The Black Album | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | November 22, 1994 December 8, 1987 (withdrawn) | |||
Recorded | 1986-87 | |||
Genre | Funk | |||
Length | 44:43 | |||
Label | Warner Bros. 25677 (original pressing) 45793 (second pressing) | |||
Producer | Prince | |||
Prince chronology | ||||
|
Professional ratings | |
---|---|
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Blender | [2] |
Entertainment Weekly | B[3] |
Mojo | (favorable)[4] |
MusicHound | 2.5/5[5] |
New York Times | (favorable)[6] |
Q | [4] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [7] |
The Village Voice | A–[8] |
But this striving for the new and different comes at a cost. There’s no emotional throughline on The Black Album, no grand statement that continues from one track to the next. The songs never.
The Black Album is the sixteenth studio album by American recording artist Prince. It was released on November 22, 1994, by Warner Bros. Records. It was originally planned for release on December 8, 1987, as the follow-up to Sign o' the Times[1] and was to appear in an entirely black sleeve with no title or even a credit to Prince; hence it was referred to as The Black Album. Dubbed The Funk Bible by preceding press releases, and in a hidden message within the album itself, the work seemed to be a reaction to criticism that Prince had become too pop-oriented. It was his attempt to regain his black audience.[2]
The 1987 promo-only release had no printed title, artist name, production credits or photography printed; a simple black sleeve accompanied the disc. On promotional copies, only a song listing and catalog number—25677—were printed on the disc itself. The commercial version was to only have the catalog number—printed in pink—on the spine.[9] The original compact disc pressing was made by Sony DADC rather than WEA Manufacturing. After Prince became convinced that the album was 'evil', he ordered it to be withdrawn a week before its release date. It was replaced with the album Lovesexy, a brighter pop-oriented album with elements of religious affirmation.
Music[edit]
Prince invoked Camille, the alter-ego behind his unreleased 1986 album Camille, as the guiding force responsible for The Black Album.[10]
The opening track also mentioned the title of the album as being The Funk Bible, which was a consideration during work on this project. The title refers both to the album's all-black cover design and to Prince's attempt to earn back his credibility among the black pop audience.[11]
The album features one of the most atypical Prince songs: 'Bob George', in which he assumes the identity of a profane man who suspects his girlfriend to have had an affair with a man named Bob. He asks her what the man does for a living and learns that Bob manages Prince, whom he dismisses as 'that skinny motherfucker with the high voice'. The gun-wielding alter ego then fires a multitude of gunshots, and ends up being raided by the police. During live performances of the song during the Lovesexy Tour, he ends up being shot. The name for the track was a combination of Bob Cavallo (former manager), and Nelson George, who was felt to have become very critical of Prince.[12] 'Bob George' features a growling monologue that is slowed down to the point of being almost unrecognizable as Prince. The voice at the end of the song that says 'bizarre' is actually a stock sound from the Fairlight CMI IIx library, with its pitch raised.
The Black Album features songs such as the hip hop parody 'Dead on It', which playfully makes the accusation that all MCs are tone-deaf and unable to sing, and the playful 'Cindy C.', which refers to supermodel Cindy Crawford. The rhyme at the end of the song was originally written by Steve 'Silk' Hurley and was included on a song titled 'Music Is the Key', which was previously released by Chicagohouse-music group JM Silk, of which Hurley was the founder. Hurley would later go on to remix two of the songs from the 'Gett Off' maxi-single, the Housestyle and Flutestramental versions.
The album contains several instances of the portrayal of characters, using either a sped-up or slowed-down vocal track by Prince (as on 'If I Was Your Girlfriend', 'U Got the Look', 'Strange Relationship', and 'Housequake', all from the Sign o' the Times album).
The instrumental jazz-funk jam '2 Nigs United 4 West Compton' was revisited as a live song on the One Nite Alone... Live! album, but it was hardly the same track.
