Old heads....just how powerful was "Hard Knock Life" when it dropped?
- Thread starter YBE
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Cloud McFly
All Star
Sales do matter but what 3 albums didn't sell better than RD? And WHEN did those 3 albums I listed not sell better than RD? Because of course sales have gone up for RD since 1996 since Jay-Z has now become a famous emcee and cultural icon. And besides it WAS all about INITAL IMPACT AND SALES AT THAT GIVEN TIME which Jay-Z DID NOT have when he FIRST dropped RD. Let's not act like Jay-Z dropping RD in 1996 was like when Pac dropped All Eyez On Me, let alone The Fugees' The Score now.
ALL of the albums I listed had much more impact than Reasonable Doubt did IN 1996. Since The Blueprint, Jay-Z and a lot his fans post The Blueprint have made it their duty to campaign hard for Reasonable Doubt.
Ironman, Muddy Waters, and Hell On Earth didn't sell better. They either took longer (HOE), about the same (Ironman) or a tad bit quicker (MW) to go Gold.
What's even more impressive about RD selling as much as it did is that unlike the others, this was his first release. He had no prior albums to build up his fan base like the others (all 3 had great-classic albums under their belt at the time), but still sold as well as them. Also, RD was released on a West Coast label that didn't really know how to promote East Coast acts that well, so for it to do as well as it did says a lot.
Had the Def Jam machine been behind him from the start, I have reason to believe it would have done even better.
I agree, the impact wasn't that of the other releases, but with all the things I just spoke of considered, it went as far as it could at the time, and even exceeded expectations imo.
That song was a monster and blew jay up for sure. I fronted on it at the time but I liked the song on the low. It was absolutely everywhere u went Jay did his thing BUT 45 king don't get props for making this beat?
that nikka did this and stan, both monster songs and he been around since the damn 80's as a producer.
can u imagine having those 2 beats/songs in your resume
that nikka did this and stan, both monster songs and he been around since the damn 80's as a producer.
can u imagine having those 2 beats/songs in your resume
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Oh so Bone Thugs weren't among the biggest artists in Hip Hop in 1996 now?
Bone won a Grammy for "Tha Crossroads" in 1997. I know it's easy to overlook Bone NOW with where they are in their careers but Bone Thugs were really big in 1996 and that E. 1999 Eternal album was big too.
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Again while sales do matter and have always, back in the 90's it was solely based on that. Things were a lot different than they are now, I know because I was there. While Reasonable Doubt might have sold more (I don't know because I don't keep up with sales like that) than those other 3 releases, it still didn't receive that instant classic status like many make it seem like it did. Jay-Z in 1996 wasn't the same Jay-Z who released Vol. 2 in 1998, it was like night and day.
Sales aside and the point is this, Jay-Z didn't become a star and popular artist in his own right until Hard Knock Life/Annie sample/Vol. 2. That is a fact. Vol. 2 is where Jay-Z found his voice and place in Hip Hop.
Oh so Bone Thugs weren't among the biggest artists in Hip Hop in 1996 now?
Bone won a Grammy for "Tha Crossroads" in 1997. I know it's easy to overlook Bone NOW with where they are in their careers but Bone Thugs were really big in 1996 and that E. 1999 Eternal album was big too.
no fam u got the year wrong... e. 1999 came out 1995.
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You're right as far as East 1999 Eternal coming out in 1995 but it wasn't a rerelease of an older album. Before 1999 Eternal, Bone put out that Creepin on Ah Come Up EP.
I always align that E 1999 Eternal album with 1996 because "Tha Crossroad" came out in 1996. Back then singles if they were really great and big, lasted long. "1st of Tha Month" and "East 1999" last Bone for a minute in 1995. Then they put out "Tha Crossroads" in 1996 and that just took off even more than the first two singles.
I remember... albums could chart for years, your right I thought some songs were on creeping on ah come up. music wasn't fast food status like today. Also and I hate this... the album version of crossroads was old/different. The one in the video is better.
Bizzy catches the holy ghost on this
back on topic tho...
I'll admit it, i ain't fukk with Hov till Blueprint. Most of y'all know I'm a nas stan and I actually rate that album above stillmatic. Vol 2. tho and def jam in that 98-00 period was crazy... Hov was so hot they threw that nikka on the ha remix
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I remember... albums could chart for years, your right I thought some songs were on creeping on ah come up. music wasn't fast food status like today. Also and I hate this... the album version of crossroads was old/different. The one in the video is better.
Bizzy catches the holy ghost on this
The good old days...
It's amazing to see now how fast singles get really popular for like 2 seconds and then after those 2 seconds pass it's like the single was never even popular.
MooseMouthMthafuga
Veteran
That's why I say Jay is like the B student getting his shine on because all the A+ students are absent.
If you was around during those prime years of hip hop(92-96) not to many people were even mentioning Jay like that.Not even as a prospect or "nikka you have to keep an eye on"
He had "ain't no nikka" with Foxy, but to be honest with you, most people was digging the track because of Foxy.She was even more of a 'star"/more popular because of that track than Jay was back then.Not saying she was a better rapper, but nikkaz was
hearing a young bytch spit like that.It's what really made that song catch peoples ear.Of course the females was feeling it.They basically control the market.Whatever females start to dig is destined to blow up.And skip all the revisionism....Reasonable Doubt got lost in the shuffle in '96.I'm not knocking it, that's my favorite Jay album, but that album was 3rd tier status back when it dropped.Jay was still "the little engine that could" amongst all the juggernauts that year "(Snoop...Pac...Big...Bone Thugs..etc)
But I agree, Hard Knock Life is when Jay took over that #1 spot.97-99 was the most vulnerable years in hip hop history.The market was literally begging to be taken over....the hip hop community was in a slumber, a general malaise.That's why Puff & Mase had success with that shiny suit shyt.Coming out the tragic period of Sep '96-March of '97, the masses would've accepted anything just to be distracted from all the drama and bullshyt.
Nobody grabbed the bull by the horns like Jay.Now he is what he is today
DeuceZ
Li pitit gason
damn just realized am an old head coz i remember when its a hard knock life dropped 
imo when Missy dropped "She's a ****" and the Hot Boy Remix that was a bigger moment but i guess Jiggas momentum was more pronounced...
old head
imo when Missy dropped "She's a ****" and the Hot Boy Remix that was a bigger moment but i guess Jiggas momentum was more pronounced...old head
bigbadbossup2012
Biggest baddest boss
Bone is at the top of my list of favorite hiphop groups. But you got the year wrong. Album came out in summer 95'Oh so Bone Thugs weren't among the biggest artists in Hip Hop in 1996 now?
Bone won a Grammy for "Tha Crossroads" in 1997. I know it's easy to overlook Bone NOW with where they are in their careers but Bone Thugs were really big in 1996 and that E. 1999 Eternal album was big too.
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bigbadbossup2012
Biggest baddest boss
I peeped,but he didnt retract his comment so i respondedYeah, I already went over that in a previous post.
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Oh ok.