In My Lifetime, Vol. 1

In My Lifetime, Vol. 1
Studio album by Jay-Z
Released	November 4, 1997
Recorded	1996–1997
Genre	Hip hop
Length	58:00
Label	Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam
Producer	Jay-Z (exec.), Damon Dash (co-exec.), Kareem "Biggs" Burke (co-exec.), The Hitmen, Teddy Riley, DJ Premier, Chad Hugo, Ski, Buckwild, Poke and Tone, Big Jaz, Daven "Prestige" Vanderpool
Jay-Z chronology
Reasonable Doubt (1996) In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 (1997) Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life (1998)
Singles from In My Lifetime, Vol. 1
"Who You Wit" Released: May 20, 1997 "(Always Be My) Sunshine" Released: October 14, 1997 "The City Is Mine" Released: February 3, 1998 "A Million and One Questions" Released: February 24, 1998 "Wishing on a Star" Released: March 11, 1998 "Imaginary Player" Released: May 11, 1998

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Chicago Tribune	[2]
Christgau's Consumer Guide	[3]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[4]
Entertainment Weekly	B+[5]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[6]
The Source	4/5[7]
Spin	5/10[8]
USA Today	[9]

In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 is the second studio album by American rapper Jay Z, released on November 4, 1997 by Roc-A-Fella Records. The album debuted at number 3 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and was certified platinum by the RIAA.

Music

The album features guest contributions by Lil' Kim, Foxy Brown, Babyface, Blackstreet, Teddy Riley, Too $hort, and Puff Daddy.^[10][11] Producers for Reasonable Doubt such as DJ Premier and Ski contribute to a limited number of beats on this album, though the majority of the production is handled by beatmakers from Puff Daddy's Bad Boy label, giving the album a generally glossier sound than its predecessor. It displayed a shift from the mafioso rap themes of his first effort to the so-called "jiggy" era of late 90's hip-hop, often credited to videos and albums from Puff Daddy and his Bad Boy record label's roster of artists including Notorious B.I.G. (the first two singles from his second album were both huge pop hits) and Mase.

Critical reception

In a contemporary review, Steve Jones of USA Today called In My Lifetime "a rock-solid set with both street and pop appeal".^[9] Chicago Tribune critic Soren Baker believed Jay-Z's lyrics "contain a finesse and insight few can articulate as succinctly", while writing that "his use of pop producers Teddy Riley and Sean 'Puffy' Combs will alienate listeners, even as Jay-Z establishes himself as that rare underground rhymer with commercial appeal".^[2] Robert Christgau gave the album a two-star honorable mention in his 2000 Consumer Guide book,^[3] indicating a "likable effort consumers attuned to its overriding aesthetic or individual vision may well enjoy".^[12] He named "(Always Be My) Sunshine" and "Real Niggaz" as highlights while calling Jay-Z "arrogant yet diffident, ruthless yet cute--a scary original".^[3] Chris Norris from Spin said Jay-Z's raps are often "in search of meaty ideas or distinctive charm—skills without pleasure", and was also critical of the production. "Without one sure, guiding vision," Norris wrote, "the Combs blueprint comes off as either mundane or embarrassing".^[8]

AllMusic editor John Bush wrote in a retrospective review, "Though the productions are just a bit flashier and more commercial than on his debut, Jay-Z remained the tough street rapper, and even improved a bit on his flow". According to Bush, he "struts the line between project poet and up-and-coming player" while balancing "both personas with the best rapping heard in the rap game since the deaths of 2Pac and Notorious B.I.G.".^[1]

Track listing

• The track "Streets Is Watching" is edited on both the explicit and edited versions of the album.

Sample credits

Chart positions

Album

Singles

Certifications

References

External links

• In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 at Discogs
• Album Review at RapReviews