Reasonable Doubt (album)

''Reasonable Doubt'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Jay-Z. It was released on June 25, 1996, by Priority Records and Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records. The album features production provided by DJ Premier, Ski, Knobody and Clark Kent, and also includes guest appearances from Memphis Bleek, Mary J. Blige, Jaz-O and The Notorious B.I.G., among others. The album features mafioso rap themes and gritty lyrics about the "hustler" lifestyle and material obsessions.

''Reasonable Doubt'' debuted at number 23 on the US ''Billboard'' 200, on which it charted for 18 weeks. It was promoted with four singles; including " Ain't No Nigga" and " Can't Knock the Hustle". ''Reasonable Doubt'' was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and, as of 2006, has sold 1.5 million copies in the United States. A critical success, it has been ranked on several publications' lists of the greatest rap albums ever, while many hip hop fans have viewed it as Jay-Z's best work.

In August 2019, ''Reasonable Doubt'' was released to digital and streaming platforms under Roc Nation's independent label, Equity Distribution.

Background

In 1989, aspiring rapper Jay-Z was recruited by mentor Jaz-O to appear on his song "Hawaiian Sophie". He appeared on two more Jaz-O songs in the next year, but after Jaz-O was dropped from his record label, Jay-Z dealt drugs to support himself. He continued to pursue a rap career and appeared on two songs from Original Flavor's 1993 album ''Beyond Flavor''. Jay-Z then caught Big Daddy Kane's attention and toured with him; they collaborated on Kane's 1994 posse cut "Show & Prove" along with Wu-Tang Clan's Ol' Dirty Bastard, Wu-Tang affiliate Shyheim, Sauce Money, and Scoob Lover.

Despite the exposure he received from Kane, Jay-Z was still without a record deal. He began selling tapes from his car with help from friend Damon Dash. The success of his street-level marketing led to a deal with Payday Records, which released his first solo single, " In My Lifetime" and its B-side "I Can't Get wid Dat". In an unconventional move, Jay-Z then spurned the record contract he had long sought and left Payday Records to form his own label, Roc-A-Fella Records, with Damon Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke. Jay-Z later explained that he thought he could do a better job of marketing his records on his own:

Jay-Z rented a small, cheap office for Roc-A-Fella Records on John Street in one of the "dreariest parts of the busiest city in the world". Jay-Z and his compatriots thought of their low-rent headquarters as a "starting point" that would eventually lead them to Manhattan. In 1995 and early 1996, Jay-Z appeared on records by Big L and Mic Geronimo, further raising his profile. At this point, he was still considered an "underground" rapper with a "new jack" style.

Recording

''Reasonable Doubt'' was recorded at D&D Studios and mixed at Platinum Island, however, its beats were formed elsewhere. " Can't Knock the Hustle" was produced by Knobody at his mother's home in 1994, while the vocals were recorded on tour at a studio in Tampa Florida named Progressive Music with Mary J. Blige. Ski produced " Feelin' It" and "Politics as Usual" while recording with Camp Lo. The recording sessions were often competitive; Ski and Clark Kent created similar beats for "Politics as Usual", but Ski submitted his to Jay-Z first causing his to appear on the album. "Brooklyn's Finest" was a competitive, though friendly battle between Jay-Z and The Notorious B.I.G. in which Jay-Z tried proving that he is of Biggie's caliber, while Biggie tried brushing his rhymes off as insignificant. Although the rappers had already met on the set for the "Dead Presidents" music video, they discovered that neither wrote down their rhymes while recording. The recording of "Brooklyn's Finest" spanned two months and moved from D&D Studios to Giant Studios where the Clark Kent-sung chorus was recorded.

Music and lyrics

''Reasonable Doubt'' has Mafioso rap themes. David Drake from ''Stylus Magazine'' said the lyrics were characterized by "gritty realism". Writer dream hampton believed that although rappers had alluded to hustling before, Jay-Z "talks about what it can do to a person's inner peace, and what it can do to their mind". Jay-Z later said, "the studio was like a psychiatrist's couch for me" while recording ''Reasonable Doubt''. AllMusic's Steve Huey described him as "a street hustler from the projects who rapped about what he knew—and he was very, very good at it...detailing his experiences on the streets with disarming honesty". Huey summarizes the album's subject matter saying:

AllMusic's Jason Birchmeier writes that the album's production exhibits characteristics of "the pre-gangsta era, a foregone era when samples fueled the beats and turntablism supplied the hooks", which "sets ''Reasonable Doubt'' apart from Jay-Z's later work". "Can't Knock the Hustle" features a smooth beat. "Politics as Usual" has an R&B sound and a sample of "Hurry Up This Way Again" by the Stylistics. "Dead Presidents" samples Nas' voice from " The World Is Yours" in its chorus. According to IGN's Spence D., "Ski brings back the stripped down piano fill style lending the track a late night jazz vibe" on "Feelin' It", and "22 Two's" has a "mournful jazz inclined groove" that prominently features string instruments. "Coming of Age" contains a Clark Kent-produced beat that samples the melody and drums from "Inside You" by Eddie Henderson.

Release and promotion

''Reasonable Doubt'' was released by Roc-A-Fella on June 25, 1996, through a distribution deal with Priority. It was not an immediate success, reaching a peak position of 23 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart while selling 420,000 copies in its first year of release. It spent 18 weeks on the chart, and 55 weeks on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, on which it reached number 3. the album was promoted with the release of four singles, none of which reached the Top 40; "Ain't No Nigga" was the highest-charting single at number 50, "Can't Knock the Hustle" and "Feelin' It" did not peak higher than 70, and "Dead Presidents" did not chart altogether. The album sold 43,000 copies in its first week.

On February 7, 2002, ''Reasonable Doubt'' was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for shipments of a million copies in the US. It remains the lowest charting album of Jay-Z's career. According to ''Respect'' magazine, it had sold 1.5 million copies in the United States by 2006.

Reception

''Reasonable Doubt'' was met with widespread acclaim from music critics. Charlie Braxton of ''The Source'' praised Jay-Z for evolving "from hip-hop sidekick to Mafia-style front man, blowing up the spot with vivid tales about the economic reality fueling what's left of contemporary ghetto politics". ''Entertainment Weekly''s Dimitri Ehrlich commended him for rapping "with an irresistible confidence, a voice that exudes tough-guy authenticity", also noting the "unadorned but suitably militant" production. Tonya Pendleton of the ''Los Angeles Daily News'' stated that the album "hits you with rap's trends – Mary J. Blige riffs, Foxy Brown rhymes, Isley Brothers loops and more fashion info than Cindy Crawford", adding that "his sassy way with a lyric transcends the material" on the album.

Retrospect

''Reasonable Doubt'' has often been considered by many fans to be Jay-Z's best record. He himself deemed it his best. According to Birchmeier, it differed from his subsequent albums by lacking " pop-crossover" songs and hits. Shaheem Reid of MTV explained, "''Reasonable Doubt'' might not have the radio hits or club bangers of many of his other albums, but it may be Jay at his most lyrical—and certainly at his most honest, according to him". Huey said the lyrical appeal lied within Jay-Z's "effortless, unaffected cool" flow, and knack for "writing some of the most acrobatic rhymes heard in quite some time". According to Huey, this "helped ''Reasonable Doubt'' rank as one of the finest albums of New York's hip-hop renaissance of the '90s". Birchmeier, on the other hand, believed the superior quality of producers was more responsible for the album's reputation as a classic more so than Jay-Z. In a retrospective review for ''MSN Music'', Robert Christgau said the album was "designed for the hip-hop cognoscenti