprint 2: The Gift and the Curse’ – The double CD was meant to showcase Jay-Z’s two different sides. ‘The Gift’ is upbeat and pop-sounding while ‘The Curse’ is more serious. ‘The Gift’ features Jay-Z and Beyonce’s first duet, ‘ ’03 Bonnie and Clyde,’ which sampled Tupac’s ‘Me and My Girlfriend.’ 65 decibels

(2003) ‘The Black Album’ – Though it was promoted as Jay-Z’s final album, even Jay knew he would be back. In one track, entitled ‘Encore’, the rapper sang: ‘When I come back like Jordan, wearin’ the four-five, it ain’t to play games with you, it’s to aim at you, prob’ly maim you.’ The album, a run-away hit produced memorable singles like ‘Dirt Off Your Shoulder’ and ’99 Problems.’ Jay-Z even held his farewell concert, ‘Fade to Black,’ in Madison Square Garden to bid a final goodbye. Of course, everyone knew it was just a ‘See you later.’ 95 decibels

(2006) ‘Kingdom Come’ – No less than three years after retirement, ‘Kingdom Come’ marked the return of the rap king. But instead of showing off his swagger and street smarts, Jay-Z chose to talk about more serious topics like Hurricane Katrina and his guilt over not helping those in need. Despite boasting an impressive line-up of musical guests that included John Legend, Beyonce and Coldplay’s Chris Martin, the album did not garner the same positive feedback of Jay-Z’s past endeavors. 70 decibels

(2007) ‘American Gangster’ – Inspired by the film of the same name, Jay-Z composed the album to parallel his history with the life story of the film’s main character, Frank Lucas. Interestingly enough, Jay-Z decided not to sell the album on iTunes, feeling that the album should be experienced as a whole and not broken up by individual song purchases. 75 decibels

(2009) ‘The Blueprint 3’ – Jay-Z’s latest effort will debut this Friday, the same day as he begins his new tour in Madison Square Garden. Featuring the single ‘Run this Town’ with Rihanna and Kanye West, the song has reached No. 5 on the iTunes Top Songs list. 85 decibels

Published on September 7, 2009 at 12:00 pm