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Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter

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Untitled
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
Chicago Tribune[2]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[3]
Los Angeles Times[4]
NME(7/10)[5]
Rolling Stone[6]
The Source[7]
USA Today[8]
The Village VoiceA[9]

Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter is the fourth studio album by American rapper Jay-Z, released on December 28, 1999, on Roc-A-Fella Records. It exhibits a return to the street-oriented sound of his first album, Reasonable Doubt (1996).[8] Production for the album was handled by several hip hop producers, including Swizz Beatz, Timbaland, K-Rob, DJ Clue, Rockwilder, DJ Premier, and Irv Gotti.

The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 462,000 copies in its first week. It was a significant commercial success, shipping two million copies within its first month of release. Upon its release, Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter received positive reviews from most music critics. On February 14, 2001, the album was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, for shipments of three million copies in the United States.

Commercial performance

It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling 462,000 copies in its first week,[10] which is thirty-percent more than the first-week sales of Jay-Z previous album Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life (1998).[11] Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter peaked at number one on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[12] The album shipped two million copies in its first month of release.[13] On February 14, 2001, it was certified triple platinum in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for shipments of three million copies in the United States.[13]

Critical reception

Initial reaction

Upon its release, Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter received positive reviews from music critics. Chicago Tribune writer Greg Kot gave it three out of four stars and stated, "Jay-Z's level of self-awareness is utterly in tune with his generation's; he's not an artist so much as a multimedia-savvy product manager, in tune with how the game is played".[2] Richard Harrington of The Washington Post commented that the album "is full of reputation-building swagger, cataloguing of lyrical skills and autobiographical perspective".[14] Entertainment Weekly's Anthony DeCurtis viewed that the album "reconnect[s]" with Jay-Z's urban demographic, "with flair".[3] Steve Jones of USA Today wrote that Jay-Z's "lyrics and sense of timing are as razor-sharp as ever".[8] Miles Marshall Lewis of The Village Voice praised its production quality and lyrics, stating "Jay-Z is the best MC in hip hop. Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter [...] is the quintessential 2000-model hip hop album, and Shawn Carter is the finest MC the form currently has to offer".[15]

In his consumer guide for The Village Voice, critic Robert Christgau gave it an A rating.[9] Christgau stated, "he goes for a rugged, expansive vigor, nailing both come-fly-with-me cosmopolitanism and the hunger for excitement that's turned gangster hangouts into musical hotbeds from Buenos Aires to Kansas City".[9] Rolling Stone writer Kris Ex found that Jay-Z "has become a better architect of songs" and dubbed Vol. 3... "his strongest album to date, with music that's filled with catchy hooks, rump-shaking beats and lyrics fueled by Jay's hustler's vigilance".[6] In a mixed review, Los Angeles Times writer Soren Baker gave it two-and-a-half out of four stars and viewed that it lacks the "biting humor and spectacular wordplay" of his previous albums.[4] Dele Fadele of NME found it less reflective than his previous work, but commended Jay-Z as "an intelligent man, with a gifted turn of slang, [...] spits venom one minute and cools out the next".[5]

Retrospect

In a retrospective review, Steve Juon of RapReviews gave it an eight-and-a-half out of 10 rating and viewed it as an improvement over Jay-Z's previous two albums.[16] Allmusic editor John Bush complimented his lyricism and called the album "a set of hard-hitting tracks with some of the best rhymes of Jay-Z's career … much more invigorating than its predecessor, and almost as consistently entertaining as his best album, In My Lifetime, Vol. 1".[1] However, IGN columnist Spence D. wrote that Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter presents Jay-Z "in battle with his two personas: the street soldier and the pop star".[17] The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004) gives the album four out of five stars and states, "Life & Times of S. Carter took [Vol. 2's] combination of style and substance to its apotheosis. In addition to maintaining a strong lyrical presence, Jay also showcased his talents as a master of flow, changing cadences and rhyme patterns with impressive regularity and flexibility. [...] Nearly every track on this album was sonically unique, and Jay rode each one with aplomb and skill".[18]

