Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969) known professionally as Jay-Z (stylized as JAY-Z), is an American rapper, entrepreneur, songwriter, and record producer. He is one of the most acclaimed rappers of all time.

• All Jay Z Albums Zip

Snoop Dogg performs at Coachella Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Coachella

Since it first rose to popularity during the 1980s, hip hop has developed into part of mainstream pop culture. Com0com windows 10. Hit any dance floor across the world, and you’re bound to hear the latest chart-topping hit from a successful rapper. Legendary artists like The Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur, and Rakim still remain among the most popular and admired hip hop artists to ever pick up a mic. However, even high-profile stars deliver a misfire every once in a while.

Today we’re taking a look at some of the worst rap albums of all time, but rather than taking on the far-too-easy targets of underwhelming acts that tried and failed (looking at you, Kevin Federline!), we’re going after established artists who have seen chart success either with the albums listed below or elsewhere. Though some of our selections still went multi-platinum, we’re including them based on their failure to live up to hip hop’s potential greatness and/or the artist in question’s other work. Accordingly, expectations factor in as well. So don’t expect to see poor-to-mediocre artists like Master P and the rest of his No Limit squad making an appearance.

1. Vanilla Ice, To the Extreme (1990)

The world may still rock out to his so-bad-it’s-good “Ice Ice Baby,” but other than guilty pleasure, there’s little to like in this debut album, which remarkably sold more than 7 million copies in the United States. In retrospect, Vanilla Ice’s initial success feels like some sort of musical fever dream that collectively swept the nation, as none of his subsequent five studio albums have barely registered on the charts. That’s probably for the best.

2. Dr. Dre, Dr. Dre Presents… The Aftermath (1996)

A true hip hop legend, Dr. Dre has shepherded some of the most gifted talent in the genre, from Snoop Dogg to Eminem (more on both men in a few). However, as much as we love The Chronic and 2001, this release — which hit shelves in between those two classics — was a rare misfire for Dre. A big part of the problem is that the man himself is present on so few of the tracks, leaving a legion of forgettable emcees to take the lead. Yeah, no thanks. We’ll wait for the real deal.

3. Nas, Nastradamus (1999)

Just five years after unleashing Illmatic on the world, Nas released his fourth studio album, the second of a pair of LPs to hit the shelves in 1999. Though the album went platinum, it marked a significant step down in lyrical quality and creativity, indulging unimaginative rhymes and hackneyed subject matter. Neither of its two singles — the title track or “You Owe Me” — even cracked the top 40 in the United States.

4. Eminem, Encore (2004)

He appeared on the scene with a vengeance in 1999, but after a pair of diamond-selling albums, Eminem lost his touch with his nonsensical fourth release. When your lead single is as weak as “Just Lose It,” it’s a bad sign that the album itself doesn’t have a lot to offer. Thankfully, after years away, Em returned with the far superior Relapse before completing his comeback with top-notch albums Recovery and The Marshall Mathers LP 2 in 2010 and 2013, respectively.

5. Jay-Z and R. Kelly, Unfinished Business (2004)

Both Jay-Z and R. Kelly were riding high in the early 2000s. So a collaborative album between the two made sense. Unfortunately, the resulting release — 2002 album The Best of Both Worlds — felt far more like the stitched-together product it is than a true union of the two artists’ talent. This follow-up album was essentially more of the same, but with the novelty long gone, it probably shouldn’t have happened at all.

6. Chingy, Hoodstar (2006)

In 2003, Chingy struck gold — well, platinum actually — with his hit debut album Jackpot. However, by his third release, his music no longer carried the weight of chart-topping singles like “Right Thurr,” “Holidae In,” and “One Call Away.” Instead, Hoodstar was the very definition of a disappointment, filled with lazy beats and by-the-numbers lyrics. Though “Pullin’ Me Back” was a top 10 hit in the U.S., it turned out to be Chingy’s last hurrah as a musical force to be reckoned with.

7. Soulja Boy, Souljaboytellem.com (2007)

Yikes. After his “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” inspired a ridiculous accompanying dance, this rapper became the next big thing. Then, almost as fast as he had appeared, Soulja Boy faded away from the charts, delivering two subsequent albums that failed to come anywhere near his earlier success. The fact that his music was obnoxious, his lyrics egregiously crude, and his delivery uninspired probably didn’t help.

