On his 44th birthday, rapper Jay Z gifted something for his fans and critics: a ranking of the 12 studio albums he has released since 1996. He published the list on Dec. 4, with a photo of the 12 albums in order from best to worst, on his Life + Times website.
From top to bottom, taking the No. 1 spot is Jay Z's critically acclaimed debut album, Reasonable Doubt. His latest album, Magna Carta Holy Grail, claims the No. 6 position.
Jay Z unleashed Magna Carta Holy Grail in 2013, giving away one million copies of the album, purchased for $5 each by Samsung, to one million Samsung Galaxy owners, who had to download an app to snag a copy. The marketing stunt influenced the Recording Industry Association of America to "modernize" its 55-year-old certification process to immediately include digital sales.
Jay Z's rankings are already inciting debate among fans and critics, who naturally have their own opinions on where each album should rank on the list.
What is your favorite Jay Z album? Take our poll, below, to weigh in.
What is Jay Z's best solo album?
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