Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter

Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter is the fourth studio album by American rapper Jay-Z. It was released on December 28, 1999, by Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings. According to USA Today critic Steve Jones, the record marked a return to the street-oriented sound of Jay-Z's 1996 debut album, Reasonable Doubt.^[1] Vol. 3... featured production from Swizz Beatz, Timbaland, K-Rob, DJ Clue, Rockwilder, DJ Premier, and Irv Gotti, among others.

Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter
Studio album by Jay-Z
Released	December 28, 1999
Recorded	1999
Studio	Baseline Studios (New York City) The Hit Factory (New York City) D&D Studios (New York City) Sony Music Studios (New York City) Manhattan Center Studio (New York City) Quad Studios (New York City)
Genre	Hip hop
Length	71:05
Label	Roc-A-Fella Def Jam
Producer	Shawn Carter (exec.) Damon Dash (also exec.) Kareem "Biggs" Burke (also exec.) Darrell "Digga" Branch Clue DJ Premier DURO Irv Gotti K Rob Lil Rob Chauncey Mahan P. Skam Rockwilder Russell "Russ" Howard Sean "SAF" Francis Sam Sneed Swizz Beatz Timbaland Lance Rivera
Jay-Z chronology
Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life (1998) Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter (1999) The Dynasty: Roc La Familia (2000)
Singles from Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter
"Do It Again (Put Ya Hands Up)" Released: December 14, 1999 "Things That U Do" Released: January 11, 2000 "Anything" Released: February 15, 2000 "Big Pimpin'" Released: April 11, 2000

The album was well received by critics and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 462,000 copies in its first week. It has since sold over three million copies and been certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Release and reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Chicago Tribune	[3]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[4]
Entertainment Weekly	A−[5]
Los Angeles Times	[6]
NME	7/10[7]
Rolling Stone	[8]
The Source	[9]
USA Today	[1]
The Village Voice	A[10]

Vol. 3... was released on December 28, 1999, and sold 462,000 copies in its first week, while debuting at number one on the Billboard 200.^[11] The sales week was thirty-percent more than the first-week sales of Jay-Z's previous album, Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life (1998).^[12] On February 14, 2001, it was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).^[13] In 2009, the album reached sales of 3,093,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.^[14]

In a contemporary review, Rolling Stone critic Kris Ex wrote that Jay-Z "has become a better architect of songs" while hailing Vol. 3... as "his strongest album to date, with music that's filled with catchy hooks, rump-shaking beats and lyrics fueled by Jay's hustler's vigilance".^[8] Richard Harrington from The Washington Post found the record to be "full of reputation-building swagger, cataloguing of lyrical skills and autobiographical perspective".^[15] Reviewing the album in Entertainment Weekly, Anthony DeCurtis said it reconnects with Jay-Z's urban demographic, "with flair",^[5] while Steve Jones of USA Today was particularly impressed by his lyrics and flow, finding both to be "razor-sharp as ever".^[1] In The Village Voice, Robert Christgau argued that Jay-Z has too much at stake commercially to depart from "playing the now-a-rapper-now-a-thug 'reality' game with his customers, thugs and fantasists both", but he impresses with "a rugged, expansive vigor, nailing both come-fly-with-me cosmopolitanism and the hunger for excitement that's turned gangster hangouts into musical hotbeds from Buenos Aires to Kansas City".^[10] Fellow Voice critic Miles Marshall Lewis called Jay-Z "the best MC in hip hop" and Vol. 3… "the quintessential 2000-model hip hop album".^[16] Soren Baker was less impressed in the Los Angeles Times, writing that the record lacks the "biting humor and spectacular wordplay" of his previous albums.^[6]

In The Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004), Jon Caramanica later wrote, "Life & Times of S. Carter took [Vol. 2's] combination of style and substance to its apotheosis. In addition to maintaining a strong lyrical presence, Jay also showcased his talents as a master of flow, changing cadences and rhyme patterns with impressive regularity and flexibility ... Nearly every track on this album was sonically unique, and Jay rode each one with aplomb and skill".^[17] AllMusic's John Bush wrote in a retrospective review that a couple of overwrought productions ("Dope Man", "Things That U Do") keep it from being among Jay-Z's best albums.^[2]

