Content deleted Content added
Noahdabomb3 (talk | contribs) No edit summary |
|||
Line 1:
{{dablink|Reasonable doubt redirects here. For the legal standard "beyond a reasonable doubt", see [[burden of proof]].}}
{{Infobox Album | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Albums -->
Name = Reasonable Doubt |
Type = [[Album]] |
Artist = [[Jay-Z]] |
Cover = Reasonable Doubt New.jpg |
Released = [[June 25]] [[1996]] |
Recorded = 1995-1996 |
Genre = [[East Coast hip hop]], [[Mafioso rap]] |
Length = 59:24 |
Label = [[Roc-A-Fella Records]] <small>([[United States|US]])</small><br>[[Northwestside Records]] <small>([[United Kingdom|UK]])</small> <br>[[Priority Records]] <small>(distributing label)</small> |
Producer = [[Ski (producer)|Ski]], [[DJ Clark Kent|Clark Kent]], [[Damon Dash]], [[DJ Premier]], [[Irv Gotti|DJ Irv]], [[Big Jaz]]<br>Knobody, Dahoud Darien, Sean Cane, Peter Panic |
Reviews =
*[[XXL Magazine]] (Favourable)
*[[All Music Guide]] {{Rating-5|5}} [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:hzfpxqthldje~T1 link]
*''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' [B+] [http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1127217/a/Reasonable+Doubt+(Reissue).htm <small>August 2, 1996; p. 58</small>]
*''[[The Source (magazine)|The Source]] {{rating-5|5}} [http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1127217/a/Reasonable+Doubt+(Reissue).htm <small>August, 1996; p. 95</small>] |
Last album = |
This album = ''Reasonable Doubt''<br />(1996) |
Next album = ''[[In My Lifetime, Vol. 1]]''<br />(1997) |
|Misc = {{Extra album cover 2
| Upper caption = Alternative cover
| Lower caption = European album cover
| Type = Studio album
| Cover = Reasonable Doubt Old.jpg}}
|}}
'''''Reasonable Doubt''''' was [[rapper]] [[Jay-Z]]'s debut [[hip hop music|hip hop]] album, released on [[June 25]] [[1996]] (see [[1996 in music]]). It reached twenty-three on the [[Billboard Charts]]. ''Reasonable Doubt'' only had a moderately successful single with "Ain't No Nigga". In spite of this lack of initial recognition, ''Reasonable Doubt'' received strong critical reviews – eventually receiving a "5 Mics" rating from ''[[The Source (magazine)|The Source]]'' – and is now acknowledged as one of the most influential [[Mafioso rap]] albums of the mid-1990s taking inspiration from [[Raekwon]]’s ''[[Only Built 4 Cuban Linx]]''.
==Conception==
===Background===
Jay-Z grew up in [[Brooklyn]]'s [[Marcy Houses]], a violent housing [[Public housing in the United States and Canada|project]] where Jay-Z's father abandoned him at age 11. He experienced much trauma through his childhood causing him to start writing raps.<ref name="VH1">{{cite web | last = | first = | url = http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/driven/63742/episode_about.jhtml | title = Driven: About the Episode | format = | work = | publisher = [[VH1]] | accessdate = July 19 | accessyear = 2007}}</ref> Soon, fellow Brooklynite [[Jaz-O]] caught attention of Jay-Z and gave him an appearance on his 1989 song "Hawaiian Sophie." Jay-Z appeared on two more Jaz-O songs in the next year, but then Jaz-O got dropped from his label [[EMI Records]] causing Jay-Z to support himself as a drug dealer.<ref name="VH1">{{cite web | last = | first = | url = http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/driven/63742/episode_about.jhtml | title = Driven: About the Episode | format = | work = | publisher = [[VH1]] | accessdate = July 19 | accessyear = 2007}}</ref> He appeared on two songs from Original Flavor's sophomore album in 1993. He then caught [[Big Daddy Kane]]'s attention and began touring with him<ref name="VH1">{{cite web | last = | first = | url = http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/driven/63742/episode_about.jhtml | title = Driven: About the Episode | format = | work = | publisher = [[VH1]] | accessdate = July 19 | accessyear = 2007}}</ref>; they later collaborated on Kane's 1994 [[posse cut]] "Show & Prove." Since his association with Kane did not get him a record deal, Jay returned to hustling and personally sold songs out of his car with future business associate [[Damon Dash]].