Jay-Z - Vol. 3...Life and Times of S. Carter (December 28, 1999)

Let's get back to reviewing Hova's entire discography. By the time his fourth album came out on Def Jam/Roc-a-Fella, Shawn Carter had turned the art of the rap album into a scientific equation: the right amount of club bangers + just enough violence and drug content to appease the streets = platinum success. 


That makes it sound like Jay-Z fucked up the rap game by commercializing the hell out of it. 


Well, he didn't ruin it by himself.


Vol. 3...Life and Times of S. Carter was pretty much a turning point in Jigga's career; it proved that no matter what he put out there, people would buy it. However, you can hear hints of his subject matter maturing on a few songs; some reflections about the life he was living, and new realizations that there was more to life than getting girls to shake their shit at the club.


1. HOVA SONG (INTRO)
Jigga's the shit, even when he rhymes in third person on his album intros.


2. SO GHETTO
Sadly, the last time Jay and Primo would work together. He lashes out at magazines who criticize his lyrics, but turn around and put his face on their covers. (Take that, Forbes!)


3. DO IT AGAIN (FEAT BEANIE SIGEL and AMIL)
Jay, Sigel and Amil, along with the accursed Memphis Bleek, formed the supergroup The Dynasty, which only really lasted for one album, before the girl was dropped from the label and the group disbanded. That story is more interesting than this song.


4. DOPE MAN
The song is decent enough (as the lyrics are better than the beat), but I completely forgot about the Serena Altschul cameo. Wonder what she's up to these days.


5. THINGS THAT U DO (FEAT MARIAH CAREY)
Great Odin's Beard, this song sucks.


6. IT'S HOT (SOME LIKE IT HOT)
Timbaland + Jay-Z = crazy delicious. Notable as the song where Jigga takes a potshot at the struggling artist 50 Cent. 


7. SNOOPY TRACK (FEAT JUVENILE)
Could've done without the guest's hook. See, not every Timbo and Jay collabo is golden.


8. S. CARTER (FEAT AMIL)
You know when you hear a song for the first time, and it touches you and changes your life as a result? This isn't that song. This sounds awful.


9. POP 4 ROC (FEAT BEANIE SIGEL, MEMPHIS BLEEK, and AMIL)
Sigel is the reason that Jay felt comfortable retiring? Well, that explains Kingdom Come.


10. WATCH ME (FEAT DR. DRE)
Why even bother having the good Doctor on your song if he didn't produce the fucker?


11. BIG PIMPIN' (FEAT UGK)
You've heard this song, and you love it. Go with your gut on this one.


12. THERE'S BEEN A MURDER
Shawn Carter tries to kill off his alter ego and go back to hustling. Great idea, especially since you've been on MTV and everyone knows what you look like.


13. COME AND GET ME
The weakest, and probably least-known, Timbo/Jay-Z collabo. Also the longest, at just over six minutes.


14. NYMP
This sorta counts as a slower-paced reflective song for Jay to end the album with.


15. HOVA SONG (OUTRO)
Same beat as the intro, but different lyrics. Somewhere there's a third verse (an interlude, maybe) where Jay uses the same beat and performs yet again, but I haven't found it yet.


The following are bonus tracks found after the outro:


JIGGA MY N---A
From the popular Nicolas Cage movie of the same name. Jay recycles Snoop's lyrics on this one. The beat is annoying, and the chorus grates.


GIRL'S BEST FRIEND
The best Jay-Z/Swizz Beats collabo. From the Blue Streak soundtrack, and probably the only thing worth remembering from that fine piece of film.


FINAL THOUGHTS: Vol. 3...Life and Times of S. Carter is hit and miss, but 3 million people bought it, so it must be a great album, right? Right? Anyway, he's put out worse, but that's not a real recommendation. 


BUY OR BURN? You probably already have "Big Pimpin" somewhere, but if you don't, find that one song online and forget about the rest.


BEST TRACKS: "Big Pimpin"; "It's Hot (Some Like It Hot)"


-Max


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Jay-Z - In My Lifetime, Vol. 1
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