8. Prodigy, H.N.I.C. Pt. 2 (2008)

As one-half of the rap duo Mobb Deep, Prodigy was a major influence on the hip hop scene. So many had high hopes that his solo career would be just as integral to the genre. His 2000 debut had potential, but by the time his sophomore effort came around eight years later, the window of opportunity had sailed. It certainly didn’t help matters that the music itself was pretty dreadful all around.

9. Lil Wayne, Rebirth (2010)

Lil Wayne’s first few albums may not have been for everyone, as his style is a distinctive one, but even for fans who loved his best-selling Tha Carter series, Rebirth was an ill-conceived project from the outset. The goal was simple: Weezy aimed to fuse together rock and rap into a single concept album. After all, the genres had worked well in the past, but if “Prom Queen” is what we get, we’ll pass. At least “Drop the World” is a standout, thanks in large part to Eminem’s guest vocals.

10. Snoop Dogg, Doggumentary (2011)

Few rappers are as iconic or recognizable as Snoop Dogg. His 1993 debut Doggystyle still stands as one of the all-time greatest hip hop albums of all time, but his career since has been pretty hit and miss. This is definitely one of the latter. Initially conceived as a sequel to Doggystyle, this release featured a Snoop who seemed to just be going through the motions, spawning no real hits in the United States.

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All Jay Z Albums Zip

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American rapper Jay-Z has released thirteen solo studio albums, four collaboration albums, one live album, five compilation albums, one soundtrack album, two extended plays, one hundred and fifteen singles (including forty-five as a featured artist), nine promotional singles and eighty-two music videos. As of December 2014, Jay-Z sold 55 million studio albums worldwide.^[1]

Jay-Z began his music career in the 1980s, building a reputation as a fledgling rapper in his hometown of Brooklyn and collaborating with his mentor and fellow rapper Jaz-O.^[2] Jay-Z later founded Roc-A-Fella Records with close friends Damon Dash and Kareem 'Biggs' Burke and released his debut studio album Reasonable Doubt in June 1996.^[2] The album peaked at number twenty-three on the United States Billboard 200 record chart and has since been recognized as a seminal work of the hip hop genre.^[3][4] Its singles included 'Dead Presidents', 'Ain't No Nigga' and 'Can't Knock the Hustle', all of which reached the top ten on the BillboardHot Rap Songs chart.^[5]In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 (1997), which saw Jay-Z collaborating with producers such as Sean 'Puff Daddy' Combs and Teddy Riley,^[6] peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and earned a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).^[3][7]Vol. 2.. Hard Knock Life was released in September 1998 and became his first number-one album in the United States.^[8] The album featured the international hits 'Can I Get A..' and 'Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)', which both reached top twenty of the Billboard Hot 100.^[8]Vol. 2 was certified five times platinum by the RIAA and won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album in 1999.^[9] Two more chart-topping albums – Vol. 3.. Life and Times of S. Carter and The Dynasty: Roc La Familia – followed in December 1999 and October 2000 respectively. The albums included hit singles such as 'Big Pimpin' and 'I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)' and featured several guest appearances from artists signed to Roc-A-Fella Records.^[2]

Jay-Z's sixth studio album The Blueprint, released in September 2001, became controversial for including lyrics attacking other New York City rappers.^[2] Nonetheless, The Blueprint topped the Billboard 200 and produced Jay-Z's first Billboard Hot 100 top ten single, 'Izzo (H.O.V.A.)'.^[3][8] The Blueprint is critically reviewed as his best album. The Best of Both Worlds, a collaboration with American R&B singer R. Kelly, and The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse were both released the following year. Lost serial number. The latter album peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and featured the top ten singles '03 Bonnie & Clyde' and 'Excuse Me Miss'.^[3][8]The Black Album, released in November 2003, was intended by Jay-Z to be his final studio album and features his impending retirement as a recurring theme.^[2][10] The album performed well commercially and was later certified three times platinum by the RIAA.^[7]

