Reasonable Doubt was rapper Jay-Z's debut hip hop album, released on June 25, 1996 (see 1996 in music). Though critically successful, the album, and Jay-Z, were overshadowed by the Death Row vs. Bad Boy rivalry that was then on-going. In spite of this lack of initial recognition, Reasonable Doubt received strong critical reviews and is now acknowledged as one of the most influential Mafioso rap albums of the mid-1990s. Compared to later records, Reasonable Doubt contains much more ambivalence about the value of Jay-Z's often violent, seedy life. On tracks like "Coming of Age", a sense of mourning, danger and insecurity permeate to a degree rarely seen on later recordings. Still, Jay-Z showed off his impressive creativity, notably the classic "22 Two's." His lyrics are on point, sharp and witty throughout the entire album. Allmusic's Steve Huey wrote that it is this "depth that helps Reasonable Doubt rank as one of the finest albums of Renaissance New York's hip-hop renaissance of the '90s"^*. It is often compared to Nas's debut Illmatic, but has not been able to quite match its level of critical acclaim. Reasonable Doubt is often considered Jay-Z's best album by hip-hop fans who dislike the crossover-oriented sound of his subsequent efforts (though his sixth album The Blueprint, gained equal critical praise upon its release).

On June 25 2006, Jay-Z performed the album in its entirety, in reverse order, for its 10th Anniversary. The concert was held at Radio City Music Hall in New York. Guests included Beyonce Knowles (in place of Mary J. Blige) ("Can't Knock the Hustle"), Foxy Brown ("Ain't No Nigga") and Memphis Bleek ("Can I Live").^*

Track listing

1. "Can't Knock the Hustle(Featuring Mary J. Blige)" (Carter/Foster/Miller) (Produced by Knowbody, contains sample of "Much Too Much" by Marcus Miller) - 5:17
2. "Politics As Usual" (Biggs/Carter/Willis) (Produced by Ski, contains sample of "Hurry Up This Way Again" by The Stylistics) - 3:41
3. "Brooklyn's Finest" (featuring The Notorious B.I.G.) (Bonner/Carter/Franklin/Wallace/Webster) (Produced by Clark Kent, contains sample of "Ecstasy" by The Ohio Players) - 4:36
4. "Dead Presidents II" (Carter/Jones/Phillips/Smith/Willis) (Produced by Ski, contains samples of "The World Is Yours (Remix)" by Nas and "Dreams of Tomorrow" by Lonnie Liston Smith) - 4:27
5. "Feelin' It" (featuring Mecca) (Carter/Willis) (Produced by Ski, contains samples of "Pastures" by Ahmad Jamal) - 3:48
6. "D'evils" (Carter/Martin) (Produced by DJ Premier, contains sample of "Murder Was The Case" by Snoop Doggy Dogg)and "I Shot Ya (remix)" by LL Cool J featuring Fat Joe, Foxy Brown, Keith Murray & Prodigy) - 3:31
7. "22 Two's" (Carter/Willis) (Produced by Ski, contains reperformed elements of "Can I Kick It?" by A Tribe Called Quest) - 3:29
8. "Can I Live" (Bacharach/Carter/Davis/Lorenzo) (Produced by DJ Irv a.k.a. Irv Gotti, contains sample of "The Look of Love" by Isaac Hayes) - 4:10
9. "Ain't No Nigga" (featuring Foxy Brown) (Burks/Carter/Lampert/Marchand/Potter) (Produced by Big Jaz, contains samples of "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I Got)" by Four Tops and "Seven Minutes of Funk" by The Whole Darn Family) - 4:03
10. "Friend or Foe" (Carter/Martin) (Produced by DJ Premier, contains samples of "Hey What's That You Say" by Brother to Brother) - 1:49
11. "Coming of Age" (featuring Memphis Bleek) (Carter/Franklin/Mtume) (Produced by Clark Kent, contains sample of "Inside You" by Eddie Henderson) - 3:59
12. "Cashmere Thoughts" (Bohannon/Carter/Emanuel/Franklin/Ratin) (Produced by Clark Kent, contains sample of "Save Their Souls" by Bohannon) - 2:56
13. "Bring It On" (featuring Big Jaz, Sauce Money, and Fat Joe) (Produced by DJ Premier) - 5:01
14. "Regrets" (Carter/Di Pasquale) (Produced by Peter Panic) - 4:34
15. "Can I Live II" (featuring Memphis Bleek) (Carter/Cox/Johnson) (Produced by K-Rob, contains sample of "Mother's Day" by 24 Carat Black) - 3:57
16. "Can't Knock The Hustle (Fool's Paradise Remix)" (International bonus track featuring Melissa Morgan) (contains samples from "Fool's Paradise" by Melissa Morgan)

Personnel