• Record Label: Def Jam
  • Release Date: Nov 14, 2003
User Score
8.7

Universal acclaim- based on 239 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Negative: 12 out of 239

Review this album

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
  1. mikep
    Nov 8, 2004
    10
    another masterpiece by Jay.
  2. delshaine
    Jan 5, 2004
    8
    it's a great album though i felt he went on too long about him leaving ......like we aint missin him enuff already.
  3. Miguel
    Feb 3, 2004
    10
    Yo this CD is hot yall cant blame da dude 4 spitten his whole life in one album da boy doin big thangs and it f* up dat he retiring but its cool he left his mark
  4. CeCeT
    Mar 2, 2004
    9
    I got 99 problems but a Bi### ain't one. That song was on point. I was feeling that and the cd is hott...
  5. Kenneth(Tupac)Durrant
    May 27, 2004
    10
    Jay-Z worked so hard every year. People tried to compare him with B.I.G, you cannot compare the two no matter what people say Jay-Z is One of the best and Compare 2 none. Kenneth Durrant AKA Tupac
  6. PHATPCHIPI
    May 18, 2005
    8
    yo the beats destroyed the album and i expected a lot more than 14 tracks but the lyrics were off the hook i just hope he'll cme out of retirement and hit us with one more.
  7. FuckJay-Z
    Jan 19, 2004
    0
    Worst fuckin cd i have ever heard.Bad way to go out.What ever happened to the old Jay-Z. His voice just bothers me now.
  8. datnigga20geezy
    Jan 30, 2004
    10
    Dude the best rapper ever, fuck the hatters they just mad a hustler made it, SLIM did it with this album, I love you big hommie. U definitley put yourself high on that pedestal n u got the right.U made it to the top hommie and the spot that u earned. THANKS.
  9. youngone
    Oct 3, 2004
    8
    jigga got soft take him back to resonable doubt time he rhymes changed around vol 3 more resonable doubt
  10. floydW
    Feb 17, 2004
    9
    Jay-z done good with his final album the black album,but i thought this being his last album he would make this the best one out of all of them.The black album isnt bad it just inst as good as Blueprint not bluprint 2 blueprint that is the best rap album released this century.The black album comes third behined beyoned resonable doubt.The black album is a classic like jay said it wold be Jay-z done good with his final album the black album,but i thought this being his last album he would make this the best one out of all of them.The black album isnt bad it just inst as good as Blueprint not bluprint 2 blueprint that is the best rap album released this century.The black album comes third behined beyoned resonable doubt.The black album is a classic like jay said it wold be and the out standing song for me is my first song.Jay is going out on a high and is the best of all time in my eyes Expand
  11. BabyTae
    Mar 10, 2004
    10
    This is the tightest album that has eva came out and whoeva think different fuck ya'll.
  12. jayzero
    Mar 19, 2004
    7
    if 2pac was alive, jay-z wouldn't be shit right now...
  13. deandreh
    Apr 18, 2004
    10
    jay-z is the best rapper alive, and the black album is one of his best. cant nobody touch him, even in his retirement
  14. evansk
    Apr 27, 2004
    10
    too damn hott I can't wait for the nex one. yeah, I said it.
  15. zack
    Aug 4, 2004
    10
    i like the cd the best
  16. BrannonM
    Apr 6, 2007
    8
    High Quality shit
  17. DanA
    Jun 24, 2007
    9
    A wonderful coup de grace for Jay'z "retirement." It really is a shame he went and made Kingdom Come. This would've finished the legacy off fine.
  18. RodrigoR.
    Apr 9, 2008
    10
    Jay-Z's best album, one of the best albums ever made, it's real hip-hop, it's black music! 99 problems, dirt off your shoulder best songs from album!
  19. CarlosP
    Nov 24, 2003
    8
    Not as good as Reasonable Doubt or the Blueprint but good enough to warrant a purchase. Probably Jay's third best album. With Volume 3 being the next.
  20. TonyG
    Nov 24, 2003
    0
    The "whack" Album.