'Rockhard in a Funky Place' was originally considered for inclusion on the planned Crystal Ball album and then the Camille project. After the album's fade out, dissonant feedback fades in, followed by Prince saying 'What kind of fuck ending was that?' before fading out again. 'When 2 R in Love' is the only ballad on the album, and reappeared on Lovesexy, which was released the same year.
Prince performed 'Bob George', parts of 'When 2 R in Love', and 'Superfunkycalifragisexy' on his Lovesexy Tour. 'When 2 R in Love' was usually part of the piano medley in Act II, whereas the other two songs were part of the Act I segment, where Prince's evil side showed through (coinciding with the idea that The Black Album was evil, hence its being pulled from release by Prince). Act II was his born-again segment, with more upbeat spiritual songs, highlighting most of the Lovesexy songs, and top 40 hits.
Samples of 'Bob George' would later show up on the 'Dub Beats' official promo mix of Madonna's 1989 single 'Like a Prayer'.[13]
Withdrawal[edit]
The album was abandoned shortly before its intended release after Prince experienced a spiritual epiphany and became convinced it was 'evil';[14] he later blamed the album on an entity named Spooky Electric, described as a demonic, low-voiced alter-ego induced by Camille.[15] The decision may have been influenced by Prince's having a bad experience on MDMA.[16] Prince recalled all copies and abandoned the entire project, leaving roughly 100 European promotional copies in circulation, and several American copies that would be widely bootlegged in the coming years.
Immediately after the decision to pull The Black Album from stores, the album emerged on the streets in bootleg form, arguably becoming popular music's most legendary bootleg since the Beach Boys' aborted 1967 album Smile.[17] Several celebrities, including U2's frontmen The Edge and Bono, cited it as one of their favorite albums of 1988 (Rolling Stone magazine celebrity poll).
In the music video for the lead single from Lovesexy, 'Alphabet St.', a message quickly scrolls down the screen that reads: 'Don't buy The Black Album, I'm sorry.'[18]
In April 2016, an original promo copy from 1987 was sold on Discogs' marketplace for a then-record of US$15,000.00.[citation needed] In 2017, five copies were discovered in the United States, with one of those selling for US$42,298.[19] In June 2018, another copy of the original album was found in Canada—this copy later sold on the Discogs marketplace for $27,500.[19]
Legal release[edit]
The Black Album was finally released by Warner Bros. Records on November 22, 1994—again, containing only a track listing and the new catalog number 45793 printed onto the disc itself, and a copyright date of 1994 (with the exception of 'When 2 R in Love', which was released in 1988 on Lovesexy). Although it was released in a strictly limited edition and was pulled on January 27, 1995, the album was re-released exclusively to Tidal in 2016.[20]
In the week of the album's official release, Warner ran an ad at the back of the November 26, 1994, issue of Billboard that offered owners of counterfeit copies a free copy of the legal release, provided they mail their bootleg copy to the label in exchange. This offer was given only to the first 1,000 individuals who sent in their copies.[21]
Track listing[edit]
All songs written by Prince, except #8, music written by Prince and Eric Leeds.
Side 1
- 'Le Grind' – 6:44
- 'Cindy C.' – 6:15
- 'Dead on It' – 4:37
- 'When 2 R in Love' – 3:59 *
Side 2
- 'Bob George' – 5:36
- 'Superfunkycalifragisexy' – 5:55
- '2 Nigs United 4 West Compton' – 7:01
- 'Rockhard in a Funky Place' – 4:31
*Also appears on Lovesexy.
