Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter

Infobox Album | Name = Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter
Type = studio
Artist = Jay-Z


Released = December 28, 1999 (US)
Recorded = 1999
Genre = East Coast hip hop, Mafioso rap
Length = N/A
Label = Roc-A-Fella/Island Def Jam
Producer = Swizz Beatz, Timbaland, DJ Premier, Rockwilder, DJ Clue, Irv Gotti, K-Rob, Darrell 'Digga' Branch, Ken "Duro" Ifill, Russell "Russ" Howard, Sean "SAF" Francis, Chauncey Mahan, Lil' Rob
Reviews = *Allmusic Rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:26ri28vu052a link]
*Entertainment Weekly (B+)
*RapReviews (8.5/10) [http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2000_01_vol3lifeandtimes.html link]
*Robert Christgau A [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=jay-z link]
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|4|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/jayz/albums/album/209448/review/6212632/vol_3_life_and_times_of_s_carter link]
*The Source Rating|4|5 [http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/big_l/lifestylez_ov_da_poor_and_dangerous/ link]
Last album = "Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life"
(1998)
This album = "Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter"
(1999)
Next album = ""
(2000)
Misc = Singles
Name = Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter
Type = studio
single 1 = Jigga My Nigga
single 1 date = July 20 1999
single 2 = Girl's Best Friend
single 2 date = October 18 1999
single 3 = Do It Again (Put Ya Hands Up)
single 3 date = December 14 1999
single 4 = Things That U Do
single 4 date = February 15 2000
single 5 = Anything
single 5 date = February 29 2000
single 6 = Big Pimpin'
single 6 date = September 12 2000

"Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter" is the 1999 release by East Coast hip hop artist Jay-Z. It is, for the most part, his return to a more street-oriented sound. However, it did manage to produce some very successful radio-friendly singles. "Vol. 3" topped the billboard charts with nearly half a million sold in its first few days of release. To date, the album has sold over 3 million copies, the most successful single from the album and arguably Jay-Z's career is the now-infamous Big Pimpin'. This album is also noted for insulting the rapper 50 Cent (before his rise to fame) on the song "It's Hot (Some Like It Hot)". It was a response to "How To Rob", a song from 50 Cent's unreleased first LP "Power of the Dollar" where he comically explains robbing numerous mainstream rappers, including Jay-Z. In the song, Jay-Z raps "I'm about a dollar/What the fuck is 50 cents."

Jay-Z was able to beat many odds with the release, and critical/commercial success of this album. He was able to regain much "street cred" with lyrics on songs such as, NYMP, Come and Get Me, It's Hot, There's Been a Murder, and Jigga my Nigga. He also won the applause of the young culture at the time with the Big Pimpin' video, which at the time was blasted by news corporations for being overly-misogynistic. [ [http://youtube.com/watch?v=plUy7Me_fZQ YouTube - Jay-Z - Big Pimpin' ] ]

Track listing

References