  21. chrisc
    Dec 22, 2003
    10
    This album is so hot, people need to stop frontin on Jay. He is the best rapper in the game, period.
  22. **JayDee**
    Dec 25, 2003
    9
    This album really reveals Jay's life a little bit more to us. He got alot of things off his chest in this album and every track was above average in quality. I really enjoyed listening to the Black album and there is no doubt in my mind that Jay-Z is one of the best MC's to ever grace the hip-hop industry.
  23. Marvelous.
    Dec 30, 2003
    10
    hands down the best CD of 2003.The perfect album 2 go out on.
  24. timd
    Dec 8, 2003
    9
    It's a classic in context as well as in practice. Even the ho-hum "Change Clothes" and "Justify my Thug" are better than everything in mainstream hip hop (except Eminem, Outkast, Missy, and half of 50's album). It is excellent to think this may be the way he goes out. With this burst of creativity and focus we recognize one of the giants of popular music.
  25. [Anonymous]
    Dec 9, 2003
    10
    This truly is one of his greatest CDs to date. And just as usual, he didn't hold back any emotion or try to hide anything; it's laid all out in the open. This makes him one of the greatest artists of all time because he doesn't sugar coat anything, it's just him being real.
  26. makaveli
    Nov 8, 2004
    10
    Jay's pinpoint lyricism and crafty wordplay surpass that of any of his previous cd's. "Justify My Thug" and "Change Clothes..." keep it from ranking ahead of Blueprint and Reasonable Doubt, but even those are above average tracks.
  27. MichaelL
    Jan 9, 2004
    9
    Near-perfect...this is easily one the best albums of his career.
  28. JasonC
    Feb 16, 2004
    10
    Hands down best ever! Those who think its wack don't even listen carefully to the track. Hov is the realest shit there is. Thats why most people give it a good rating.
  29. kinghearts
    Mar 10, 2004
    10
    this is was so far the greatest
  30. kamleshp
    Apr 27, 2004
    10
    jay is shiva man!
  31. DaniG
    Jun 24, 2004
    10
    very best jigga album up to date! hope and pray it's not really his last one. hip hop needs Jay-Z.. "If you can't respect that, your whole perspective is whack"
  32. Gill
    Apr 21, 2007
    9
    Not his best album but still pretty damn amazing. Considering where he is in his career.
  33. asdfasdf
    Nov 19, 2003
    10
    just as good as reasonable doubt
  34. chrisr
    Dec 13, 2003
    10
    One of the hottest albums of the year. Proving he's the best rapper alive.
  35. DiDiS
    Dec 24, 2003
    10
    This cd is clearly the best jay-z has put out yet. This man is truely the greatest rapper of all time. Fire!! That's why he can't be stopped...
  36. **JayDee**
    Dec 25, 2003
    9
    This album really reveals Jay's life a little bit more to us. He got alot of things off his chest in this album and every track was above average in quality. I really enjoyed listening to the Black album and there is no doubt in my mind that Jay-Z is one of the best MC's to ever grace the hip-hop industry.
  37. LakishaW
    Dec 3, 2003
    10
    this album is the shiznit..wit some of the best producers..beats..wordplay..and things ppl were questioning about..he lets it all out in this album..and i think its the best album yet...
  38. HOVVA!
    Dec 31, 2003
    8
    i got 99 problems and a bitch ain't one!
  39. CJSanders
    Dec 8, 2003
    8
    2-3 all time greatest cuts are on this cd.
  40. howardj
    Dec 8, 2003
    10
    this shit is hot
  41. RobertC
    Feb 21, 2006
    9
    He goes through his whole career perfect send off
  42. Lucky
    Nov 7, 2007
    10
    This album is hot shit!
  43. asdfasdf
    Nov 19, 2003
    10
    just as good as reasonable doubt
  44. D_McNorris
    Dec 13, 2003
    10
    This is clearly the best Cd I have heard this year. Top notch from begining to end. Jay-Z's lyrics are amazing like always. The best song in the album is between My 1st Song and Threat. This is probaly his third best album from his career.
  45. MikeyM
    Dec 14, 2003
    5
    Half the songs are good half are bad it basically a half ass way to go out.