Personnel[edit]
- Prince – lead vocals and various instruments
- Sheila E. – backing vocals (1), drums (7)
- Eric Leeds – saxophone (1, 2, 8)
- Atlanta Bliss – trumpet (1, 2, 8)
- Cat Glover – backing vocals (1), backing vocals and rap (2), spoken vocals (7)
- Boni Boyer – backing vocals (1)
- Susannah Melvoin – backing vocals (8)
- Susan Rogers – engineer
Charts[edit]
Chart (1994) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA)[22] | 15 |
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[23] | 7 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[24] | 35 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[25] | 49 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[26] | 8 |
UK Albums (OCC)[27] | 36 |
US Billboard 200[28] | 47 |
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[29] | 18 |
References[edit]
Notes
- ^ abErlewine, Stephen Thomas. 'Prince: The Black Album > Review' at AllMusic. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
- ^ abHarris, Keith (June–July 2001). 'Every Original CD Reviewed - Prince'. Blender. No. 1. Alpha Media Group.
- ^Browne, David (December 2, 1994). 'The Black Album Review'. Entertainment Weekly. No. #251. Time. ISSN1049-0434. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
- ^ ab'Prince - Black Album CD Album'. CDUniverse.com. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
- ^Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel (eds.) (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide (2nd ed.). Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. p. 899. ISBN1-57859-061-2.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
- ^Pareles, Jon (May 22, 1988). 'Prince Twice Is Still Prince Charming'. The New York Times. ISSN0362-4331. OCLC1645522. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
- ^Hoard (2004), p. 655. Portions posted at 'Prince: Album Guide'. RollingStone.com. Archived from the original on March 20, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
- ^Christgau, Robert (June 28, 1988). 'Christgau's Consumer Guide'. The Village Voice. Retrieved May 31, 2016.
- ^'1987 - Welcome to the Funk Bible'. The Black Album. theblackalbum.info. August 13, 2006. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
- ^Gottschalk, Kurt. 'In Which Prince at Last Wins the Battle Against Evil, and Yet Y'all Still Make Fun of Him'. Brooklyn Rail. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
- ^Carcieri, Matthew Prince: A Life in MusiciUniverse.com (2004), p. 49
- ^Nilsen, Per. Dance Music Sex Romance: Prince: The First Decade. SAF Publishing Ltd; 2nd Revised edition (2003), p. 229
- ^YouTube
- ^Hahn 2004, pp. 121–122.
- ^Price, Simon. 'Battle Of The Black Album: Jay-Z vs Metallica vs Prince'. The Quietus. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
- ^Marcheese, David. 'http://www.vulture.com/2014/09/24-outrageous-prince-stories.html'. Vulture. Retrieved February 4, 2017.External link in
|title=
(help) - ^Nilsen, Per Dance Music Sex Romance: Prince: The First Decade SAF Publishing Ltd; 2nd Revised edition (2003) p305
- ^Deriso, Nick (December 8, 2017). '30 Years Ago: Prince Suddenly Shelves 'The Black Album,' But Why?'. diffuser.fm. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
- ^ ab'Rare Prince album surfaces in Canada'. BBC News. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
- ^Cox, Jamieson (June 7, 2016). 'A bunch of Prince's weirdest albums are now available on Tidal'. The Verge. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
- ^Billboard, November 26, 1994 p. 138
- ^'Australiancharts.com – Prince – The Black Album'. Hung Medien. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
- ^'Austriancharts.at – Prince – The Black Album' (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
- ^'Dutchcharts.nl – Prince – The Black Album' (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
- ^'Offiziellecharts.de – Prince – The Black Album' (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
- ^'Swisscharts.com – Prince – The Black Album'. Hung Medien. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
- ^'Prince | Artist | Official Charts'. UK Albums Chart. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
- ^'Prince Chart History (Billboard 200)'. Billboard. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
- ^'Prince Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)'. Billboard. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
Sources
- Nathan Brackett, Christian Hoard (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide: Completely Revised and Updated 4th Edition. Simon and Schuster. ISBN0-7432-0169-8.
