Hov’s unforgettable reaction to the final product in the Fade To Black documentary says it all. Utilizing a vocal sample from reggae great Max Romeo’s 1976 cut, “Chase the Devil,” Kanye bolsters JAY-Z’s religiously-themed rhymes with booming drums, groovy guitar licks and piano keys, resulting in one of the album’s more lively compositions. Of the two tracks Kanye West contributed to The Black Album, “Lucifer” is the one many beat-junkies will argue ranks as one of the best in the producer’s catalog. Produced by Just Blaze and built around a sped-up sample of the Chi-Lites’ 1974 release, “That’s How Long,” “December 4th” is as regal as anything Hov has ever rapped over and one of the better beats on the album. The Black Album opens up on a celebratory note with “December 4th,” which features JAY-Z painting a vivid picture of his adolescence. Reworking horns from reggae singer John Holt’s 1976 cut, “I Will,” Kanye West completes the cipher with tumbling kicks and snares, resulting in a backdrop that helped bring the “stadium status” factor into crafting a classic rap song. Kanye West serves up a heater with the instrumental for “Encore,” a song on The Black Album that doubles as one of its biggest anthems. With a sample of “Something for Nothing” by MFSB serving as the song’s foundation, the backing track for “What More Can I Say” takes a page out of the book of “Put Your Hands Up,” The Notorious B.I.G.’s 1997 collaboration with Tracy Lee, in yet another nod to the Bed Stuy legend.
On “What More Can I Say,” production duo The Buchanans draw listeners in with a sample from the 2000 flick, Gladiator, before unleashing one of the more epic instrumentals on The Black Album. Kelly’s 2000 single, “A Woman’s Threat,” 9th Wonder’s production on the song has a menacing bounce to it and coaxes a flawless, venomous performance out of The God Emcee. Powered by drums and piano keys pilfered from R.
Driven by a sample of “Tu Y Tu Mirar, Yo Y Mi Cancion” by Chilean pop band the Los Angeles Negros, the guitar-laden track also incorporates percussion into the mix, resulting in the perfect backdrop to ride off into the sunset to.Īfter making his name as the production arm of North Carolina rap trio Little Brother, 9th Wonder got an assist from Young Guru to make his leap to the majors with “Threat,” his contribution to The Black Album. Producers Aqua and Joe “3H” Weinberger join forces to create the backing track for “My 1st Song,” the selection that closes out The Black Album. “My 1st Song” (Aqua, Joe “3H” Weinberger) One of the rare radio-friendly compositions on The Black Album, “Change Clothes” won fans over with its leisurely vibe and superb instrumentation, on the part of Pharrell and Chad.ĩ. Driven by drums, cowbells, and Wurlitzer keys, the composition is of one of the album’s few that is devoid of a sample, giving it a change in pace. Famously making Hov lose his marbles in the 2003 documentary, Fade to Black, the organized distortion of “Dirt Off Your Shoulders” would continue JAY-Z and Timbo’s streak of club bangers.Įnlisting The Neptunes to produce “Change Clothes,” the album’s lead-single, JAY-Z’s decision to go with his longtime collaborators yielded impressive returns. Timbaland supplies JAY-Z with a slapper in the form of “Dirt Off Your Shoulders,” an up-tempo soundscape that features one of the rapper’s more cocksure performances on The Black Album. With 15 years having passed since the album first hit shelves, VIBE decided to pay homage to this classic by ranking the beats on The Black Album, from the most pedestrian to the most impressive. While JAY-Z would eventually come out of retirement in 2006 with his Kingdom Come album, The Black Album will always be looked at as the rapper’s “retirement” album, the one that further branded him as an icon and stands as one of the more revered bodies of work in his career.
Boasting a lineup of producers including Just Blaze, Kanye West, Timbaland, The Neptunes, 9th Wonder, Rick Rubin, Eminem and others, The Black Album was an epic affair and Hov’s most sonically-rich long player to date. While JAY-Z’s lyrical performance on The Black Album is phenomenal, the album is as much of a classic due in part to its production. 1 on the Billboard 200, The Black Album sold nearly a half-million units in its first week and eventually certified triple platinum, making it his most commercially successful release of the decade.
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