  46. KB
    Dec 18, 2003
    10
    I don't get much better. Reasonable Doubt is still tighter but lyrically and those beats are doin major things. A must have for any J fan!
  47. ADAML
    Dec 22, 2003
    9
    VERY GOOD
  48. May 12, 2011
    8
    not that bad. i liked more than 6 songs on this album. it was decent. it was commercial though. but it kept my attention. 8 out of 10 is about right.
  49. Aug 22, 2011
    10
    This album is amazing. This is still my favorite rap album to date and is one of the best I've ever heard. Jay Z was trying to retire with a bang and he did just that. This is Jay Z's best album. The production was amazing, the lyrics were on point and we heard every jay Z. Classic and new.
  50. Aug 2, 2016
    8
    Jay Z's masterpiece and arguably the best hip hop album of the first decade of the 21st century. Mixing razor sharp lyrics with an armory of top class tunes to back things up, this is one of those records that transcends genres and I would think has an appeal to music lovers in general, regardless of preference. While hip hop can sometimes date badly due to either production or lyricalJay Z's masterpiece and arguably the best hip hop album of the first decade of the 21st century. Mixing razor sharp lyrics with an armory of top class tunes to back things up, this is one of those records that transcends genres and I would think has an appeal to music lovers in general, regardless of preference. While hip hop can sometimes date badly due to either production or lyrical content too focused on the immediate present, pretty much all of The Black Album sounds fresh and vibrant today. "Dirt Off Your Shoulder", "Moment of Clarity" and "Lucifer" are all instant classics of the genre. Then of course we have the culturally and hugely socially significant track "99 Problems". While we're on this particular track, check out Danger Mouse's remix with The Beatles "Helter Skelter" - equally as good as either of the original songs. Brave and brilliant, pushing the boundaries while being universally appealing, I've yet to come across a better or more enjoyable album from this genre. Expand
  51. Jul 27, 2013
    9
    Jay-Z's career wasn't in its early years anymore by the time this album was released, but nevertheless, his flow sounded fresher than ever on this legendary 2003 CD. Carter's music was very unsteady in the seven years and on the seven albums before this one and even if he proved to be a very talented rapper on some parts of his earlier albums, the average product was mostly forgettableJay-Z's career wasn't in its early years anymore by the time this album was released, but nevertheless, his flow sounded fresher than ever on this legendary 2003 CD. Carter's music was very unsteady in the seven years and on the seven albums before this one and even if he proved to be a very talented rapper on some parts of his earlier albums, the average product was mostly forgettable (his debut, Reasonable Doubt, and 2001's The Blueprint were exemptions). And admittedly, if he had announced his retirement from hip hop on The Blueprint 2, I wouldn't have cared a lot. But leaving the game with this album was something entirely different. The Black Album includes 13 songs on which Carter is actually rapping and, no kidding, everyone of them is great. They are pun-heavy, perfectly flowed, catchy, and underlayed with fantastic beats. And above all: the songs have a real meaning, which is something that isn't necessary for this genre, but undoubtedly makes every song better. In short, Jay-Z combines everything good about his music on one album. Expand
  52. Mar 20, 2013
    9
    The Black album is Jay Z's 3rd best album. Plain & simple. It isn't a great as his debut "Reasonable Doubt" or his 2001 critically acclaimed "The Blueprint", but "The Black Album" is without a doubt a classic. Jay takes us on a trip down memory lane and takes us all the way to his retirement. With great production and Jay spitting some of his best stuff, this album cements Jay Z as one ofThe Black album is Jay Z's 3rd best album. Plain & simple. It isn't a great as his debut "Reasonable Doubt" or his 2001 critically acclaimed "The Blueprint", but "The Black Album" is without a doubt a classic. Jay takes us on a trip down memory lane and takes us all the way to his retirement. With great production and Jay spitting some of his best stuff, this album cements Jay Z as one of the all time greatest emcees. Collapse
  53. Sep 11, 2013
    9
    Once again, Jay-Z showed us that he's one of the greatest rappers alive. After "Reasonable Doubt" and "The Blueprint", comes a stunning album called "The Black Album". We seen him ruling the charts with "Dirt
    Off Your Shoulder" and "99 Problems" but you will see way much amazing songs in this masterpiece.
