How Has Jay-Z Had 11 No. 1 Albums?

[EminemBase]

Checking his discography... Lately they're saying he's had eleven solo studio albums...

Now, Reasonable Doubt and and In My Lifetime Vol. 1 weren't number one albums. Reasonable Doubt peaked at #23 on the albums chart and In My Lifetime Vol. 1 at #'3.

So that makes nine number one albums. As a solo artist right. So how does he have eleven?

[Pistolpoppin]

his 3rd - 11th albums went #1
Plus
Collision Course (with Linkin Park) & Unfinished Business (with R. Kelly) went #1

[EminemBase]

Yeah I know his third album was #1. And everything since then has been. But in total that's nine. Not elevn. And I thought they were talking about solo, as a solo artist. Not collabs.

Because if that's the case Em has currently had eight with all his work included and will have ten after Recovery and the next D12 album. So he might have a chance at the record himself.

[AJS2050]

^ Relapse Refill isn't an album it charted under the name Relapse with combined sales.

Jay-Z has released loads of albums thats why his achieved so many #1 albums in the US but the problem with Jay-Z is that his albums havent sold much at all and all fail worldwide.

[EminemBase]

^ Relapse Refill isn't an album it charted under the name Relapse with combined sales.

Jay-Z has released loads of albums thats why his achieved so many #1 albums in the US but the problem with Jay-Z is that his albums havent sold much at all and all fail worldwide.

Refill is an album. It was released with a new cover, in a new case. It will be classed as one, same as Curtain Call will be. It's not an album of new material obviously but it's a CD that charted.

[EminemBase]

We're just talking about America, right?

If so then Em's albums in America are....

The Slim Shady LP - #2
The Marshall Mathers LP - #1
Devils Night - #1
8 Mile Soundtrack - #1
The Eminem Show - #1
D12 World - #1
Encore - #1
Curtain Call - #1
The Re-Up - #2
Relapse - #1

Recovery will obviously be another #1, and where did Relapse Re-Fill chart?

Yeah so he's had eight so far. And will have ten after Recovery and the next D12 album.

Which means he would only need two more to break Jay's record. But Jay is going to continue making music for a few more years probably.

Depending on how long Em keeps going though, considering he's nearly at ten himself and is three years younger than Jay... He could eventually hold the record himself.

[EminemBase]

^ Yeah, Em produced nearly everything on both D12 albums, serving as exec too, writing most the hooks and the best verses.

[KillahBee]

Jay has released so many albums, I think he averages one a album a year since Reasonable Doubt, which is a ridicously output

Im guessing the 11 albums that went no.1 are:

In my Lifetime Vol 2 & 3
The Dynasty
Blueprint, 1, 2 , 2.1, 3
Black album
Kingdom Come
American Gangster
Collab albums with Linkon Park and R Kelly

Thats 12 albums, so I suppose the collab albums dont count and one of his greatest albums went no.1 aswell

[AJS2050]

Refill is an album. It was released with a new cover, in a new case. It will be classed as one, same as Curtain Call will be. It's not an album of new material obviously but it's a CD that charted.

Yeah im just going by what the industry say and they dont class it as an official album just like the "Eminem is back" album isn't. Its not a studio album, soundtrack or complilation album.

[EminemBase]

@KillahBee Yeah but that's also why he's so inconsistent.

People like to pretend he's consistent but when you actually look at it, now... Personally I'd say he has two classics, some would say three but even with the perception of three. Generally considered to be: Reasonable Doubt, Blueprint and The Black Album.

So you have... Reasonable Doubt in 1996. Then, FIVE years and FOUR albums before he hits upon another accepted classic. Then Blueprint 2 - Considered one of his worst, then The Black Album - Another accepted classic, then Kingdom Come - Generally considered his worst. Then American Gangster and then Blueprint 3 - Now also considered one of his worst.

That's very bad consistency. Where as Em went - Three classics in a row, all better than the last, one mixed and one good. And now hopefully another classic. That'll be 4/6 classics compared to Jay's 3/11. Jay don't have back to back classics like Em, he has scatterings.

[KillahBee]

EBase I agree with you 100%
The In My Lifetime series could have been cut down to two albums with the best material from the 3 albums, which would have cut most of the filler and would have made 2 very good albums.

BP 2 never should have been a 2 disc, that album was full of filler, but it would have made a really nice single disc (he did release 2.1 but even then some of the filler was left on).

I do think that he has 3 classics in his own right (RD, BP1 & the Black Album) but he has released some poor albums, but even Kingdom Come could have been a decent album if he cut the filler, unforunetly he didn't and it was pretty much a mess, same as BP3.

I agree that quality wise, Em has been way more consistent than Jay, and hopefully Recovery will back that up even futher

[Ella]

Vol. 2
Vol. 3
The Dynasty
The Blueprint
The Blueprint 2
The Black Album
Unfinished Business
Collision Course
Kingdom Come
American Gangster
The Blueprint 3

^ there u go... but only half of that were classics imo

[Ella]

@One Mic well thats ur opinon lol.. The Black Album is my fav Jay-Z album & for me Reasonable Doubt, Blueprint, Vol.1 are all classics that many ppl agree with..

like i said before Jay's worst is 1000 times better than Em's... prove me wrong lol

[EminemBase]

@One Mic well thats ur opinon lol.. The Black Album is my fav Jay-Z album & for me Reasonable Doubt, Blueprint, Vol.1 are all classics that many ppl agree with..

like i said before Jay's worst is 1000 times better than Em's... prove me wrong lol

Not true at all about Jay's worst being better than Em's.

I'd listen to Encore over Kingdom Come any day. I can't prove you wrong because if that's how you feel and it's down to your taste... It's not like it's a maths problem that I can point out logical truths to.

It's opinion. But Eminem is a better MC and a much more creative artist then Jay-Z. Jay-Z's worst is generally considered Kingdom Come and Em's Encore. Where is Jay's "Mosh" even on that record. Regardless of what you think of Em's political gusto, whether you liked the song or not - Point is he was still taking risks and doing something worth noting. Jay doesn't make revolutionary music or anything truly striking or unique.

PLUS, even when Em was rapping about shoving gerbals up his ass, his creativity on the mic - his rhyming, his delivery - All make his music much more fun and entertaining to my brain. Plus he's musically better, being that he's a producer too, he just crafts better songs.

[KillahBee]

In regards to Jay's best being better than Em's best, it is hard to say

Encore vs Kingdom Come: ok both albums where a mess, to me "Beach Chair" is a brilliant track, and there are a few other good tracks on Kingdom Come, Enocre, well you have Evil Deeds, Mosh, Em's verse on Spend Some Time, and Like Toy Soldiers & Mockingbird are loved by a lot of people (not myself though)
both albums are weak, I might give Kingdom Come the edge though, again mainly because of Beach Chair and the first 3-4 tracks on that album

BUT one thing you can't argue about imo is Em's best > Jay's best, The Way I Am, Stan, Till I Collapse, Sing For The Moment, Rock Bottom - unfuckwitable tracks right there!