American Gangster (album)

American Gangster
American Gangster
Studio album by Jay-Z
Released	November 6, 2007
Studio	Audiovision Studio and South Beach Studios in Miami; SoundTrap Studios in Atlanta; Hot Beats Recording Studios in Atlanta; and Baseline Studios, Daddy's House, KMA Studios, and Rock The Mic in New York
Genre	East Coast hip hop; mafioso rap;
Length	58:38
Label	Roc-A-Fella; Def Jam;
Producer	Shawn Carter (exec.); Antonio "L.A." Reid (exec.); Sean "Diddy" Combs with The Hitmen (also assoc.); Bigg D; Chris Flame; Danja; Idris "Driis" Elba; Jermaine Dupri; Just Blaze; Skyz Muzik; The Neptunes; No I.D.; Swizz Beatz; Timbaland; Toomp; Mario Winans;
Jay-Z chronology
Singles from American Gangster
	"Blue Magic"; Released: September 20, 2007; "Roc Boys (And the Winner Is)..."; Released: October 10, 2007; "I Know"; Released: November 4, 2007;

American Gangster is the tenth studio album by American rapper Jay-Z. It was conceived as a concept album—inspired by the 2007 film of the same name—and was released on November 6 of that year through Roc-A-Fella Records. The album features production from Diddy & the Hitmen, Timbaland, Swizz Beatz, Just Blaze, Danja and the Neptunes, among others. It also includes guest appearances by Beanie Sigel, Lil Wayne, Pharrell, and Nas. The album's production is built around 1970s soul and funk, with instruments featured on the album played by professional musicians including, horns, string arrangements, drummers, and unconventional percussion created with bottles. The album's theme is based around the gangster lifestyle, the American Dream, and Jay-Z's memories of growing up in Brooklyn, New York's Marcy.

American Gangster received widespread critical acclaim and was viewed by music critics as a return to Jay-Z's best form following the critical disappointment of Kingdom Come (2006). It was ranked among the best albums of 2007 in several publications' year-end lists, including The Austin Chronicle, who ranked it number one. Rolling Stone also named the album's second single, "Roc Boys (And the Winner Is...)", the best song of 2007.

The album was also a commercial success, debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling over 425,000 copies in its first week. This became Jay-Z's tenth number-one album, tying him with Elvis Presley for the second most number-one albums on the chart. A month after its release, it was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in December 2007. This would be Jay-Z's last album released under Def Jam Recordings before signing with Live Nation two years later.