Track listing

Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Hova Song (Intro)"	Shawn Carter K Rob Jimi Hendrix	K Rob	2:21
2.	"So Ghetto"	Carter Christopher Martin Steve Cropper Buddy Miles	DJ Premier	4:01
3.	"Do It Again (Put Ya Hands Up)" (featuring Amil and Beanie Sigel)	Carter Dana Stinson Dwight Grant Kyambo Joshua Amil Whitehead	Rockwilder	4:39
4.	"Dope Man"	Carter Ernesto Shaw Ken Ifill Darrell "Digga" Branch	Clue DURO Digga Lance "UN" Rivera[a] Chauncey Mahan[b]	4:03
5.	"Things That U Do" (featuring Mariah Carey)	Carter Kasseem Dean Joshua	Swizz Beatz	4:52
6.	"It's Hot (Some Like It Hot)"	Carter Timothy Mosley	Timbaland	4:16
7.	"Snoopy Track" (featuring Juvenile)	Carter Mosley Terius Gray	Timbaland	4:01
8.	"S. Carter" (featuring Amil)	Carter Russell "Russ" Howard Sean "SAF" Francis Whitehead	Russ SAF Mahan[b]	4:14
9.	"Pop 4 Roc" (featuring Beanie Sigel, Memphis Bleek and Amil)	Carter Shaw Ifill Grant Malik Cox Whitehead	Clue DURO	4:36
10.	"Watch Me" (featuring Dr. Dre)	Carter Irving Lorenzo Robert Mays	Irv Gotti Lil Rob	4:34
11.	"Big Pimpin'" (featuring UGK)	Carter Mosley Chad Butler Bernard Freeman	Timbaland	4:44
12.	"There's Been a Murder"	Carter Howard Francis Alana Davis	Russ SAF Mahan[b]	3:40
13.	"Come and Get Me"	Carter Mosley	Timbaland	6:09
14.	"NYMP"	Carter Stinson Brian Russell Brenda Russell	Rockwilder	4:03
15.	"Hova Song (Outro)" "Jigga My Nigga" "Girl's Best Friend"	Carter K Rob Hendrix Carter Dean Carter Dean	K Rob Swizz Beatz Swizz Beatz	11:01
Total length:				71:05

Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter
(European version)

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Hova Song (Intro)"	Carter K Rob Hendrix	K Rob	2:22
2.	"So Ghetto"	Carter Martin Cropper Miles	DJ Premier	4:01
3.	"Do It Again (Put Ya Hands Up)" (featuring Amil and Beanie Sigel)	Carter Stinson Grant Joshua Whitehead	Rockwilder	4:39
4.	"Dope Man"	Carter Shaw Ifill Branch	Clue DURO Digga UN[a] Mahan[b]	4:03
5.	"Things That U Do" (featuring Mariah Carey)	Carter Dean Joshua	Swizz Beatz	4:52
6.	"It's Hot (Some Like It Hot)"	Carter Mosley	Timbaland	4:16
7.	"Snoopy Track" (featuring Juvenile)	Carter Mosley Gray	Timbaland	4:01
8.	"S. Carter" (featuring Amil)	Carter Howard Francis Whitehead	Russ SAF Mahan[b]	4:14
9.	"Pop 4 Roc" (featuring Beanie Sigel, Memphis Bleek and Amil)	Carter Shaw Ifill Grant Cox Whitehead	Clue DURO	4:36
10.	"Hova Interlude"	Carter K Rob Hendrix	K Rob	1:33
11.	"Big Pimpin'" (featuring UGK)	Carter Mosley Joshua Butler Freeman	Timbaland	4:43
12.	"Is That Yo Bitch" (featuring Twista and Missy Elliott)	Carter Mosley Carl Mitchell Melissa Elliott	Timbaland	4:34
13.	"Come and Get Me"	Carter Mosley	Timbaland	6:43
14.	"NYMP"	Carter Stinson Brian Russell Brenda Russell	Rockwilder	4:03
15.	"Hova Song (Outro)"	Carter K Rob Hendrix	K Rob	1:17
16.	"Anything" "Jigga My Nigga" "Girl's Best Friend"	Carter Sam Anderson J. Wright Lionel Bart Carter Dean Carter Dean	Sam Sneed P. Skam Swizz Beatz Swizz Beatz	14:21
Total length:				74:15

