Jay-Z: Top 50 Songs

Jay-Z Top 50 Songs

Rap singer, record executive, and entrepreneur born Shawn Corey Carter on 12/4/1969 in Brooklyn, NY. He grew up in a public housing project, raised by his mother. His father abandoned the family. He dropped out of high school during his sophomore year, started selling drugs, and was shot three times. He founded Roc-A-Fella Records in 1994 and released his debut album, Reasonable Doubt, in 1996. He holds the record for most #1 albums by a solo artist (14) on the Billboard album chart. He has sold 140 million records and won 24 Grammy Awards. In 2023, he was named the greatest rapper of all time by both Billboard and Vibe magazines. As an entrepreneur, he founded the clothing retailer Rocwear in 1999 and 40/40 Club, a luxury bar chain, in 2003. In 2008, he launched Roc Nation, a multi-disciplinary entertainment agency. In 2019, he became the first hip-hop billionaire. As of 2023, he has a net worth of 2.5 billion, making him the wealthiest musical artist in the world. In 2008, he married R&B/pop singer Beyoncé Knowles. Above information based on Wikipedia bio. Links: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Jay-Z Bio on Wikipedia Dave’s Music Database: “Acts’ Profile Pages and Best-of Lists”

Awards:

Top 50 Songs Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by song’s appearances on best-of lists, appearances on compilations and live albums by the featured act, and songs’ chart success, sales, radio airplay, streaming, and awards. Songs on which Jay-Z appeared as a guest artist are noted with an asterisk (*). DMDB Top 1%: 1. Crazy in Love (with Beyoncé, 2003) * 2. Umbrella (with Rihanna, 2007) * 3. Empire State of Mind (Jay-Z with Alicia Keys, 2009) DMDB Top 2%: 4. 99 Problems (2003) 5. N****s in Paris (with Kanye West, 2011) DMDB Top 5%: 6. Drunk in Love (with Beyoncé, 2003) 7. Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem) (1998) 8. Run This Town (with Rihanna & Kanye West, 2009) 9. Big Pimpin’ (with UGK, 2000) DMDB Top 10%: 10. Numb/Encore (with Linkin Park, 2004) 11. Suit & Tie (with Justin Timberlake, 2013) * 12. Izzo (H.O.V.A. (2001) 13. Holy Grail (with Justin Timberlake, 2013) 14. Heartbreaker (with Mariah Carey, 1999) * 15. ’03 Bonnie & Clyde (with Beyoncé, 2002) 16. Otis (with Kanye West & Otis Redding, 2011) 17. Déjà Vu (with Beyoncé, 2006) * DMDB Top 20%: 18. Monster (with Kanye West, Rick Ross, Bon Iver, & Nicki Minaj, 2010) * 19. Dirt Off Your Shoulder (2003) 20. Can I Get a… (with Amil & Ja Rule, 1998) 21. Clique (with Kanye West & Big Sean, 2012) * 22. Apeshit (with Beyoncé, 2018) 23. All the Way Up (remix) (with Fat Joe, Remy Ma, French Montana, & Infrared, 2016) * 24. Beware of the Boys (Mundian to Bach Ke) (with Pan’Jabi MC, 2003) * 25. Frontin’ (with Pharrell Williams, 2003) * 26. The Story of O.J. (2017) 27. Swagga Like Us (with Kanye West & Lil Wayne, 2008) 28. Lost! (with Coldplay, 2008) * 29. I Just Wanna Luv U (Give It 2 Me) (2000) 30. No Church in the Wild (with Kanye West, 2011) 31. Talk That Talk (with Rihanna, 2011) * 32. Roc Boys (And the Winner Is) (2007) 33. DOA (Death of Auto-Tune) (2009) 34. Show Me What You Got (2006) 35. Change Clothes (2003) Beyond the DMDB Top 20%: 36. Young Forever (with Mr. Hudson, 2009) 37. Excuse Me Miss (2003) 38. On to the Next One (with Swizz Beatz, 2009) 39. 4:44 (2017) 40. H*A*M (with Kanye West, 2011) 41. Fiesta Remix (with R. Kelly, Boo & Gotti, 2001) * 42. Girls Girls Girls (2001) 43. God Did (with DJ Khaled, Rick Ross, Lil’ Wayne, John Legend, & Fridayy, 2022) * 44. Mood 4 Eva (with Beyoncé , Childish Gambino, and Oumou Sangaré, 2019) * 45. Love All (with Drake, 2021) * 46. Get By (with Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Kanye West, & Busta Rhymes, 2002) * 47. What’s Free (with Meek Mill & Rick Ross, 2018) * 48. Pound Cake (with Drake, 2013) * 49. Talk Up (with Drake, 2018) * 50. I’ll Be (with Foxy Brown, 1997) * Resources and Related Links: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Jay-Z Dave’s Music Database: “Acts’ Profile Pages and Best-of Lists” First posted 12/3/2023; last updated 12/4/2023.

Jay-Z “99 Problems” charted

99 Problems Jay-Z

Writer(s): Shawn Carter, Fredrick Rubin, Norman Landsberg, Felix Pappalardi, William Squier, John Ventura, Leslie Weinstein, Tracy Marrow, Alphonso Henderson, Bernard Freeman (see lyrics here) Released: April 27, 2004 First Charted: April 24, 2004 Peak: 30 BB, 37 RR, 26 RB, 12 UK, 24 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 3.0 US, 0.60 UK, 3.80 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 19.10 video, 265.57 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Rapper Jay-Z was born in 1969 in New York City. His rags-to-riches story saw him launch a music career in the late ‘80s, found a record label in the ‘90s, become the president and CEO of Def Jam Recordings in the 2000s, and become the world’s richest musician as of 2025 with $2.6 billion. He released his first album, Reasonable Doubt, in 1996. From then until 2003, he released eight albums, all of which went platinum and six of which topped the Billboard album chart. 2003’s The Black Album sold more than three million copies and gave him two of the five top-10 hits he’d had on the Billboard Hot 100. However, it was that album’s third single, “99 Problems,” which became one of his most iconic songs despite peaking at #30. The song borrows its chorus from a 1993 Ice-T song of the same name. The song finds “Jay-Z spitting some of his hardest, edgiest raps in years.” TM He “goes off on rap critics, racial profiling and violence. (Apparently sexism, or at least the word ‘bitch,’ doesn’t bother him.) The song’s strongest message is conveyed in its second verse, when Jay-Z relays a story about being pulled over by the cops.” TM Professor Caleb Mason wrote an article in 2011 analyzing the song from a legal perspective in regards to laws about search and seizure, search warrants, and racial profiling. WK The song was produced by Rick Rubin, who famously produced such iconic rap albums as Run-D.M.C.’s Raising Hell, the Beastie Boys’ Licensed to Ill, and Public Enemy’s It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back. Rubin infuses “99 Problems” with “a guitar riff and stripped-down beat that were once Rubin’s trademarks.” WK The song samples Billy Squier’s “The Big Beat,” Mountain’s “Long Red,” and Wilson Pickett’s “Get Me Back on Time.” WK Resources: TM Time magazine (10/24/2011). “All Time 100 Songs” WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 1/24/2026.