<ref name="Yahoo">{{cite web | last = Hunter | first = Asondra | url = http://music.yahoo.com/read/interview/12048673 | title = Rockin' On A Roc-A-Fella at Yahoo! Music | format = | work = | publisher = | accessdate = July 19 | accessyear = 2007}}</ref> These records allowed him to ink a record deal with Payday Records, who released his first solo single, "[[In My Lifetime (song)|In My Lifetime]]" and its [[b-side]] "I Can't Get Wid Dat." Jay-Z soon cut ties with Payday Records afterwards and formed [[Roc-A-Fella Records]] with fellow hustlers Damon Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke. Jay explains reasons for this business move: {{cquote|"They [Payday] eventually signed me to a deal, but were acting shady the whole time, like they didn't know how to work a record or something," says Jay. "The things that they were setting up for me I could have done myself. They had me traveling places to do instores, and my product wasn't even available in the store. We shot one video, but when the time came for me to do the video for the second single, I had to be cut out. They gave me the money and I started my own company. There was a little arguing back and forth, but our conflict finally got resolved. The bottom line was they wasn't doing their job, so I had to get out of there."<ref name="Yahoo">{{cite web | last = Hunter | first = Asondra | url = http://music.yahoo.com/read/interview/12048673 | title = Rockin' On A Roc-A-Fella at Yahoo! Music | format = | work = | publisher = | accessdate = July 19 | accessyear = 2007}}</ref>}}
Jay-Z rented a small and cheap office for Roc-A-Fella Records on John Street in one of the "dreariest parts of [[New York City|the busiest city in the world]]."<ref name="Yahoo">{{cite web | last = Hunter | first = Asondra | url = http://music.yahoo.com/read/interview/12048673 | title = Rockin' On A Roc-A-Fella at Yahoo! Music | format = | work = | publisher = | accessdate = July 19 | accessyear = 2007}}</ref> Jay-Z defended this business decision claiming it to be an economical "starting point" prior to moving to [[Uptown, Manhattan]].<ref name="Yahoo">{{cite web | last = Hunter | first = Asondra | url = http://music.yahoo.com/read/interview/12048673 | title = Rockin' On A Roc-A-Fella at Yahoo! Music | format = | work = | publisher = | accessdate = July 19 | accessyear = 2007}}</ref> In 1995 and early 1996, Jay also appeared on records by [[Big L (rapper)|Big L]] and [[Mic Geronimo]] to further promote himself and his label. On virtually all of these songs, Jay-Z had a fast and off-key flow that was smoothed out on ''Reasonable Doubt''.
===Recording sessions===
''Reasonable Doubt'' was recorded in [[Manhattan]]'s [[D&D Studios]] and [[Audio mixing|mixed]] at Platinum Island, but its lyrics and beats were formed elsewhere. For example, Knowbody made the beat for "[[Can't Knock the Hustle]]" at his mother's home in 1994 and Jay-Z formed all of his lyrics without writing much more than some notes on a piece of paper.<ref name="xxl">[http://xxlmag.com/online/?p=2477 "The Making of Reasonable Doubt Told U So"]. ''[[XXL (magazine)|XXL Magazine]]''. [[June 23]], [[2006]]. Retrieved [[June 20]], [[2007]].</ref>
==Music==
===Rapping===
Compared to later records, ''Reasonable Doubt'' contains much more ambivalence about the value of Jay-Z's often violent, seedy life. On tracks like "Coming of Age", a sense of mourning, danger and insecurity permeate to a degree rarely seen on later recordings. Still, Jay-Z showed off his impressive creativity, notably the classic "22 Two's."
Most tracks deal with [[mafioso rap]] topics such as the life of a [[Crime boss|kingpin]] or street hustler. The only tracks that do not focus on those topics are "22 Two's", in which Jay-Z makes a rap using the word "to" twenty two times and "Brooklyn's Finest" which is a rapid fire random free associated rap with [[Notorious B.I.G.]]. Jay-Z presents each rhyme with much swagger and so do his guests. Guest appearances are provided by Jay's mentor [[Big Jaz]], his friends Notorious B.I.G. [[Memphis Bleek]] and Sauce Money as well as associated artists such as [[Foxy Brown]] and [[Mary J. Blige]].