Notes

• ^{^[a]} indicates a co-producer
• ^{^[b]} indicates an additional producer

Personnel

Credits are adapted from AllMusic.^[18]

• Amil – performer
• Darrell Branch – producer
• Mariah Carey – performer
• Drawing Board – art direction
• Fingaz – keyboards
• Kyledidthis – design
• Jay-Z – performer
• Jonathan Mannion – photography
• Memphis Bleek – performer
• Tatsuya Sato – assistant engineer
• Beanie Sigel – performer
• UGK – performer
• Dr. Dre – performer, mixing

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2000) Peak position Canadian Albums (Billboard)[19] 8 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[20] 75 US Billboard 200[21] 1 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[22] 1

Year-end charts Chart (2000) Position Canadian Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)[23] 141 US Billboard 200[24] 23 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[25] 5

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[26]	Gold	50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[27]	Silver	60,000^
United States (RIAA)[28]	3× Platinum	3,000,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

• List of number-one albums of 2000 (U.S.)
• List of number-one R&B albums of 2000 (U.S.)

References

1. Jones, Steve (January 4, 2000). "Rap's defiant voices; pop's happy 'Heart'". USA Today. p. 02D. Archived from the original on July 17, 2012.
2. Bush, John. Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter at AllMusic
3. Kot, Greg (January 9, 2000). "Recordings: Jay-Z – Vol. 3... Life and…". Chicago Tribune. section 7, p. 3. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
4. Larkin, Colin (2011). "Jay Z". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
5. DeCurtis, Anthony (January 14, 2000). "Ghetto blasters". Entertainment Weekly. No. 521. pp. 73–74. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
6. Baker, Soren (December 31, 1999). "Laid-Back Jay-Z's 'Life' Lacks His Spectacular Wordplay". Los Angeles Times. p. F28. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
7. Fadele, Dele (February 19, 2000). "Review: Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter". NME. London: IPC Media. p. 33. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
8. Ex, Kris (February 3, 2000). "The City Is Theirs: Jay-Z – Vol. 3 Life And Times of S. Carter". Rolling Stone. No. 833. p. 58. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
9. Morales, Riggs (March 2000). "Record Report: Jay-Z – Vol. 3...Life And Times Of S. Carter". The Source. No. 126. p. 256.
10. Christgau, Robert (Mar 7, 2000). "Consumer Guide: Cleanup Time". The Village Voice. Vol. 45, no. 9. p. 114. Archived from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
11. Mancini, Robert. Jay Z Grabs Top Of Album Chart. MTV. Retrieved on February 22, 2010.
12. Baker, Soren. Assault Case Won't Stop the Music—or the Sales. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on February 22, 2010.
13. Gold & Platinum: Searchable Database Archived 2007-06-26 at the Wayback Machine. Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Retrieved on September 14, 2009.
14. Trust, Gary (August 7, 2009). "Ask Billboard: Steve Vai, Jay Z, Radiohead". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
15. Harrington, Richard (January 2, 2000). "Swaggering to the Finish Line". The Washington Post. p. G12. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
16. Lewis, Miles Marshall (January 25, 2000). "The Passing of the Mic". The Village Voice. pp. 66, 120. Archived from the original on October 6, 2008. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
17. Caramanica, Jon (2004). "Jay Z". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster. pp. 424–25. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
18. Credits: Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter. Allmusic. Retrieved on September 14, 2009.
19. "Jay-Z Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
20. "Swisscharts.com – Jay-Z – Vol. 3: Life And Times Of S. Carter". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
21. "Jay-Z Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
22. "Jay-Z Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
23. "Canada's Top 200 Albums of 2000". Jam!. Archived from the original on September 6, 2004. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
24. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2000". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 10, 2015. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
25. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2000". Billboard. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
26. "Canadian album certifications – JAY Z – Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter". Music Canada.
27. "British album certifications – JAY Z – Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
28. "American album certifications – Jay-Z – Vol. 3...Life and Times of S. Carter". Recording Industry Association of America.

External links

• Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter at Discogs (list of releases)