Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life  by Jay-Z

Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life from 1998 becomes rapper Jay-Z's third album and turns him into one of the most important hip hop stars of his generation. The recordings of the album started in December 1997 and were completed in August 1998.

At that time, Jay-Z stated in an interview that he wanted to sing about the problems he saw existing around him in the neighborhoods where he grew up and lived. He aimed to be the voice of all those who could not express their pain and misery. In his third album, Jay-Z seems to establish his hip hop identity.

This particular album is Jay-Z's most successful studio album, with its sales exceeding 6,000,000 copies in the U.S. Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album of the year.