Performer Notes

Personnel: Adonis Stropshire, A.J. Walker, Leisa Johnson, Jayms Madison, Angela Wood, Kanye West, Shannon Jones, Cheri Dennis (vocals); Marty Reid (guitar); Matthew Lehmann, Liza Lim, Jeanine Wynton, Sarah O'Boyle, Minyoung Chang, Sandra Park, Lisa Kim, Sharon Yamada (violin); Sue Pray, Dawn Hannay (viola); Eileen Moon, Jeanne LeBlanc (cello); Arden "Keyz" Altino (strings, piano, Fender Rhodes piano, keyboards); Mario Winans (strings, drums); Timon Abuptah (strings); Andy Snitzer (alto saxophone); Charles Pillow (tenor saxophone); Keyon Harrold, Jeff Kievit (trumpet); Saunders Sermons, Mike David (trombone); Bashiri Johnson (percussion); Drew Hollywood (programming); Keon Bryce (background vocals).
Audio Mixers: Hector Helgado; Jermaine Dupri; Phil Tan; Chad Hugo .
Recording information: Audiovision Studio, Miami, FL; Baseline Studios, New York, NY; Daddy's House, New York, NY; Hot Beats Recording Studios, Atlanta, GA; KMA Studios, New York, NY; Roc The Mic, New York, NY; SoundTrap Studios, Atlanta, GA; South Beach Studios, Miami, FL.
Editor: Hector Helgado.
Photographers: Arthur Elgort; Hype Williams ; J. Peter Robinson .
Arranger: Hector Delgado.
Following up his crossover-ridden return from retirement KINGDOM COME, Jay-Z presents a concept album, AMERICAN GANGSTER, inspired by the Ridley Scott movie of the same name. Contentwise, Jay is in his element, spinning street corner imagery and tales of the drug trade in the same spirit as the film, while, on the production end, 1970s R&B and soul samples dominate. The production team of Diddy, LV, and Sean C accounts for much of the record's cohesion, providing six beats built on loops from the likes of Marvin Gaye, Barry White, and Rudy Love & the Love Family.
Jigga finds plenty room to get jiggy on tracks like "Roc Boys (And the Winner Is)," "Party Life," and "I Know," a Neptunes-produced gem that sounds like a tricked-out "It Ain't Hard to Tell." Undoubtedly Jay's tightest effort since 2001's THE BLUEPRINT, AMERICAN GANGSTER features a few choice guest verses from Lil Wayne, Beanie Siegel, and Nas.

Professional Reviews

Rolling Stone (p.191) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[With] live horns, grooving on some kind of Afro-beat riff over Seventies rumble-in-the-jungle funk..."

Rolling Stone (p.108) - Included in Rolling Stone's "50 Top Albums of the Year 2007" -- "AMERICAN GANGSTER is tripped out on a Seventies-funk fantasia."

Entertainment Weekly (p.103) - "[Jay-Z uses] the film's story and period vibe to color his own elaborate legend....On 'Fallin',' the record's emotional climax, Jay-Z raps frantically as the walls close in."

Uncut (p.91) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[H]ere his favoured old soul classicism -- say, on 'American Dreamin' or 'ROC Boys' -- provides the best backdrop for his rhymes."

Q (Magazine) (p.103) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "AMERICAN GANGSTER sounds reassuringly expensive, with a hotshot production team including Just Blaze, Pharrell and Diddy's Hitmen crew."

Album: American Gangster [Edited]
#	Song Title	Time
1)	Intro
2)	Pray
3)	American Dreamin'
4)	Hello Brooklyn 2.0
5)	No Hook
6)	Roc Boys (And the Winner Is)...
7)	Sweet
8)	I Know
9)	Party Life
10)	Ignorant Sh*t
11)	Say Hello
12)	Success
13)	Fallin'
14)	Blue Magic
15)	American Gangster

Album: American Gangster [Edited]
#	Song Title	Time
1)	Intro
2)	Pray
3)	American Dreamin'
4)	Hello Brooklyn 2.0
5)	No Hook
6)	Roc Boys (And the Winner Is)...
7)	Sweet
8)	I Know
9)	Party Life
10)	Ignorant Sh*t
11)	Say Hello
12)	Success
13)	Fallin'
14)	Blue Magic
15)	American Gangster