"Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life" is the third studio album by American rapper Jay-Z, released on September 29, 1998, on Roc-A-Fella Records in the United States. The album propelled Jay-Z into superstar status and cemented him as a household name in the post Biggie/Tupac Shakur era of hip-hop. This album also won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album in 1999. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, and also went to #1 on the Top R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums chart. This marks the first of nine consecutive chart-topping albums on both charts to date from Jay-Z, not counting the Read more on Last.fm.
