| Reasonable Doubt | |
|---|---|
 Studio album by Jay-Z | |
|
Released |
June 25, 1996 |
|
Recorded |
July 1995 - January 1996 |
|
Studio |
D&D Studios |
|
Genre(s) | |
|
Length |
55:28 |
|
Label | |
|
Producer(s) |
Big Jaz, Kareem "Biggs" Burke (exec.), Sean Cane, Clark Kent, Dahoud, Dame Dash (also exec.), DJ Irv, DJ Premier, Jay-Z (exec.), Knobody, Peter Panic, Ski |
| Jay-Z chronology | |
|---|---|
|
Next |
In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 (1997) |
Reasonable Doubt is the debut studio album by American rapper Jay-Z, released in June 25, 1996 on Roc-A-Fella Records and Priority Records. It features production work by DJ Premier, Ski, Knobody and Clark Kent, and guest appearances from Memphis Bleek, Mary J. Blige and The Notorious B.I.G., among others. Reasonable Doubt features mafioso rap themes and gritty lyrics about the "hustler" lifestyle and material obsessions.
The album peaked at number 23 on the Billboard 200, on which it charted for eighteen weeks. It was promoted with four singles, including the Hot 100-charting "Ain't No N*#@a" and "Can't Knock the Hustle". Well recevied by critics upon its release, the album has since been heralded by music writers as Jay-Z's "crowning achievement", and appears on numerous best album lists by music publications. Reasonable Doubt has been certified platinum by the Record Industry Association of America and has sold 1.5 million copies in the United States as of 2006.
Track listing
Edit
| No. | Title | Performer(s) | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Can't Knock the Hustle" | Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige | Carter, Foster, Millar | Knobody, Dahoud (co.), Sean Cane (co.) | 5:17 |
| 2. | "Politics as Usual" | Jay-Z | Biggs, Carter, Willis | Ski | 3:41 |
| 3. | "Brooklyn's Finest" | Jay-Z, The Notorious B.I.G. | Bonner, Carter, Franklin, Jones, Middlebrooks, Morrison, Noland, Pierce, Wallace, Webster | Clark Kent, Dame Dash (co.) | 4:36 |
| 4. | "Dead Presidents II" | Jay-Z | Carter, Jones, Phillips, Smith, Willis | Ski | 4:27 |
| 5. | "Feelin' It" | Jay-Z, Mecca | Carter, Willis | Ski | 3:48 |
| 6. | "D'Evils" | Jay-Z | Carter, Martin | DJ Premier | 3:31 |
| 7. | "22 Two's" | Jay-Z | Carter, Willis | Ski | 3:29 |
| 8. | "Can I Live" | Jay-Z | Bacharach, Carter, Davis, Lorenzo | DJ Irv | 4:10 |
| 9. | "Ain't No N*#%a" | Jay-Z, Foxy Brown | Burks, Carter, Lampert, Marchano, Moon, Potter, Thomas | Big Jaz | 4:03 |
| 10. | "Friend or Foe" | Jay-Z | Carter, Martin | DJ Premier | 1:49 |
| 11. | "Coming of Age" | Jay-Z, Memphis Bleek | Carter, Franklin, Mtume | Clark Kent | 3:59 |
| 12. | "Cashmere Thoughts" | Jay-Z | Bohannon, Carter, Emanuel, Franklin, Ragin | Clark Kent | 2:56 |
| 13. | "Bring It On" | Jay-Z, Sauce Money, Big Jaz | Burks, Carter, Gaither, Martin | DJ Premier | 5:01 |
| 14. | "Regrets" | Jay-Z | Carter, Di Pasquale | Peter Panic | 4:34 |
Samples Edit
Can't Knock the Hustle
- "Much Too Much" by Marcus Miller
Politics As Usual
- "Hurry Up This Way Again" by The Stylistics
Brooklyn's Finest
- "Ecstasy" by Ohio Players
- "Brooklyn Zoo" by Ol' Dirty Bastard
Dead Presidents II
- "Oh My God (Remix)" by A Tribe Called Quest
- "A Garden of Peace" by Lonnie Liston Smith
- "The World Is Yours (Tip Mix)" by Nas
Feelin' It
- "Pastures" by Ahmad Jamal
D'Evils
- "Go Back Home" by Allen Toussaint
- "Murder Was the Case (Death After Visualizing Eternity)" by Snoop Dogg
22 Two's
- "Blue Wind" by John Kaizan Neptune
Can I Live
- "The Look of Love" by Isaac Hayes
Ain't No N*#%a
- "Seven Minutes of Funk" by The Whole Darn Family
- "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I Got)" by Four Tops
Friend or Foe
- "Hey, What's That You Say" by Brother to Brother
Coming of Age
- "Inside You" by Eddie Henderson
Cashmere Thoughts
- "Save Their Souls" by Hamilton Bohannon
Bring It On
- "1, 2 Pass It" by D&D All Stars
Regrets
- "It's So Easy Loving You" by Hubert Laws and Earl Klugh
Can I Live II
- "Mother's Day" by The 24-Carat Black