The short conversation played out at the start of the album (before the opening track "Can't Knock the Hustle") where Roc-A-Fella artist [[Pain in da Ass]] addresses the listener is a [[word-for-word]] parody of the conversation between [[Tony Montana]] and [[Omar Suarez]] near beginning of the movie ''[[Scarface]]'' (although the words "my boys" are substituted for "Jay-Z" towards the end of the skit). Numerous other references to the movie can be heard throughout the album, all tying in to the Mafioso rap theme. A trend started by the Wu-Tang Clan (Wu Gambinos), Nas (Nas Escobar), and The Notorious B.I.G (Frank White).
===Production===
The production was handled by [[East Coast hip hop]] legends including [[DJ Premier]], [[DJ Clark Kent]] and [[Irv Gotti]]. The production is reliant on soul samples and samples of hip hop songs for the [[refrain]]s.
==Album singles==
The singles released for ''Reasonable Doubt'' are "Ain't No Nigga", "Can't Knock the Hustle", "[[Dead Presidents (Jay-Z song)|Dead Presidents]]", and "Feelin' It". "Ain't No Nigga" is produced by Jay-Z's then mentor [[Big Jaz]] and features a guest verse from a young [[Foxy Brown]]. Its chorus interpolates lyrics from the chorus of "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)" by The [[Four Tops]]. It is also notable for having a similar beat to "It's My Thing" by [[EPMD]] as they both sampled "Seven Minutes of Funk" by [[The Whole Darn Family]]. "Dead Presidents" is produced by [[Ski (producer)|Ski]] and its chorus samples vocals from [[Nas]]' "[[The World Is Yours]]". Nas refused to re-sing his vocals for the song's chorus which may have helped lead to his [[Nas vs. Jay-Z|feud with Jay-Z]]. The second single, "Can't Knock the Hustle", contains vocals by [[Mary J. Blige]] and is produced by Knobody, Dahoud Darien and Sean Cane. The last single, "Feelin' It", is produced by Ski and contains vocals from Mecca.
"Ain't No Nigga/Dead Presidents" performed the best of any of the singles in terms of [[Billboard Hot 100]] rankings. It is also notable for reaching #1 on the [[Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales|Hot Dance Music]] chart. "Can't Knock the Hustle" performed better than "Feelin' It" in terms of chart positions, but they were both included on the Billboard Hot 100, [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks]], [[Hot Rap Singles]] and Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales charts.
==Critical recognition==
''<ref name="RIAA">{{citehttp://www.riaaDatabase at RIAA.com | format = | work = | publisher = | accessdate = December 15 | accessyear = 2006}}</ref> Its highest [[Billboard 200]] ranking was twenty-three, but it reached number three on the [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums]] chart in 1996.<ref name="AMGBillboard">{{cite web | last = | first = | url = http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:qgg9ke9tjq7b~T5 | title = Jay-Z Billboard Albums at All Music Guide | format = | work = | publisher = | accessdate = December 15 | accessyear = 2006}}</ref>
[[All Music Guide]]'s Steve Huey wrote that the depth of the lyrics helps ''Reasonable Doubt'' rank as one of the finest albums of [[East Coast hip hop#The East Coast Renaissance|New York's hip-hop renaissance]] of the '90s".[http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:hzfpxqthldje~T1] {{RS500|248}}
==Significance==
===Later albums===
It is often considered Jay-Z's greatest album by hip-hop fans who dislike the [[crossover (music)|crossover]]-oriented sound of his subsequent efforts.{{fact|date=May 2007}}
===Mafioso rap===
The album was released at a time when mafioso themes were becoming widespread in hip hop, beginning with [[Wu-Tang Clan]] member [[Raekwon]]'s commercially marginal but heavily influential and critically-acclaimed 1995 debut, ''[[Only Built 4 Cuban Linx]]''. New York rapper [[AZ (rapper)|AZ]]'s debut ''[[Doe or Die]]'' released later in 1995, would also incorporate heavy mafioso imagery. Jay's future rival [[Nas (rapper)|Nas]] would also release his double-platinum mafioso-oriented second album ''[[It Was Written]]'' in 1996 as well, and rap superstar [[The Notorious B.I.G.]] would incorporate some mafioso themes into his second album ''[[Life After Death]]'' in 1997. This motif is generally absent from Jay-Z's later work.
On [[June 25]] [[2006]], Jay-Z performed the album in its entirety, in reverse order, for its 10th Anniversary. The concert was held at [[Radio City Music Hall]] in New York. Guests included [[Beyoncé Knowles]] in place of [[Mary J. Blige]] on "Can't Knock the Hustle", [[Foxy Brown]] on "Ain't No Nigga" [[Memphis Bleek]] on "Can I Live"[http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1533942/20060608/jay_z.jhtml?headlines=true], and [[Sauce Money]] on "Bring It On." Fans were disappointed that Jay-Z's former ally and mentor [[Jaz-O]] was not present to perform his verse on "Bring It On" because of his current feud with Jay-Z.
