There is a lot of hate around this album, mainly because it was the one that brought Jay-Z into the mainstream circuit.

It isn't as good as his previous 2 releases, Reasonable Doubt being certified classic by just about everyone who has heard it, and In My Lifetime being the most underrated album in the last decade, but it certainly does not disappoint.

'Hard Knock Life', the title track, won Jay-Z critical acclaim and heavy airplay all over America. It samples the chorus from the musical Annie, and with Jay-Z over the top of a simple drum and bass beat, it is an instant classic.

The next 2 songs, 'Ride Or Die' and 'If I Should Die' take it back to his hustling days, but give it a more mainstream feel than what he produced on his debut. The only criticism here is the theme of death being done twice in a row, but both songs are tight and produced well.

'Nigga What, Nigga Who' takes Jay-Z way back to his very early days when he used to rap as fast as Busta Rhymes, a style we virtually never see on his released work. The lyrics are great, delivered fast, and the collabo with Jaz O is a nice touch. Overall, a very underrated single, definitely deserved to perform better.

The next song, 'Money Cash Hoes', is definitely the beginning of the new Jay-Z focus. In later music, he enjoys flexing his masoginistic muscles, as well as flaunting the fact he is extremely rich. He got a lot of criticism over this song, and despite that and the theme of the song, it is still solid, and keeping in with Jay-Z's changing lifestyle. Good verse from DMX on there too.

The rest of the album is extremely solid. 'A Week Ago' showcases Jay-Z's storytelling ability, which we don't see enough anymore, 'Can I Get A...' is a great song, in which Jay expresses his dislike for gold diggers, and the bonus track, 'Money Ain't A Thang' is one of the best songs on the album.

Sure, Jay-Z has changed from rapping exclusively about hustling and snitching, but he is only trying to keep it real, and at the moment, what's real in Jay-Z's life is money, bitches and fame. Doesn't deserve any criticism, a great release.

It seems like a lot of reviewers are idiots and just want to bash Jay-Z.

Jay-Z's third album Hard Knock life was a boost in his commercial sucess. More money, more cash, more hoes...and what not comming to him. Ironically, he decides to take a dive in the subject on the song "Money, Cash, Hoes". His second single "Hard Knock Life" was a rememberable song, because it was played on the radio. No problem with that, but it was stuck in my head. "N***a What?, N***a Who?" (or Jigga What? Jigga Who?) is a fast paced song featuring Jaz-O and Amil. I have the edited version of this CD, and for some reason they took out the entire hook to the song, so I'm just left with blank spots as the chorus and Amil comming in as the song fades out. One of my favorite tracks is "Reservoir Dogs" with The Lox, Beanie Sigel, and Sauce Money. Another favorite track is "It's Alright" with Memphis Bleek, rapping decent, but the beat makes the song more enjoyable.

There are a few skippable tracks though. "Comming Of Age (Da Sequel)" is okay, but I like the first one on the Reasonable Doubt album. "Ride Or Die" and "If I Should Die" both sounds dry and slapped together. "Paper Chase" isn't all that good because Foxy Brown spits some trashy rhymes in the beginning. The well known hit "Can I Get A..." from the Rush Hour OST. I have the radio edited version of this album, but I've also heard the explicit version to the song and it sounds trashy because of it's heavy vulgarity (mostly comming from Amil).

Those are the only flaws on this album. Other than that, if you love Jay-Z or mainstream 1998 rap music, I recommend this to you.

Lyrics: B

Production: B+

Guest Appearances: C+

Fav Tracks: Hand It Down, Hard Knock Life, Jigga What..., Money Cash Hoes, A Week Ago, Reservoir Dogs, It's Alright, Money Ain't A Thang

P.S.- To the reviewer below me: If you hate rap and Jay-Z so much, why did you buy this album?

While not Hova's best work it is second only to Reasonable Doubt.....a must have for any Jay-Z fan..while i have read other reviews i have found that there is a distinct pattern when stating the flaws of this CD that kept it from being the Embodiement of Rap...Too often was stated that the hook was corny or the beat wasnt a Timbaland beat so it wasnt a banger....have we forgotten what makes a cd a good cd?...i believe so..LYRICS ARE THE FOCAL POINT of any good cd..you might be able to getaway with a couple of tracks with thick Neptune and Timbaland beats by saying a nursery rhyme but it all should come down to substance and style....Jay-Z consistently tells street stories and life stories with vivid images of a no-nonsense pimp with heart and respect..IF YOU LISTEN he will settle any and all disputes as to who is the best rapper ever... forget the beats and the hook they only compliment the song once you have listened to what he has talked about and most of all Understood what it is he is trying to say...The thing about Jay-Z is his flawless flow that doesnt have to be gritty to be felt his words are from the heart and from the head...he is a professional story teller ...bling bling is the message but if you listen to the words he uses to describe his SHINY ACCESSORIES and WOMEN .....you would be like suprised by the comparisons he makes and how true they are and the fact that you hadnt thought about it that way.....im not going to analyze the cd track by track because thats what your supposed to do when you by a cd...sit down listen to it all the way through not just the hooks or beats but the words...and if you do that with any of Jay-Z's songs i bet you will at least listen to his verse on every song....Let it be known that JAY-Z is in no way fly by night...he is a monument of what rap has always been...if you doubt his songs on this cd you have to ask yourself...why does he get so much respect from the rap community?...cuz he earns it....no one wants beef with JAY-Z...listen to hard knock life, if i should die, or A week ago...and you will see what defines the legend known as JAY-Z

Since the King of New York has died,(R.I.P. Christopher Wallace)there have been many good rap albums. But Jay-Z's" Vol. 2.... Hard Knock Life", is clearly the best rap album of 1998. From the intro to the radio friendly "Money Ain't A Thang" Jay-Z has created what the people want, which is a little variety while staying true to hip hop. "Hard Knock Life" deals with Jay-Z telling stories about life and everyday troubles. "If I Should Die" (featuring Da Ranjahz) tells Jay Z's fans to celebrate and be proud of his accomplishments, if something should happen to him one day. "Money, Cash, H...." f/DMX is a song that describes Jay- Z at his best: braggin about what he used to get, still has, and is still getting, while you and your crew only dream about having it. With DMX on the last verse of the Swizz Beats' track, I don't know what else you could ask for. Now imagine Timbaland with one of those slow, haunting beats playing and Jay-Z rapping as fast as someone from Bone Thugs N Harmony. On N..... What, N..... Who(Originator 99), Jay-Z and Big Jaz embark on that journey to give you one of the best songs on the album. This is the variety I am talking about. For some reason, rappers are afraid to branch out. They want to make an album with the same material and content everytime they come out. If you are not the Def Squad or The Wu-Tang Clan you can not do that. Redman's "Doc's Da Name 2000" and Method Man's "Tical 2000" are also 5 star albums. Most other artist's can not come out with the same material everytime. These two artists and their respective camps can. To conclude, Jay-Z, along with Memphis Bleek, The LOX and others have brought you the best album since "Life After Death". Hopefully, this won't be the last Jay-Z album.

After going through the heavy criticism of Vol.1... Jay-Z came back with the Hard Knock Life, which many consider brought back his status as a top contender for the King Of The New York spot. What Life After Death did for Biggie is what Vol.2... did to Jay-Z. Many gems like "Hard Knock Life" which was produced by Hip Hop's finest producer the 45 King and "Nigga What, Nigga Who" which was produced by Timbaland with many more gems that made this album classified as Jay-Z's finest work.