External links[edit]
- The Black Album at Discogs
- Public Notice: Bootleg Copies of 'Black' Album — By Billboard (Advertisement by Warner Bros. Records)
- What I'm Listening to Now: The Black Album — By Questlove
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Black_Album_(Prince_album)&oldid=912944914'
The Black Album | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | November 14, 2003 | |||
Recorded | July 2003 – October 2003 | |||
Studio |
| |||
Genre | Hip hop | |||
Length | 55:32 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
| |||
Jay-Z chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from The Black Album | ||||
|
The Black Album is the eighth studio album by American rapper Jay-Z, released on November 14, 2003, by Roc-A-Fella Records. It was advertised as his final album before retiring, which is also a recurring theme throughout the songs,[1] although Jay-Z resumed his recording career in 2006. For the album, Jay-Z wanted to enlist a different producer for each song, working with Just Blaze, Kanye West, The Neptunes, DJ Quik, Timbaland, 9th Wonder and Rick Rubin, among others.
When The Black Album was released, it received widespread acclaim from critics. In its first week, the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 463,000 copies in the United States. It became Jay-Z's top selling record of the 2000s decade, and by July 2013, it had sold 3,516,000 copies in the US. The Black Album was promoted with a retirement tour by Jay-Z and three singles that also achieved Billboard chart success, including the top-ten hits 'Change Clothes' and 'Dirt off Your Shoulder'.
- 3Track listing
- 5Charts
Release and promotion[edit]
Jay-Z had announced that The Black Album would be his final record and went on a retirement tour after its release.[2] When it was released, the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and sold 463,000 copies in its first week.[3] According to Billboard, it became Jay-Z's top selling record of the 2000s and the 136th highest selling record of the decade in the United States.[4] By July 2013, the album had sold 3,516,000 copies in the US.[5]
Three singles were released from the album and appeared on the Billboard charts. 'Change Clothes' and 'Dirt off Your Shoulder' both reached the top 10 of the Hot 100, while '99 Problems' peaked at number 30.[6]
Critical reception[edit]
Professional ratings | |
---|---|
Aggregate scores | |
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 84/100[7] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [8] |
Entertainment Weekly | B+[9] |
The Guardian | [10] |
Mojo | [11] |
MSN Music (Consumer Guide) | A[12] |
NME | 8/10[13] |
Pitchfork | 8/10[14] |
Q | [15] |
Rolling Stone | [1] |
USA Today | [16] |
The Black Album was met with widespread critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, it received an average score of 84, based on 19 reviews.[7]AllMusic's John Bush claimed Jay-Z was retiring at his peak with the album.[8]Vibe magazine said it was remarkable as an apotheosis of his genuinely thoughtful songwriting and lyrics 'delivered with transcendent skill',[17] while Steve Jones from USA Today said even with 'top-shelf work' from elite producers, the album was elevated by Jay-Z's uniquely deft and diverse rapping style.[16] Writing for The A.V. Club, Nathan Rabin felt Jay-Z returned to 'brevity and consistency' on an album that demonstrated his lyrical abilities and, more importantly, hip hop's best producers.[18] Jon Caramanica wrote in The Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004) that The Black Album was both 'old-school and utterly modern', showcasing Jay-Z 'at the top of his game, able to reinvent himself as a rap classicist at the right time, as if to cement his place in hip-hop's legacy for generations to come'.[19]
