While commercially and critically, Reasonable Doubt has been said to refer to Jay-Z's best work. However, in my opinion, The Black Album is the one that secured him as a valuable hip hop artist. The album is flawless, and he expresses himself through thoughtful songwriting and hard-hitting lyrics. The album was released on November 14th, 2003.
It was supposed to be his final album before retiring, and most of the album reflects that. In my opinion, the greatest song on the album is called "My First Song," which contains part of the Notorious BIG's 1996 interview for MTV. The beat of the music is hypnotic and infectious. The most well-known song on the album is called "99 Problems."
In the night clubs back in the day, it was on the radio and was referenced in many media areas. The song was catchy enough to be on the radio, but it is still hip enough to listen to the album itself without hitting the skip button. Jay-Z also proved his street cred on other songs on the cd, such as "Justify My Thug" and "Clarify." Overall, in my opinion, The Black Album demonstrates a genuinely classic record.