Shawn Carter, better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is one of the world’s most well-known names in popular music. An American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur, Jay-Z is one of the most financially successful hip-hop artists of all-time with an estimated net worth of nearly $520 million. Born in Brooklyn, New York, the world-renowned 44-year-old rapper is one of the world’s best-selling artists of all-time with more than 75 million records sold and has received 19 Grammy Awards for his work. Jay-Z is also married to Beyoncé, making one of popular-music’s most powerful couples, and is considered by many to be one of the greatest MCs of all-time. The hip-hop star is also the co-owner of the 40/40 Club, the co-creator of the clothing line Rocawear, the former president of Def Jam Recordings, the co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records, and the founder of Roc Nation. Jay-Z even holds the record for the most number one albums by a solo artist on the Billboard 200 with 13. Read on for the top five highest selling Jay-Z albums of all-time in order of U.S. sales, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.
5. The Dynasty: Roc La Familia – 2.5 million
Jay-Z’s fifth studio album, The Dynasty: Roc La Familia, was released in 2000 and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with over half a million copies sold in its first week. The album received generally positive reviews from critics and was the 20th highest selling R&B/hip-hop album of the 2000-2010 decade. Produced by the likes of Just Blaze, Kanye West, and many others, the album featured one of Jay-Z’s most successful singles, “I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me).”
4. The Blueprint – 2.7 million
Released in September 2001, The Blueprint was a departure for the famous New York rapper, featuring soul-based sampling and production handled primarily by producers Kanye West and Just Blaze. The album–Jay-Z’s sixth–featured the hit single “Izzo (H.O.V.A.)” and the controversial diss-laden track “Takeover.” During the recording of The Blueprint, Jay-Z was awaiting two criminal trials and allegedly wrote the album’s lyrics in only two days. The album sold over 400,000 copies in its first week.
3. Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter – 3.1 million
Vol.3… Life and Times of S. Carter is Jay-Z’s fourth studio album, released on Roc-A-Fella Records. A return to the street-oriented sounds of his debut album Reasonable Doubt, 1999’s Vol. 3 was produced by several hip-hop producers, including Swizz Beatz, Timbaland, and DJ Premier and received generally positive reviews. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling over 460,000 copies in its first week, and featured “Do It Again (Put Ya Hands Up)” and “Girl’s Best Friend.”
2. The Black Album – 3.5 million
Promoted as Jay-Z’s final studio album–although he returned only three years later with Kingdom Come–2003’s The Black Album is the rapper’s eighth studio album and featured producers Just Blaze, Kanye West, The Neptunes, Timbaland, and Rick Rubin. The album debuted at number on the Billboard 200, selling over 46,000 copies in its first week, and received a slew of praise from critics and fans alike. Singles included “Change Clothes,” “Dirt Off Your Shoulder,” and “99 Problems.”
1. Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life – 5.4 million
Released in September 1998, Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life is Jay-Z’s third studio album and the highest selling album of his 26-year career. The album’s lyrical content focuses mainly on the struggles of under-class urban life and the struggles Jay-Z himself had faced during his youth. Produced by a number of producers, including Swizz Beatz, DJ Premier, and Timbaland, the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling over 350,000 copies in its first week, and won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. Singles include “Can I Get A…” and the classic “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem).”
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