Some reviewers were less enthusiastic. In Rolling Stone, Touré argued that The Black Album was slightly inferior to Jay-Z's best records, namely Reasonable Doubt (1996) and The Blueprint (2001).[1] Dave Simpson from The Guardian was more critical, dismissing the music as 'an aural equivalent of that old American favourite, the schmaltzy biopic.'[10] In The Village Voice, Robert Christgau gave the record a back-handed compliment: '[Jay-Z] raps like a legend in his own time—namely, Elvis in Vegas'.[20] Nonetheless, he was impressed by the stretch of songs from 'Encore' to 'Justify My Thug' and wrote in a retrospective review for MSN Music that 'the fanfares, ovations, maternal reminiscences, and vamp-till-ready shout-outs were overblown at best', but they have come to sound 'prophetic' because of the entrepreneurial success and fame Jay-Z continued to achieve after The Black Album. 'He's got a right to celebrate his autobiography in rhyme because he's on track to become a personage who dwarfs any mere rapper,' Christgau wrote in 2011, 'and not only can he hire the best help dark green can buy, he can make it sing.'[12]
In 2005, The Black Album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album,[21] losing to Kanye West's The College Dropout at the 47th Grammy Awards.[22] It was also ranked number 349 in Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.[23]Pitchfork ranked The Black Album at number 90 on its decade-end list of the top 200 albums from the 2000s,[24] while Slant Magazine ranked it seventh best on a similar list.[25] In 2012, Complex named it one of the 'classic' records of the previous decade.[26]
Track listing[edit]
All song samples, writing and production credits are according to the album booklet.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | 'Interlude' | Just Blaze | 1:22 | |
2. | 'December 4th' |
| Just Blaze | 4:32 |
3. | 'What More Can I Say' |
| The Buchanans | 4:55 |
4. | 'Encore' | Kanye West | 4:11 | |
5. | 'Change Clothes' |
| The Neptunes | 4:18 |
6. | 'Dirt off Your Shoulder' | Timbaland | 4:05 | |
7. | 'Threat' |
| 4:05 | |
8. | 'Moment of Clarity' |
| 4:24 | |
9. | '99 Problems' |
| Rick Rubin | 3:55 |
10. | 'Public Service Announcement (Interlude)' | Just Blaze | 2:53 | |
11. | 'Justify My Thug' |
| DJ Quik | 4:05 |
12. | 'Lucifer' | Kanye West | 3:12 | |
13. | 'Allure' |
| The Neptunes | 4:52 |
14. | 'My 1st Song' |
| 4:45 |
Track notes[edit]
- ^[a] signifies an additional producer
- 'What More Can I Say' features additional vocals by Vincent 'Hum V' Bostic
- 'Encore' features additional vocals by John Legend, Don Crawley, Leonard Harris and Kanye West
- 'Change Clothes' features additional vocals by Pharrell Williams
- 'Threat' features additional vocals by Cedric the Entertainer
- 'Justify My Thug' features additional vocals by Sharlotte Gibson
- 'Lucifer' features additional vocals by Kanye West
Sample credits[edit]
- 'December 4th' contains a sample of 'That's How Long' written by Walter Boyd and Elijah Powell Jr., and performed by The Chi-Lites.
- 'What More Can I Say' contains samples of 'Something for Nothing' written by Thom Bell, Kenneth Gamble and Roland Chambers, and performed by MFSB, and 'Keep Your Hands High' written by Tracey Lee and Christopher Wallace, and performed by Tracey Lee featuring The Notorious B.I.G..
- 'Encore' contains elements of 'I Will' performed by John Holt.
- 'Threat' contains a sample from 'A Woman's Threat' written and performed by R. Kelly.
- '99 Problems' contains samples of 'Long Red' written by Norman Landsberg, Felix Pappalardi, John Ventura and Leslie Weinstein, and performed by Mountain, 'Get Me Back on Time, Engine Number 9' performed by Wilson Pickett, 'The Big Beat' written and performed by Billy Squier, elements of '99 Problems' written by Tracy Marrow and Alphonso Henderson, and performed by Ice-T, interpolations of 'Touched' written by Chad Butler and Bernard Freeman, and performed by UGK, and portions of 'Children's Story' written and performed by Slick Rick.
- 'Public Service Announcement (Interlude)' contains a portion of 'No One Can Do It Better' written by Tracy Curry and Andre Young, and performed by The D.O.C., and a sample of 'Seed of Love' written by Raymond Levin, and performed by Little Boy Blues.