Hakikat bangsa dan negara. Following a period of dormancy, Jay-Z became president of Def Jam Recordings in December 2004 and resumed his rap career two years later with the release of Kingdom Come, which peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 and was certified two times platinum from the RIAA.^[3][7][11] The concept album American Gangster followed in 2007 and continued his streak of number-one albums in the United States.^[3] With the release of The Blueprint 3 in September 2009, Jay-Z surpassed Elvis Presley as the solo artist with the most number-one albums on the Billboard 200.^[12] The album included the international hits 'Run This Town', 'Empire State of Mind' and 'Young Forever'.^[8]Watch the Throne, a collaborative album with American rapper Kanye West, followed in August 2011 and became Jay-Z's eleventh number-one album in the United States.^[8] His album Magna Carta Holy Grail was released in July 2013 to great commercial success, topping the Billboard 200 and having the second-biggest sales week for 2013 at the time of its release.^[13]

• 1Albums

Albums[edit]

Studio albums[edit]

• RIAA: Platinum^[7]
• BPI: Platinum^[25]
• MC: Platinum^[28]
• SNEP: Gold^[37]

Collaborative albums[edit]

Live albums[edit]

Compilation albums[edit]

Soundtrack albums[edit]

Notes[edit]

1. ^Magna Carta Holy Grail was released on July 4, 2013 worldwide to Samsung mobile users through a special mobile app.^[38]
2. ^Bring It On: The Best of Jay-Z did not enter the UK Albums Chart, but peaked at number 34 on the UK Budget Albums Chart.^[64]

References[edit]

