Then again, Roc-A-Fella Records could release Sean Carter Sings MC Hammer's Greatest Hits and watch it ship platinum. Here's a little something to tide you over until Jay-Z decides to come correct. Further proof may lie in the fact that, faced with mass bootlegging weeks before the CD's release, the Z-man added several tracks, effectively revising it at the last minute. Dre (the truly defiant 'Watch Me'), Juvenile ('Snoopy Track'), and UGK ('Big Pimpin'') argue well for Jay-Z's continued vitality. While there's no single classic on the order of 'Hard Knock Life' here, collaborations with Dr. For good reason, too not only is the Roc-A-Fella king maker one prolific rapper and writer, his output is of high enough quality to keep heads ringin'. Carter, Jay-Z's century-closing guaranteed-platinum album, he compares his hit-making prowess to that of Michael Jackson-the unspoken difference being that Jigga appears to be far from wearing out his commercial welcome. Pop 4 Roc (featuring Beanie Sigel/Memphis Bleek/Amil) Things That U Do (featuring Mariah Carey)

Though the album falters notably at the end (the lazy funk of 'Paper Chase,' 'Reservoir Dogs,' and 'It's Like That' could be safely cut without incident), Shawn Carter has nonetheless reclaimed his mantle as rap's leading don. Like Biggie did on Life After Death, Jay-Z diversifies his style here-with the Timbaland-laced 'Nigga What, Nigga Who' and the dialogue 'Coming of Age' (which revisits the young hustler from Jay-Z's first LP, Reasonable Doubt)-demonstrating that even when experimenting with flow, he can still crush his peers. 1, his stunningly poor second LP, and remain standing as one of the premier lyricists of his generation. Only an artist of Jay-Z's stature could have survived the indignity of In My Lifetime, Vol. Hang on, didn't this used to be known as whack? Rather than draw any conclusions from his world, or postulate any form of action, Jay simply calls 'em like he sees 'em-a post-Biggie dialectic of thinly-veiled threats ('Friend or Foe '98', 'Face Off') and dreary self-aggrandisment ('I Know What Girls Like', 'City Is Mine'). For another, his rhymes-both structurally and in terms of subject-matter-are way too simplistic. For one thing, he lacks the pipes to be considered among the truly great MCs (Chuck D, Guru, Ice Cube, Method Man).

But in the devalued hip-hop universe of the late 1990s-where political activism is irrelevant, and entrepreneurial mediocrities like Puff Daddy and Master P hold sway-it's tempting to hail him as a conquering hero. In an earlier age, when the likes of Public Enemy and Gang Starr ruled the roost, Jay-Z would have garnered the same kind of serious attention and respect as, say, the Fresh Prince. Intro/A Million and One Questions/Rhyme No More That song, and the entire album, foreshadows Jay-Z's subsequent ascension to kingpin status. 'Brooklyn's Finest,' his mic-passing session with his friend Notorious B.I.G., takes on a torch-passing significance in the wake of Biggie's death. The beats on Reasonable Doubt, provided by the likes of DJ Premier & Ski, are as irresistibly slick as his persona. Armed with clever phrasing and sly deadpan wit, Jay-Z navigates indulgent romps ('Can't Knock the Hustle'), thought-provoking introspection ('Regrets'), and devastating street-corner soliloquies ('Friend or Foe') with savvy composure. It's invested with an uncommon complexity and candor that has noticeably faded in his later material. Jay-Z's classic debut is a compelling reflection on his life as a hustler.

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