“Truthfully I wanna rhyme like Common Sense, but I did 5 mill’ – I ain’t been rhyming like Common since.” Before Hov was Hov, he was an independent rapper with a distribution deal through Priority Records hustling his first album.

But it didn’t take long for Jay-Z to become the biggest rapper in the world. In fact, it was only two years later, with the release of Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life which boasted smash hits like “Can I Get A…” and “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem).”

Hov has never been a crazy sales machine like Eminem or 50 Cent; he’s never sold close to a million in his first week or moved diamond units. What he does have over every other rapper in the world is consistency – Hov has the number one rap album of all time , and has the most platinum albums for a rapper of all time .

So let’s get into it, we’re going to look at Jay-Z’s best selling albums of all time.

Note: you can also check out our rankings of Hov’s biggest first week album sales .

Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life

Ranking Jay Z First Week Album Sales Vol 2

Released: September 29, 1998

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

First week album sales: 352,000

Billboard 200 position: 1

Sales: 5,400,000

Singles: “Can I Get A…”, “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)”, “Money, Cash, Hoes”, “Nigga What, Nigga Who (Originator 99)”

The Black Album

Ranking Jay Z First Week Album Sales Black Album

Released: November 14, 2003

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam, IDJMG

First week album sales: 463,000

Billboard 200 position: 1

Sales: 3,516,000

Singles: “Change Clothes”, “Dirt off Your Shoulder”, “99 Problems”

Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter

Ranking Jay Z First Week Album Sales Vol 3

Released: December 28, 1999

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam, IDJMG

First week album sales: 462,000

Billboard 200 position: 1

Sales: 3,093,000

Singles: “Do It Again (Put Ya Hands Up)”, “Things That U Do”, “Anything”, “Big Pimpin’”

The Blueprint

Best Hip Hop Album Every Year Since 1986 Blueprint

Released: September 11, 2001

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam, IDJMG

First week album sales: 427,000

Billboard 200 position: 1

Sales: 2,711,000

Singles: “Izzo (H.O.V.A.)”, “Girls, Girls, Girls”, “Jigga That Nigga”, “Song Cry”

The Dynasty: Roc La Familia

Ranking Jay Z First Week Album Sales The Dynasty Roc La Familia

Released: October 31, 2000

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam, IDJMG

First week album sales: 557,789

Billboard 200 position: 1

Sales: 2,521,000

Singles: “I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)”, “Change the Game”, “Guilty Until Proven Innocent”

The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse

Ranking Jay Z First Week Album Sales Blueprint 2

Released: November 12, 2002

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam, IDJMG

First week album sales: 545,000

Billboard 200 position: 1

Sales: 2,117,000

Singles: “’03 Bonnie & Clyde”, “Hovi Baby”, “Excuse Me Miss”

The Blueprint 3

Ranking Jay Z First Week Album Sales Blueprint 3

Released: September 8, 2009

Label: Atlantic, Roc Nation

First week album sales: 476,000

Billboard 200 position: 1

Sales: 1,933,000

Singles: “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)”, “Run This Town”, “Empire State of Mind”, “On to the Next One”, “Young Forever”, “A Star Is Born”

Reasonable Doubt

Greatest Rap Album Opening Lines Of All Time Reasonable Doubt

Released: June 25, 1996

Label: Roc-A-Fella

First week album sales: 43,000

Billboard 200 position: 23

Sales: 1,514,000

Singles: “Dead Presidents”, “Ain’t No Ni**a”, “Can’t Knock the Hustle”, “Feelin’ It”

Kingdom Come

Ranking Jay Z First Week Album Sales Kingdom Come

Released: November 21, 2006

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

First week album sales: 680,000

Billboard 200 position: 1

Sales: 1,510,000

Singles: “Show Me What You Got”, “Lost One”, “30 Something”, “Hollywood”

In My Lifetime, Vol. 1

Greatest Rap Album Opening Lines Of All Time Vol 1

Released: November 4, 1997

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

First week album sales: 138,000

Billboard 200 position: 3

Sales: 1,412,000

Singles: “(Always Be My) Sunshine”, “The City Is Mine”, “Wishing on a Star”

American Gangster

Ranking Jay Z First Week Album Sales American Gangster

Released: November 6, 2007

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam, IDJMG

First week album sales: 425,861

Billboard 200 position: 1

Sales: 1,131,000

Singles: “Blue Magic”, “Roc Boys (And the Winner Is)…”, “I Know”

Magna Carta… Holy Grail

Ranking Jay Z First Week Album Sales Magna

Released: July 9, 2013

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Roc Nation, IDJMG

First week album sales: 528,000

Billboard 200 position: 1

Sales: 1,130,000

Singles: “Holy Grail”, “Tom Ford”, “Part II (On the Run)”

4:44

Ranking Jay Z First Week Album Sales 4 44

Released: June 30, 2017

Label: Roc Nation, UMG

First week album sales: 262,000

Billboard 200 position: 1

Sales: 399,000

Singles: “4:44”, “Bam”, “Family Feud”

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