1. ^Paul Grein (June 5, 2014). 'Chart Watch: 50 Cent's Sales Slide'. Yahoo Chart Watch.
2. ^ ^abcdeBirchmeier, Jason. 'Jay Z'. AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved July 4, 2013.
3. ^ ^abcdefghijk'Jay-Z – Chart History: Billboard 200'. Billboard. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
4. ^Lewis, Miles (November 27, 2006). 'Hova's Slight Return'. The Village Voice. Retrieved February 9, 2008.
5. ^Peak chart positions for singles on the Hot Rap Songs chart in the United States:
   • All except 'It's Alright' and 'Take You Home with Me (A.K.A. Body)':
     • 'Jay-Z – Chart History: Rap Songs'. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
     • 'Jay-Z – Awards (Billboard Singles)'. AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved June 30, 2013.
   • 'It's Alright': 'Memphis Bleek – Chart History: Rap Songs'. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
   • 'Take You Home with Me (A.K.A. Body)': 'R. Kelly – Chart History: Rap Songs'. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
6. ^Baker, Soren (December 26, 1997). 'Review: In My Lifetime, Vol. 1'. Chicago Tribune. p. 29. Retrieved July 4, 2013.
7. ^ ^{abcdefghijklmnopqrstuv}'American certifications – Jay-Z'. Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
8. ^ ^abcdefPeak chart positions for singles in the United States:
   • All except 'It's Alright' and 'Take You Home with Me (A.K.A. Body)': 'Jay-Z – Chart History: Hot 100'. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
   • 'It's Alright': 'Memphis Bleek – Chart History: Hot 100'. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
   • 'Take You Home with Me (A.K.A. Body)': 'R. Kelly – Chart History: Hot 100'. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
9. ^'Lauryn Hill, Shania Twain, and Sheryl Crow win the most nods'. Entertainment Weekly. January 5, 1999. Retrieved July 4, 2013.
10. ^Touré (November 19, 2003). 'Jay-Z: The Black Album'. Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 1, 2009. Retrieved July 4, 2013.
11. ^Hall, Rashaun (December 8, 2004). 'Jay-Z, Dame Dash Sell Roc-A-Fella Records; Jay Named Def Jam Prez'. MTV. Viacom Media Networks. Retrieved July 4, 2013.
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13. ^Caulfield, Keith (August 21, 2013). 'Luke Bryan Nets No. 1 Album, Katy Perry's 'Roar' Tops Digital Songs'. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved September 6, 2013.
14. ^ ^abcde'Jay-Z – Chart History: R&B/Hip-Hop Albums'. Billboard. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
15. ^ ^abPeak chart positions for albums in Canada:
    • All except In My Lifetime, Vol. 1, The Best of Both Worlds and The Black Album: 'Jay-Z – Chart History: Canadian Albums'. Billboard. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
    • In My Lifetime, Vol. 1: 'Top Selling Albums'. RPM. 66 (12). November 24, 1997. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
    • The Best of Both Worlds: 'R. Kelly – Chart History: Canadian Albums'. Billboard. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
    • The Black Album: 'Albums: Top 100 (For The Week Ending December 04, 2003)'. Jam!. November 30, 2003. Archived from the original on December 6, 2003. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
16. ^ ^ab'Discographie Jay-Z'. lescharts.com (in French). Retrieved June 29, 2013.
17. ^ ^abc'Chartverfolgung / Jay-Z / Longplay'. musicline.de (in German). Media Control Charts. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
18. ^ ^ab'Discografie Jay-Z'. dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
19. ^ ^abc'Discography Jay-Z'. norwegiancharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
20. ^ ^ab'Discography Jay-Z'. swedishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
21. ^ ^abc'Discographie Jay-Z'(select 'Charts' tab). swisscharts.com (in Swiss German). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
22. ^ ^abcdPeak chart positions for albums in the United Kingdom:
    • All except noted: 'Jay-Z'(select 'Albums' tab). Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
    • Reasonable Doubt, In My Lifetime, Vol. 1, Vol. 2.. Hard Knock Life, Vol. 3.. Life and Times of S. Carter, Jay-Z: Unplugged and Greatest Hits: Zywietz, Tobias. 'Chart Log UK: Candy J. – JX'. Zobbel.de. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
    • Everything Is Love: 'Carters full Official Chart history'(select 'Albums' tab). Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
23. ^'Reasonable Doubt by JAY Z'. iTunes Store. Apple. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
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25. ^ ^{abcdefghijklmnop}'Certified Awards Search'(To access, enter the search parameter 'Jay-Z'). British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
26. ^'In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 by JAY Z'. iTunes Store. Apple. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
27. ^'Vol. 2.. Hard Knock Life by JAY Z'. iTunes Store. Apple. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
28. ^ ^abcdefghij'Canadian certifications – Jay-Z'. Music Canada. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
29. ^'Vol. 3: Life and Times of S. Carter by JAY Z'. iTunes Store. Apple. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
30. ^'The Dynasty – Roc La Familia 2000 by JAY Z'. iTunes Store. Apple. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
31. ^'The Blueprint by JAY Z'. iTunes Store. Apple. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
32. ^'The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse by JAY Z'. iTunes Store. Apple. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
33. ^'The Black Album by JAY Z'. iTunes Store. Apple. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
34. ^'Kingdom Come by JAY Z'. iTunes Store. Apple. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
35. ^'American Gangster by JAY Z'. iTunes Store. Apple. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
36. ^'The Blueprint 3 by JAY Z'. iTunes Store. Apple. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
37. ^'Certifications Albums Or – année 2010'. Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Archived from the original on October 1, 2013. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
38. ^Ramirez, Erika (June 16, 2013). 'Jay-Z Announces New Album, 'Magna Carta Holy Grail,' In Samsung Commercial'. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved June 30, 2013.
39. ^Tardio, Andres (2014-02-26). 'Hip Hop Album Sales: Week Ending 2/23/2014'. HipHopDX. Retrieved 2016-07-15.
40. ^'JAY Z TEASES UNRELEASED SONG 'ADNIS' & ANNOUNCES HIS NEW ALBUM '4:44''. Genius. June 19, 2017. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
41. ^'On The Charts: July 17, 2017'. FYIMusicNews. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
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44. ^http://hitsdailydouble.com/news&id=309854
45. ^'The Best of Both Worlds by JAY Z & R. Kelly'. iTunes Store. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
46. ^'Unfinished Business by JAY Z & R Kelly'. iTunes Store. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
47. ^'Collision Course by JAY Z & Linkin Park'. iTunes Store. Apple. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
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59. ^'Live In Brooklyn by JAY Z'. iTunes Store. Apple. Archived from the original on July 1, 2013. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
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External links[edit]

• Jay-Z at AllMusic
• Jay-Z discography at Discogs