The lyrics do the same because they're so candidly confessional, but it's the producers more so than Jay-Z himself that make this album so untouchable. This classic production style, which is essentially refined hip-hop in its canonical sense, sets Reasonable Doubt apart from Jay-Z's later work. They represent the pre-gangsta era, a foregone era when samples fueled the beats and turntablism supplied the hooks. Granted, most Jay-Z albums do, but this lineup - Ski, Clark Kent, and DJ Premier - is different. All listeners knew was what's on this autobiographical debut - tales of "extensive hoes with expensive clothes," warnings of "all d'evils that the game'll do," goals of "trying to live it to the limit and love it a lot," and, above all, one reoccuring maxim: "in order to survive, gotta learn to live with regrets." Beyond Jay-Z's rhetorical wealth of insight and wisdom, Reasonable Doubt also boasts an amazing roster of producers. Nobody knew who he was when Reasonable Doubt dropped, keep in mind. Every song belongs here, from timeless hits like "Can't Knock the Hustle" to personal moments like "Regrets." Each song is like a separate chapter, revealing another aspect of Jay-Z's story, which, in 1996, was still untold. Unlike most of his subsequent albums, it's seamless. Reasonable Doubt stands out among Jay-Z's many albums and not entirely because it's his debut album.
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