In 2003, the Jigga hung up his mic for good, unleashing The Black Album as his swansong. Obviously that wasn't how it turned out, but this awesome album, featuring a cast of superstar producers and the mainstream rap epic, '99 Problems', did a cracking job of keeping Jay Z fans in suspense for three years till his return with 'Kingdom Come'. This special UK edition of The Black Album includes the video for the single 'Change Clothes', featuring Pharrell.
The Black Album employed Jay-Z's by-now standard line-up of the world's best producers, including Kanye West, The Neptunes, Just Blaze, Timbaland, Rick Rubin and Eminem, and not surprisingly it garnered the plaudits and sales appropriate to the (presumed) end of a stellar career, entering the Billboard Top 100 at number one, selling in millions and receiving some of the best reviews of his extraordinary career.