The Black Album
by Jay-Z
  • Record Label: Def Jam
  • Release Date: Nov 14, 2003
User Score
8.7

Universal acclaim- based on 239 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 224 out of 239
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 239
  3. Negative: 12 out of 239

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  1. mikep
    Nov 8, 2004
    10
    another masterpiece by Jay.
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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.
  5. BabyTae
    Mar 10, 2004
    10
    This is the tightest album that has eva came out and whoeva think different fuck ya'll.
  6. 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
  7. evansk
    Apr 27, 2004
    10
    too damn hott I can't wait for the nex one. yeah, I said it.
  8. zack
    Aug 4, 2004
    10
    i like the cd the best
  9. 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!
  10. 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.
  11. Marvelous.
    Dec 30, 2003
    10
    hands down the best CD of 2003.The perfect album 2 go out on.
  12. [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.
  13. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. kinghearts
    Mar 10, 2004
    10
    this is was so far the greatest
  16. kamleshp
    Apr 27, 2004
    10
    jay is shiva man!
  17. 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"
  18. asdfasdf
    Nov 19, 2003
    10
    just as good as reasonable doubt
  19. chrisr
    Dec 13, 2003
    10
    One of the hottest albums of the year. Proving he's the best rapper alive.
  20. 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...
  21. 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...
  22. howardj
    Dec 8, 2003
    10
    this shit is hot
  23. Lucky
    Nov 7, 2007
    10
    This album is hot shit!
  24. asdfasdf
    Nov 19, 2003
    10
    just as good as reasonable doubt
  25. 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.
  26. 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!
  27. Mcritic19
    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.
  28. Urbanlistener
    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.
  29. Mercha12
    May 11, 2021
    10
    Brilliant album. He was really ahead of his time with this one. Jay z is the Goat of rap.
  30. A_Normal_Bush
    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
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Awards & Rankings

40
#40 Best Album of 2003
19
#19 Most Discussed Album of 2003
17
#17 Most Shared Album of 2003

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
84

Universal acclaim - based on 19 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 19
  3. 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. Launch.com
    90
    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.
    Read full review
  3. Pitchfork
    80
    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.
    Read full review
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