Wiki
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Release Date
1 January 2007
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Length
14 tracks
American Gangster is the tenth studio album by American hip hop rapper Jay-Z. It was released on November 6, 2007 in the United States via the record labels Island Def Jam and Roc-A-Fella. American Gangster is Jay-Z's first concept album, which was inspired by the film of the same name. The album features production from Diddy & The Hitmen, Just Blaze, and The Neptunes, among others. Guest appearances include Beanie Sigel, Lil Wayne, and Nas. Jay-Z released a cappella version of the album on his birthday, December 4, 2007.
Music critics praised American Gangster, and noted that Jay-Z was trying more "complex lyrics". The album was released to significant commercial success, despite being pulled from the iTunes Store, selling 425,861 copies in its first week and debuting at number one on the Billboard 200, tying Elvis Presley for the second most number one albums. The Rolling Stone magazine named American Gangster the third best album of 2007.
Two singles have been released from American Gangster. The first, "Blue Magic", was released on September 20, 2007, peaking at 55 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, 31 on the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and 17 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Tracks. The track's name is a reference to the kind of heroin that Frank Lucas sold in the movie American Gangster, the CD even came in a package similar to the one the heroin came in. The second single, "Roc Boys (And the Winner Is)…" was released on October 10, 2007, and reached 63 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, 15 on the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and 8 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Tracks.
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