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, and featured rappers

No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."Hova Song (Intro)"K-Rob2:21
2."So Ghetto"DJ Premier4:01
3."Do It Again (Put Ya Hands Up)" (featuring Beanie Sigel & Amil)Rockwilder4:39
4."Dope Man" (featuring Serena Altschul)DJ Clue?, Darrell Branch, Ken Ifill, Lance Rivera*4:03
5."Things That U Do" (featuring Mariah Carey)Swizz Beatz4:52
6."It's Hot (Some Like It Hot)"Timbaland4:16
7."Snoopy Track" (featuring Juvenile)Timbaland4:01
8."S. Carter" (featuring Amil)Russell Howard, Sean Francis, Chauncey Mahan*4:14
9."Pop 4 Roc" (featuring Beanie Sigel, Memphis Bleek & Amil)DJ Clue?, Ken Ifill4:36
10."Watch Me" (featuring Dr. Dre)Irv Gotti & Lil Rob4:34
11."Big Pimpin'" (featuring UGK)Timbaland4:44
12."There's Been a Murder"K-Rob3:40
13."Come and Get Me"Timbaland6:09
14."NYMP"Rockwilder4:03
15."Hova Song (Outro)"K-Rob1:26
16."Jigga My Nigga" (hidden track)Swizz Beatz4:34
17."Girl's Best Friend" (hidden track)Swizz Beatz3:59

* indicates co-producer

Notes

The UK/Europe edition of the album (which was released several weeks before the US edition) features an alternate track listing. "Hova Interlude" replaced the track "Watch Me" and "There's Been a Murder" was replaced with "Is That Yo Bitch" (featuring Missy Elliott and Twista). "Is That Yo Bitch" is an alternate version of Memphis Bleek's "Is That Your Chick". It also has "Anything" as the closing song (track 16) before the two hidden bonus tracks. This version is how the album was really intended to sound, but due to heavy bootlegging of the promotional copy, Jay-Z went back and changed the track listing for the North America release at the eleventh hour.

Personnel

Credits adapted from Allmusic.[19]

  • Amil – performer
  • Darrell Branch – producer
  • Mariah Carey – performer
  • Drawing Board – art direction
  • Fingaz – keyboards
  • Kyledidthis – design
  • Jay-Z – performer
  • Jonathan Mannon – photography
  • Memphis Bleek – performer
  • Tatsuya Sato – assistant engineer
  • Beanie Sigel – performer
  • UGK – performer
  • Dr. Dre - performer, mixing

Sample credits

(**) Indicates a re-recording was used instead of a sample, due to legal reasons.

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[21] Gold 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[22] Silver 60,000^
United States (RIAA)[23] 3× Platinum 3,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Chart procession and succession

Preceded by Billboard 200 number-one album
January 15–21, 2000 		Succeeded by

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Bush, John. Review: Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter. Allmusic. Retrieved on September 14, 2009.
  2. ^ a b Kot, Greg. "Review: Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter". Chicago Tribune: 3. January 9, 2000. (Transcription of original review at talk page)
  3. ^ a b DeCurtis, Anthony. Review: Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved on September 14, 2009.
  4. ^ a b Baker, Soren. Review: Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on September 14, 2009.
  5. ^ a b Fadele, Dele. "Review: Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter". NME: February 16, 2000. (Transcription of original review at talk page)
  6. ^ a b Ex, Kris (February 3, 2000). Vol. 3 Life And Times of S. Carter by Jay-Z. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on June 29, 2011.
  7. ^ Columnist. "Review: Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter". The Source: 256. March 2000.
  8. ^ a b c Jones, Steve. "Review: Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter". USA Today: 02.D. January 4, 2000. (Transcription of original review at talk page)
  9. ^ a b c Christgau, Robert (February 29, 2000). Cleanup Time - Page 2. The Village Voice. Retrieved on June 29, 2011.
  10. ^ Mancini, Robert. Jay-Z Grabs Top Of Album Chart. MTV. Retrieved on February 22, 2010.
  11. ^ Baker, Soren. Assault Case Won't Stop the Music--or the Sales. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on February 22, 2010.
  12. ^ a b Billboard Albums: Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter. Allmusic. Retrieved on September 14, 2009.
  13. ^ a b Gold & Platinum: Searchable Database. Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Retrieved on September 14, 2009.
  14. ^ Harrington, Richard. "Review: Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter". The Washington Post: G.12. January 2, 2000.
  15. ^ Lewis, Miles Marshall. Review: Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter. The Village Voice. Retrieved on September 14, 2009.
  16. ^ Juon, Steve 'Flash'. Review: Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter. RapReviews. Retrieved on September 14, 2009.
  17. ^ D., Spence. Review: Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter. IGN. Retrieved on September 14, 2009.
  18. ^ Jay-Z: Album Guide. Rolling Stone. Fireside. November 2, 2004. Retrieved on June 29, 2011.
  19. ^ Credits: Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter. Allmusic. Retrieved on September 14, 2009.
  20. ^ Billboard Singles: Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter. Allmusic. Retrieved on September 14, 2009.
  21. ^ "Canadian album certifications – JAY Z – Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter". Music Canada.
  22. ^ id MUST BE PROVIDED for UK CERTIFICATION.
  23. ^ "American album certifications – JAY Z – Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter". Recording Industry Association of America.
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