  54. Mar 22, 2015
    8
    8.5/10................................................................................................................................................
  55. Apr 24, 2015
    10
    With great writing, domination on the mic and Timbo's awesome beats, The black album deserves a spot on Jay's top 3 best albums, along with The blueprint and Reasonable doubt.
  56. Jan 9, 2016
    8
    'The Black Album' by Jay-Z is a classical position in his discography. I really like this album. 'Public service announcent', 'Moment of Clarity', '99 problems' the best tracks!
  57. Feb 17, 2016
    9
    This is a good album ꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸This is a good album ꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸꠸
  58. Jul 14, 2017
    9
    Jay Z is one of the greatest rappers of all time, and I believe this is his most meaningful work since Reasonable Doubt. Mostly all of the songs in The Black Album are some of Jay Z's classics.
  59. Jul 28, 2017
    8
    classic............................................................................................................................................................
  60. Nov 10, 2018
    9
    classic. nufff said..............................................................................
  61. Mar 20, 2021
    8
    Impressive cocktail of iconic tracks. Jay-Z is surely not the best lyricist, storyteller nor rhymer but he clearly is hell of an entertainer. Production featuring Eminem, Kanye West and Just Blaze is not perfect but catchy and dark as it used some clever samples. The presence of The Neptunes (and by extension of Pharrell Williams) makes the artistic direction change and definitelyImpressive cocktail of iconic tracks. Jay-Z is surely not the best lyricist, storyteller nor rhymer but he clearly is hell of an entertainer. Production featuring Eminem, Kanye West and Just Blaze is not perfect but catchy and dark as it used some clever samples. The presence of The Neptunes (and by extension of Pharrell Williams) makes the artistic direction change and definitely contributes to give more variety to the album.

    Jay-Z made this project a classic with some clever, gangsta-like and funny lines even if some others sound way too ego-centered. His flow is inseparable of the beat and always perfeclty fits the rhythm. 'The Black Album' certainly helped to give Jay-Z the charismatic image he has today.
    Expand
  62. May 11, 2021
    10
    Brilliant album. He was really ahead of his time with this one. Jay z is the Goat of rap.
  63. Feb 23, 2020
    9
    Awesome project, the beats and the lyrics are REALLY good. Great improvement from The Blueprint 2, which was disappointing
  64. Mar 10, 2020
    10
    A few months ago, I decided to finally listen to Jay-Z's discography. The Black Album was his last album that I listened to. All albums I listened to before this one was just fine in my opinion. I thought a few songs were good, but most songs all of the albums were bad to okay.
    Then, I listened to The Black Album and loved almost every song. In all of his other albums, the low points
    A few months ago, I decided to finally listen to Jay-Z's discography. The Black Album was his last album that I listened to. All albums I listened to before this one was just fine in my opinion. I thought a few songs were good, but most songs all of the albums were bad to okay.
    Then, I listened to The Black Album and loved almost every song. In all of his other albums, the low points were very low, but in this album the low points were the high points in the other albums.
    This album even made me go back to his other albums and realize that the albums were better than I first thought.
    The Black Album is one of my favorite albums and even made me appreciate and like all of Jay-Z's other albums, which I previously thought were just alright.
    Expand
Metascore
84

Universal acclaim - based on 19 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 19
  2. Negative: 0 out of 19
  1. Vibe
    90
    It's monumental because it's a culmination of Jigga's natural thoughtfulness delivered with transcendent skill. [Jan 2004, p.120]
  2. There are better storytellers, there are better battle rappers, there are undoubtedly rhymers with more on their minds. But there isn't a better MC around, if you're talking about the art of sheer mic domination.
  3. Even in falling short of Jay's classics, Reasonable Doubt and 2001's The Blueprint, it manages to eclipse 1999's brilliant Vol. 3: Life and Times of S. Carter as his third-best album-- which in itself still makes it one of the year's best.