==Track listing==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!align="center"|#
!align="center" width="150"|Title
!align="center" width="15"|Time
!align="center" width="100"|Songwriters
!align="center" width="120"|Producer(s)
!align="center" width="120"|Performer(s)
!align="center" width="225"|Sample(s)<ref>[http://the-breaks.com/search.php?term=Jay-z&type=6]''the-breaks.com''. Retrieved on [[May 15]], [[2007]]</ref>
|-
|1
|"[[Can't Knock the Hustle]]"
|5:17
|Shawn Carter<br />Jerome Foster<br />Marcus Miller
|Knowbody
|Jay-Z
*Featuring [[Mary J. Blige]]
|
*Contains a sample of "Much Too Much" by [[Marcus Miller]]
*Contains a sample of "Fool's Paradise" by [[Meli'sa Morgan]]
|-
|2
|"Politics as Usual"
|3:41
|Cynthia Biggs<br />Shawn Carter<br />David Willis
|[[Ski (producer)|Ski]]
|Jay-Z
|
*Contains a sample of "Hurry Up This Way Again" by [[The Stylistics]]
|-
|3
|"Brooklyn's Finest"
|4:36
|Leroy Bonner<br />Shawn Carter<br />Rodney Franklin<br />Marshall Jones<br />Ralph Middlebrooks<br />Walter Morrison<br />Andrew Noland<br />Marvin Pierce<br />Christopher Wallace<br />Greg Webster
|[[DJ Clark Kent|Clark Kent]]
|Jay-Z
*Featuring [[The Notorious B.I.G.]] and Clark Kent (uncredited)
|
*Contains a sample of "Ecstasy" by [[Ohio Players|The Ohio Players]]
|-
|4
|"[[Dead Presidents II]]"
|4:27
|Shawn Carter<br />Nasir Jones<br />Peter Phillips<br />Lonnie Smith<br />David Willis
|Ski
|Jay-Z
|
*Contains a sample of "Garden of Peace" by [[Lonnie Liston Smith]]
*Contains a sample of "[[The World Is Yours (song)|The World Is Yours (Tip Mix)]]" by [[Nas]]
|-
|5
|"[[Feelin' It]]"
|3:48
|Shawn Carter<br />David Willis
|Ski
|Jay-Z
*Featuring Mecca
|
*Contains a sample of "Pastures" by [[Ahmad Jamal]]
|-
|6
|"D'evils"
|3:31
|Shawn Carter<br />Chris E. Martin
|[[DJ Premier]]
|Jay-Z
|
|-
|7
|"22 Twos"
|3:29
|Shawn Carter<br />David Willis
|Ski
|Jay-Z
|
*Contains an interpolation of "[[Can I Kick It?]]" by [[A Tribe Called Quest]]
|-
|8
|"Can I Live"
|4:10
|Burt Bacharach<br />Shawn Carter<br />Hal David<br />Irving Lorenzo
|[[Irv Gotti]]
|Jay-Z
|
*Contains a sample of "[[The Look of Love (1967 song)|The Look of Love]]" by [[Issac Hayes]]
|-
|9
|"[[Ain't No Nigga]]"
|4:03
|J.T. Burks<br />Shawn Carter<br />Dennis Lambert<br />Inga Marchand<br />August Moon<br />Brian Potter<br />Tyrone Thomas
|Big Jaz
|Jay-Z
*Featuring [[Foxy Brown]]
|
*Contains a sample of "Seven Minutes of Funk" by The Whole Darn Family
*Contains an interpolation of "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I Got)" by [[The Four Tops]]
|-
|10
|"Friend or Foe"
|1:49
|Shawn Carter<br />Chris E. Martin
|DJ Premier
|Jay-Z
|
*Contains a sample of "Hey What's That You Say" by Wood, Brass & Steel
*Contains a sample of "Hey What's That You Say" by Brother to Brother
|-
|11
|"Coming of Age"
|3:49
|Shawn Carter<br />Rodney Franklin<br />James Mtume
|Clark Kent
|Jay-Z
*Featuring [[Memphis Bleek]]
|
*Contains a sample of "Inside You" by Eddie Henderson
|-
|12
|"Cashmere Thoughts"
|2:56
|Hamilton Bohannon<br />Shawn Carter<br />Leroy Emanuel<br />Rodney Franklin<br />M. Ragin
|Clark Kent
|Jay-Z
|
*Contains a sample of "Save Their Souls" by [[Hamilton Bohannon]]
|-
|13
|"Bring It On"
|5:01
