This Is How The Story Goes... (In My Lifetime Vol.1 - Jay-Z)

Member Name: XICripZ

Product:	In My Lifetime Vol.1 - Jay-Z
Date:	05/07/09 (44 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Improvement on his debut

Disadvantages: A couple of tunes let it down

Jay-Z dropped his second album, "In My Lifetime, Vol. 1", just over a year after debuting. This 1997 work had the New Yorker step his game up and advance whilst keeping the Mafiso Rap to a minimum this time around, he attempted to show a lot more than the fairly limited display on his first solo record.

1. "A Million And One Questions/ Rhyme No More" (Intro)

2. "The City Is Mine"

Here you have a track which makes a big change to what you typically get from Jay-Z as its opening is so flamboyant and over-the-top that it doesn't even sound like something he would do. This is partly down to the fact it is the R&B group BLACKstreet how provide the hook and from this they have Teddy Riley doing the production and performing mildly Voice Box-ed vocals to guide them. Interestingly Chad Hugo of The Neptunes is one of the beat makers here too, and it wouldn't be long before his partner, Pharrell Williams who accompany the rapper in many tunes later on.

**Four Stars**

3. "I Know What Girls Like"

Here you have an exciting track from Jay-Z which has him doing things in a big way as he hooks up with both Puffy and Lil' Kim. This collaboration is likely to be a result of Biggie death bringing them together , but there choose not to dwell on this for this case, and instead rap on some of Puff's lively beats to do a club tune.

**Four Stars**


4. "Imaginary Player"

This is a fun one from the rapper and has him doing a track where he puts his complex rhymes into action by choosing to use them when rapping about something which everyone has heard before, but doing it in a way so that he is able to show just how far ahead of others he is. It is den well with him comparing himself to those up-and-comers who are merely stating what they wish to accomplish, rather than how they are actually living at the time.

**Four Stars**

5. "Streets Is Watching"

Here you have him describing how at all times the streets monitor what you are doing, and at any time could cut all your progression down to the level of the majorities to suit the crab bucket society they live in. It is one backed with some funky and engaging beats and you makes you want to get into his work as he shows just what he means by this.

**Four Stars**

1. "Friend or Foe '98"
Here you find him doing a track where he performs on some pretty typically beats from the then Gang Starr member DJ Premier. Here he chooses to extend the original concept of a short recording from his debut. I wouldn't have said tha it was all that good, but it's not bad so you can't complain too much about it.

**Three Stars**

2. "Lucky Me"

Here you get a rap from the artist which has him exploring how exactly he feels privileged by the way in which he is able to live his life. I found that it was rather plain, and it sees that he takes the pace right down to a level where you aren't really that interested as he compares himself to others he knows.

**Three Stars**

8. "Sunshine"

This track has an Old School feel to it, and I expect that many will feel this way due to the choice of samples picked as have Kraftwerk's "Man Machine" used for the main loop of the thing, and a little Alexander O'Neal to guide the hook. It is Babyface who sings this part of things, and makes sure that Hov is put in the correct frame of mind when rhyming to the girls.

**Four Stars**

9. "Who You Wit II"

A track found on the 'Sprung' soundtrack before crossing over onto his second album, this one finds Jay-Z dropping something big as he talk about exactly what he represents and who he is. It stands as one of the better tunes on here, and I felt that although it took a little time to get into, once you do find it, you will certainly enjoy what he comes up with.

**Four Stars**

10. "Face Off"

It is rather interesting that here you find that Jay-Z performs a track where he is backed by Poke and Tone, who had just been renamed as the Trackmasters. This is significant as this duo had just come directly off Nas' second album, and the pair engaged in one of the fiercest Hip Hop beefs of the nineties and early '00s. here this isn't the topic of the flows, but it still goes down as something you need to listen to.

**Four Stars**

11. "Real N***az"

Nas directly took the hook from this one and adapted it to a diss directed towards Jay, and so this acts as a significant tune in of itself. You find that on this occasion you get him doing a pretty big collaboration as Jigga works alongside Oakland's Too $hort as they talk about what exactly they mean by what is said in the title and who they would consider to fit these specifications. It is a hard one and one duo you wouldn't expect to work together.

**Four Stars**

12. "Rap Game / Crack Game"

On this track you have Jay-Z likening the Rap Game to the Crack Game, and as he can say that he has experienced both of these fields, he knows what he' talking about as he flows about how closely they resemble each other in terms of who engages in it, and the results of it. Although not all that unique, (pointed out by samples in the hook which speak of this before he had) he does it well to make it sit as something fresh for himself.

13. "Where I'm From"

This is a track on the album which I would say certainly improves as it goes along as at first it doesn't really have much going on with it, but as things progress it brings the quality of things up. It found that this was partly down to the engaging hook and the dark beats from D-Dot.

**Four Stars**

14. "You Must Love Me"

Ending this album you have a track which I can't say I was particularly fond of. It finds that the rapper does an emotive one in dedication to those who he knows he must have really angered in the past, but have still chosen to show love towards him. I can't say that I was all that drawn into the feel of it with some pretty average beats and him not really doing a lot to get the listener interested in what he does.

**Two Stars**

I have to say that I saw this as a step up on his debut. It finds that he chooses to do less of the Mafioso Rap and more of the more general stuff. He is backed by better production in this one and I felt that allowed him to bring the best out of his complex lyricism.

Summary: Jay-Z's secodn album