- 'Justify My Thug' contains portions of 'Rock Around the Clock' written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers, and performed by Bill Haley & His Comets, samples of 'Rock Box' written by Darryl McDaniels, Joseph Simmons and Larry Smith, and performed by Run-DMC, and an interpolation of 'Justify My Love', written by Madonna Ciccone, Ingrid Chavez and Lenny Kravitz, and performed by Madonna.
- 'Lucifer' contains a sample of 'Chase the Devil' written by Hugh Perry and Maxie Smith, and performed by Max Romeo.
- 'My 1st Song' contains a sample of 'Tu y Tu Mirar...Yo y Mi Canción' written by Germain de La Fuente, and performed by Los Angeles Negros, and a vocal portion of The Notorious B.I.G.'s 1996 interview for MTV.
Personnel[edit]
Adapted from AllMusic.[27]
- Aqua – producer
- Marcella Araica – assistant
- Vincent 'Hum V' Bostic – vocals
- David Brown – engineer, mixing assistant
- Shari Bryant – marketing
- Buchannans – producer
- Kareem 'Biggs' Burke – executive producer
- Shawn Carter – executive producer, liner notes, primary artist, producer
- Demacio Castellon – engineer
- Cedric The Entertainer – guest artist, vocals
- Don Crawley – vocals
- Damon Dash – executive producer
- Tony Dawsey – mastering
- DJ Quik – mixing, producer
- Danee Doty – vocals
- Jimmy Douglas – mixing
- Eminem – mixing, producer
- Sharlotte Gibson – vocals
- Walik Goshorn – photography
- Leon Harris – vocals
- Keenan 'Kee Note' Holloway – bass
- Ken 'Duro' Ifill – mixing
- Kyambo 'Hip Hop' Joshua – A&R
- Just Blaze – producer
- Gimel Keaton – engineer, mixing
- Steve King – bass, engineer, guitar, mixing
- Jason Lader – programming
- Darcell Lawrence – A&R
- John Legend – vocals
- Jonathan Mannion – photography
- Rob Mitchell – A&R
- The Neptunes – producer
- 9th Wonder – producer
- Amber Noble – marketing
- Felix Pappalardi –
- Luis Resto – keyboards, producer
- Rick Rubin – mixing, producer
- Lenny Santiago – A&R, photography
- Andrew Scheps – engineer, mixing
- Robert Sims – art direction, design
- Chris Steflene – assistant engineer
- Michael Strange Jr. – engineer
- Darrell Thorp – mixing
- Timbaland – producer
- Richard Travali – mixing
- Joseph Weinberger – producer
- Eric Weissman – sample clearance
- Kanye West – producer, vocals
Charts[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
|
Certifications[edit]
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada)[40] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[41] | Platinum | 300,000^ |
United States (RIAA)[42] | 3× Platinum | 3,516,000[5] |
*sales figures based on certification alone ^shipments figures based on certification alone |
See also[edit]
- Danger Mouse – The Grey Album (2004)
References[edit]
- ^ abcTouré (November 19, 2003). 'Jay-Z: The Black Album'. Rolling Stone. New York. Archived from the original on April 1, 2009. Retrieved October 2, 2009.
- ^Toure. Superstardom is Boring: Jay-Z Quits Again. New York Times, 2003, p. AR33.
- ^'Back In 'Black': Jay-Z Swan Song Bows On Top'. Billboard. Retrieved July 12, 2013.
- ^Decade-end Charts. Billboard. Retrieved on 2010-05-29.
- ^ abPaine, Jake. 'Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 7/7/2013'. HipHop DX. Retrieved July 12, 2013.
- ^Gantt, Kareem (October 16, 2014). 'Back in the day review: Jay-Z: 'The Black Album''. AXS. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
- ^ ab'Reviews for The Black Album by Jay-Z'. Metacritic. Retrieved October 2, 2009.
- ^ abBush, John. 'The Black Album – Jay-Z'. AllMusic. Retrieved October 2, 2009.
