The album that made Jay-Z a superstar — sampling Annie to create one of the biggest rap hits of the 1990s.
Released on September 29, 1997, Hard Knock Life catapulted Jay-Z into superstardom. The title track samples the Broadway musical Annie and became one of the best-selling rap singles of all time.
The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and went five-times platinum. It won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album in 1999.
