Long before Jay-Z captured our ears with albums such as The Blueprint, The Blueprint 2, and The Black Album, among others, he did with his 1997-release, In My Lifetime Vol. 1. Or did he? Let’s talk about it.
Jay had just released Reasonable Doubt the year prior. Though considered to be some of his best work, the album reach a limited demographic. “The City Is Mine” and “I Know What Girls Like,” featuring Blackstreet and Lil Kim, respectively, from In My Lifetime, were to do the opposite.
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I think it is safe to say that “(Always Be My) Sunshine” was assigned the same duty as the aforementioned tracks.
Nevertheless, DJ Premier-produced, “Intro” positioned Jay in a more recognizable sound. So did the Rene & Angela-sampled, “Imaginary Player.”
“I gotta be like the pioneer to this sh*t,” Jay says. “You know I was popping that Cristal when all y’all n****s thought it was beer and sh*t. You know, wearing that platinum sh*t when all y’all chicks thought it was silver and sh*t. I got to be the pioneer of this sh*t.”
Jay shows off his versatility in “Real Niggas” by switching gears to the slow flow to match Too Short’s.
In My Lifetime was the beginning of a new day in terms of the “Jiggy Era.” Fortunately, the new swag came with a soundtrack. “Who You Wit II.”
The Hitmen, Puffy’s production team, handle a bulk of the album’s beat-making duties.
In My Lifetime Vol. 1, debuted at number 3 on US Billboard 200 and was certified Platinum.
If we’re just talking numbers, the album was a success.
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Jay-Z’s ‘In My Lifetime Vol. 1’; Classic!, Dope, Regular, or Garbage?
[Polls Are Closed!]
Dope – 64%
Regular – 27%
Classic! – 9%
Garbage – 0%