The Top 5 JAY-Z Albums Ever — In My Opinion
The Hip Hop Icon and Business Executive Has Tons of Classics
I’m a huge fan of JAY-Z, the hip hop icon turned billionaire business executive.
The trajectory of his career never ceases to amaze me, and he’s certainly a significant source of inspiration for what is possible when one is determined and focused enough.
While I applaud his greatness as a suit and tie guy, his immensely brilliant discography is what endures to many of us fans. What follows is a list of my 5 favorite albums from Jay, ranked from best to worst.
1. The Blueprint, 2001
I can’t heap enough praise on this classic project from Jay. From the lead single, “Izzo” to the womanizing “Girls, Girls, Girls” and the reflective “Song Cry,” this is the pinnacle of JAY-Z as an artist of immense excellence and popularity.
The production of the album is masterful at every turn, it’s extremely diverse in its subject matter, and Jay wisely kept the guests to a bare minimum. His only feature was Eminem, who was arguably at the most popular point in his career at the time.
Em authored a masterwork performance on “Renegade,” one of the most sonically (and lyrically) pleasing tracks of his career. This may have…
