Hip-Hop Classic #8: Jay-Z - 99 Problems (Chosen by Harry Styles)
Wednesday, November 23, 2011 at 9:58AM 
'99 Problems' is the third single from Jay-Z's eighth studio album, The Black Album, which was released in 2003 on Roc-A-Fella Records. The track is produced by Rick Rubin, which was his first Hip-Hop production in years - Rubin provided a guitar riff and stripped back beat that were once his trademark sound. During the creation of the song he used some classic 80s samples, including 'The Big Beat' by Billy Squier, 'Long Red' by Mountain and 'Get Me Back On Time' by Wilson Pickett. The single, which is a true story about Jay dealing with a racist cop wanting to illegally search his car, reached #30 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 Chart, selling 463,000 copies in its first week. An incredible piece of music from the greatest rapper to ever live.
Harry Styles, Hip-Hop, Jay-Z