American Gangster

American Gangster is Jay-Z's tenth studio album, released on November 6, 2007, through Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam. Conceived as a concept album inspired by the 2007 film of the same name, it draws heavily on 1970s soul and funk. Live instrumentation, horns, strings, drums, even bottle percussion, gives the record a warm, cinematic feel. Production credits include Diddy & the Hitmen, Timbaland, Swizz Beatz, Just Blaze, Danja, and the Neptunes, while guests range from Beanie Sigel and Lil Wayne to Pharrell and Nas. Thematically, the album explores the gangster lifestyle, the American Dream, and Jay-Z's own memories of growing up in Brooklyn's Marcy projects. Critics hailed it as a return to form after the disappointment of 2006's Kingdom Come. It topped many year-end lists, with The Austin Chronicle ranking it number one and Rolling Stone naming "Roc Boys (And the Winner Is)..." the best song of 2007. Commercially, it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, moving over 425,000 copies in its first week. That gave Jay-Z his tenth number-one album, tying Elvis Presley for second most all-time. By December 2007, it was certified platinum. This would be his last album under Def Jam before moving to Live Nation. [edit]