- ^Drumming, Neil (November 24, 2003). 'The Black Album'. Entertainment Weekly. New York. Retrieved October 2, 2009.
- ^ abSimpson, Dave (November 21, 2003). 'Jay-Z: The Black Album'. The Guardian. London. Retrieved October 2, 2009.
- ^'Jay-Z: The Black Album'. Mojo. London (122): 104. January 2004.
- ^ abChristgau, Robert (September 9, 2011). 'Jay-Z'. MSN Music. Retrieved September 15, 2011.
- ^'Jay-Z: The Black Album'. NME. London. November 22, 2003. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved September 15, 2011.
- ^Schreiber, Ryan; Pemberton, Rollie; Goldstein, Hartley; Mitchum, Rob; Bowers, William; Chennault, Sam; DiCrescenzo, Brent; Dahlen, Chris; Plagenhoef, Scott (November 16, 2003). 'Jay-Z: The Black Album'. Pitchfork. Retrieved October 2, 2009.
- ^'Jay-Z: The Black Album'. Q. London (210): 108. January 2004.
- ^ abJones, Steve (November 16, 2003). 'Jay-Z goes out on top of his game'. USA Today. McLean. Retrieved October 2, 2009.
- ^Editors, The. 'Review: The Black Album'. Vibe: 120. January 2004.
- ^The A.V. Club review
- ^Caramanica, Jon (2004) 'Jay-Z'. In Christian Hoard (ed.). The Rolling Stone Album Guide: 424–425.
- ^Christgau, Robert (January 13, 2004). 'Consumer Guide'. The Village Voice. New York: Village Voice Media. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
- ^Grammy Award Nominees. Retrieved on 2011.05.10.
- ^Grammy Award Winners. Retrieved on 2011.05.10.
- ^500 Greatest Albums of All Time: Jay-Z, 'The Black Album' | Rolling Stone
- ^Pitchfork staff (September 30, 2009). 'The Top 200 Albums of the 2000s: 100–51'. Pitchfork. Retrieved October 1, 2009.
- ^Slant staff (February 1, 2010). 'The Top 100 Albums of the 2000s: 10–1'. Slant Magazine. Retrieved March 21, 2010.
- ^'Jay-Z, The Black Album (2003) — 25 Rap Albums From the Past Decade That Deserve Classic Status'. Complex. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
- ^'The Black Album – Jay-Z | Credits | AllMusic'. AllMusic. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
- ^'Ultratop.be – Jay-Z – The Black Album' (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
- ^'Dutchcharts.nl – Jay-Z – The Black Album' (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
- ^'Black Album – Jay-Z'. Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
- ^'Offiziellecharts.de – Jay-Z – The Black Album' (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
- ^'Black Album på VG-lista Topp 40 Album'. VG-lista. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
- ^'Swedishcharts.com – Jay-Z – The Black Album'. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
- ^'Swisscharts.com – Jay-Z – The Black Album'. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
- ^'Official Albums Chart Top 100'. Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
- ^'Jay-Z Chart History (Billboard 200)'. Billboard. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
- ^'Jay-Z Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)'. Billboard. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
- ^'Jay-Z Chart History (Top Rap Albums)'. Billboard. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
- ^'Billboard Magazine – Special Double Holiday Issue'(PDF). americanradiohistory. December 25, 2004. p. 19. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
- ^'Canadian album certifications – JAY Z – The Black Album'. Music Canada.
- ^'British album certifications – JAY Z – The Black Album'. British Phonographic Industry.Select albums in the Format field.Select Platinum in the Certification field.Type The Black Album in the 'Search BPI Awards' field and then press Enter.
- ^'American album certifications – JAY Z – The Black Album'. Recording Industry Association of America.If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.
External links[edit]
- The Black Album at Discogs
- In Brief: Jay-Z at New York
- Jay-Z Raps On the Fly Like a Man Set to Die at New York Times
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Black_Album_(Jay-Z_album)&oldid=915612030'