|Jonathan Burks<br />Shawn Carter<br />Todd Gaither<br />Chris E. Martin
|DJ Premier
|Jay-Z
*Featuring <br />[[Big Jaz]]<br />[[Sauce Money]]
|
*Contains a sample from "[[1, 2 Pass It]]" by D&D All-Stars <small>(vocals by [[Fat Joe]])</small>
|-
|14
|"Regrets"
|4:34
|Shawn Carter<br />F. DiPasquale
|Peter Panic
|Jay-Z
|
|-
|15
|"Can I Live II"<br /><small>International bonus track<small>
|3:57
|Shawn Carter<br />Malik Cox<br />M. Johnson
|Irv Gotti
|Jay-Z
*Featuring [[Memphis Bleek]]
|
*Contains a sample of "Mother's Day" by 24-Carat Black
|-
|16
|"Can't Knock the Hustle" <small>(Fool's Paradise remix)<small>
|4:45
|Shawn Carter<br />Irving Lorenzo<br />Meli'sa Morgan<br />Lesette Wilson
|Irv Gotti
|Jay-Z
|
*Contains a sample of "Much Too Much" by [[Marcus Miller]]
*Contains a sample of "Fool's Paradise" by [[Meli'sa Morgan]]
|-
|}
==Chart positions==
{{sample box start|''Reasonable Doubt''}}
{{multi-listen start}}
{{multi-listen item|
filename=JayZ-AintNoNigga.ogg|
title="Ain't No Nigga (sample)"|
description=is the ninth track from ''Reasonable Doubt''.|
format=[[Ogg]]}}
{{multi-listen item|
filename=CantKnockTheHustle.ogg|
title="Can't Knock The Hustle (sample)"|
description=is the first track from ''Reasonable Doubt''.|
format=[[Ogg]]}}
{{multi-listen item|
filename=BrooklynsFinest.ogg|
title="Brooklyn's Finest (sample)"|
description=is the third track from ''Reasonable Doubt''.|
format=[[Ogg]]}}
{{multi-listen item|
filename=DeadPresidentsII.ogg|
title="Dead Presidents II (sample)"|
description=is the fourth track from ''Reasonable Doubt''.|
format=[[Ogg]]}}
{{multi-listen end}}
{{sample box end}}
===Album===
{| class="wikitable"
!align="left"|Chart (1996)
!align="center"|Peak<br>position
|-
|align="left"|U.S. [[Billboard 200]]
|align="center"|23
|-
|align="left"|U.S. Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums
|align="center"|3
|-
|}
===Singles===
{| class="wikitable"
!align="left"|Song
!align="left"|Chart (1996)
!align="center"|Peak<br>position
|-
|align="left"|"Ain't No Nigga"
|align="left"|U.S. [[Billboard Hot 100]]
|align="center"|50
|-
|align="left"|"Ain't No Nigga"
|align="left"|U.S. [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs]]
|align="center"|17
|-
|align="left"|"Ain't No Nigga"
|align="left"|[[UK Singles Chart]]
|align="center"|31
|-
|align="left"|"Can't Knock the Hustle"
|align="left"|U.S. Billboard Hot 100
|align="center"|73
|-
|align="left"|"Can't Knock the Hustle"
|align="left"|U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
|align="center"|35
|-
|align="left"|"Can't Knock the Hustle"
|align="left"|UK Singles Chart
|align="center"|30
|-
!align="left"|Song
!align="left"|Chart (1997)
!align="center"|Peak<br>position
|-
|align="left"|"Feelin' It"
|align="left"|U.S. Billboard Hot 100
|align="center"|79
|-
|align="left"|"Feelin' It"
|align="left"|U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
|align="center"|46
|-
|}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
<br>
{{Jay-Z}}
[[Category:Jay-Z albums]]
[[Category:Debut albums]]
[[Category:1996 albums]]
[[bg:Reasonable Doubt]]
[[da:Reasonable Doubt]]
[[de::Reasonable Doubt]]
[[es:Reasonable Doubt]]
[[fr:Reasonable Doubt]]
[[fi:Reasonable Doubt]]
| |||