After the crossover success of 1998's
Hard Knock Life (complete with highly publicized samples from Annie),
Jay-Z returned to the streets on his fourth proper album overall, 1999's
Life and Times of S. Carter. A set of hard-hitting tracks with some of the best rhymes of
Jay-Z's career, the album is much more invigorating than its predecessor, and almost as consistently entertaining as his best album,
In My Lifetime, Vol. 1. As good as his rapping has become, the production here plays a large part as well. Befitting his superstar status,
Jay-Z boasts the cream of hip-hop producers:
Timbaland (four tracks total),
DJ Premier,
Swizz Beatz, and
Rockwilder.
DJ Premier's "So Ghetto,"
Timbaland's "Snoopy Track" (with
Juvenile), and
DJ Clue's "Pop 4 Roc" are innovative tracks that push the rhymes along but never intrude too much on
Jay-Z's own flow. If this album doesn't quite make it up to
Jay-Z's best, though, it's the fault of a few overblown productions, like "Dope Man" and "Things That U Do" (with
Mariah Carey). ~ John Bush