JAY Z is widely heralded as arguably the best rapper of all time. But the title was hard-earned. His 1996 debut, Reasonable Doubt, was critically acclaimed, but it wasn't until his third LP, Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life, that the God MC finally topped the Billboard charts, garnered a multiplatinum certification, and reached superstar status. He hasn't taken his foot off the pedal since—releasing eight No. 1 albums in the next 11 years. The Blueprint, released in 2001, and 2003's The Black Album stand alongside Doubt as the God MC's holy trinity of classic rap LPs. Jay's impact is matched by few. He's proven to be influential in rap's perpetually morphing climate—his Roc-A-Fella crew ushered in the sped-up soul sample sound—and continues to move the culture through trends—he popularized platinum jewelry and Cristal—to this day. He's the third highest-selling rapper of all time behind Eminem and 2Pac—50 million albums sold and counting.
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