10.06.2010
Retrospective: The Black Album - Jay-Z
to be at an all-time high, perfect time to say goodbye
When I come back like Jordan, wearin the 45..."
You want to know what Jay-Z and Michael Jordan have in common? Yeah, they are considered the best at what they do. However, they both announced their retirements prematurely. Jordan retired at the prime of his career before coming back a year after a dismal stint as a "baseball player". In 2003, Jay-Z announced that his 8th album, The Black Album, would be his final project and that he is retiring from the rap game.
The Black Album was released on November 14, 2003. The album featured production from The Neptunes, DJ Quik, Eminem, Timabaland, Rick Rubin and the young Kanye West. The first single, Changes Clothes, reached the Billboard Top 100 in 2003. The Black Album ended up selling just under 500,000 copies the first week. This was the first album I actually bought and it was worth every penny.
In honor of his retirement, Jay gave a farewell concert in Madison Square Garden. Tickets were sold out in one day. A year later, "Fade To Black" was released in November 2004, capturing Jay's days as he's preparing The Black Album and that epic night in Madison Square Garden.
Three years later, Jay-Z ended his "retirement" when he released his first single off his 9th album Kingdom Come, Show Me What You Got. People like Jay-Z can't stay away. They are too good at what they do. I wouldn't call it a retirement, it was just a break from the game. But hey when he did leave, he left us with a classic.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 comments:
Post a Comment