In 2003, prospect of hip-hop’s finest producers laying down tracks for the final LP fromJay Z, the rap world’s brightest talent, made The Black Album one of the most anticipated rap records of the decade. What’s stunning is that it delivered rap’s greatest career-ender since Outkast’s Stankonia.

Even in falling short of Jay’s classics, Reasonable Doubt and 2001’s The Blueprint, it managed to eclipse 1999’s brilliant Vol. 3: Life and Times of S. Carter as his third-best album– which in itself made it one of 2003’s best.

2xLP Re-issue

Tracklist:
Interlude
December 4th
What More Can I Say
Encore
Change Clothes
Dirt Off Your Shoulder
Threat
Moment Of Clarity
99 Problems
Interlude
Just