Second review is Reasonable Doubt Jay-Z's first commercial release and favorite of all hardcore hip hop heads of his body of work. Let's get into it.

1. Can't knock the Hustle - Starts with a little intro from Scarface not really my style but I guess it's whatever gotta start the album somehow. After that it gets much better produced by Knowbody who Nas shouts out in his album cover of Illmatic. Not too familiar with him but after a quick wiki he is credited with producing Still not a player Big Pun's most famous song as well as many other hip hop acts including akon and R.E.M. All in all this song has Jay-Z's usual wordplay and flow on a beautifully produced beat with Mary J on the chorus. Not much else you can say really 5/5.

2. Politics as Usual - Produced by Ski Damon Dash's coousin slos produced a few other tracks on this album as well as CAmp Lo's debut album Uptown Saturday Night so he has some skill on the boards as well as a famous cousin. Jay lights it up on this track maybe his best track lyrically love the beat just works with Jay's rhyming style but then again Jay is great at molding his flow to the beat. This is one of those songs you can just lounge to and enjoy. 5/5

3. Brooklyn's Finest - Now here is a track would get 6/5 if that would make any sense Biggie destroys it and Jay holds his own this is my favorite track by far on this album. Produced by Clark Kent who produces a few more on this album a Biggie associate as he produced some Junior Mafia, Lil Kim, Mariah Carey as well as 50 Cent and is the cousin of Foxy Brown which explains his Jay-Z and Biggie affiliations. Love how the keys dance and then that little sample kind of goes "oooohhh". Just a well put together and complete track with two major heavyweights goin back and forth like a cipher on the street. 5/5 fa sho!

4. Dead President's II - Again produced by Ski in my book he gets minus points for using a Nas sample because this album came out two years after Nas' Illmatic but I guess that's just my opinion. However Jay comes with it again he's so hungry on this album and like the aforementioned Illmatic there is not one poorly lyric throughout the whole album. Well, maybe a little later on. Love the beat melodic and simple but he sample irks me a little bit. Still a classic and perfect example of what early Jay-Z could do. Not like his early freestyles but more refined and suited to each track he rhymes over. 4.5/5

5. Feelin' It - Again Ski produced with the keys at the beginning and that little record popping sound. But I'm not "feelin'" the chorus or the way this is put together as much as the other songs before it. Mecca is the voice of the chorus but to me this just seems a little off ca't really explain I get bored halfway through, maybe it's too slow or Jay just doesn't fit on this beat this isn't the best song on the album. 3/5

6. D'evils - Dj Premier uses a Snoop Dogg sample to perfection on a classic Primo beat, not too fancy just good I don;t know how he does it over and over and over on two of the most classic hip hop albums of all time. Jay murders it once again over the LL Cool J and Allen Toussaint samples, one of the better songs if I had to pick my favorites. No real chorus to this song but I like the way Primo has fille dthat part with the samples, and evil/devil/ induced theme makes this more meaningful I particularly like the " Even in Jehovvah witness i'll never testify." 5/5

7. 22 Two's - I have tried to count them and got 20 but I believe Jay when he says there is 22. A Ski prodced track is an interesting idea for a song where he makes it seem like he is performing a fresstyle at a club and it's funny at the end where someone in the crowd teels the MC to "shut the fuck up" after she smells some "reefer." All in all an amazing song lyrically and gets points for originality and set up. Beat is on point but not outstanding which gives the limelight to the lyrical quality. 5/5

8. Can I live - A slow beat which samples Isaac Hayes produced by DJ Irv. Horns come in nicely for the choruses to break up the monotony chorus is a little uninspired but beat claps nicey enough along, not gonna overpower anyone or make them say wow but a decent filler track. 4/5

9. Ain't No ***** - I put it like that cuz that's how it is on the album cover. Probably the best chorus/hook on the album and most dancable beat if there is such a thing on this album. This song is unforgettable and easy to like as the bass line and general rhythm make it wasy to recieve and sing along with if you feel the mood. Funky and quick sample from "Seven minutes of funk" this track is a nice change from the previous tracks featuring Foxy Brown and produced by Big Jaz Jay-Z's mentor who he later disses and feuds with. All the time giving him credit for his success. More on Him later. 5/5

10. Friend or Foe - A beat you can't help but like produced by you know how Premier of course. This is a little interlude song/skit with rapping. Love the beat don't think I can give this track a score because it is not a song really. But if I did it would be 4/5

11. Coming of Age - Produced by Clark Kent a build up beat that nicely encompasses the lyrics while providing a musical expereince with keys and synth type sounds and a back and forth bassline. Memphis Bleek rips this shit and Jay holds his own but I really love the way Bleek comes hard on this track. Sort of a youngin' to older head back and forth song/conversation. 5/5

12. Cashmere Thoughts - Clark Kent Production once more and what nice production it is humming along to the beat of the bassline while Jay raps nicely. Don;t think he really knew what to do with this beat though. Not one of his better moldings of his flow to the beat but lyrical content is decent not great. 4/5

13. Bring it On - This track features Big Jaz and Sauce Money and is produced by Premiere and sounds straight out of a gangstarr album almost. You can really tell where Jay got his flow from when you listen to Jaz on this track but Jay does outshine him by just a hair I think because of his voice. Great beat and lyrical composition which work well toghether as all Primo songs seem to do. Godfather and Bennie Blanko references give him some mafia credibility which is a recurring theme throughout the album. Reasonable Doubt is a legal term given to juries to use when convicting someone. They have to be without a reasonable doubt in order to find someone guilty. Which i think plays into the whole crime family well-connected Jay-Z theme of this album. 5/5

14. Regrets - A slower beat prodcued by Peter Panic with prominent musical instruments what sounds like a keyboard and some string instruments on top of the drum and bass which features a high pitched bell of sorts. This is the one song that placed correctly at the end of the album is his looking back at all the things he has done to get to where he's at. He knows that there will be things he regrets but he has to live with them in order to survive. A nice way to finish the album with more powerful and thought provoking lyric than previously uttered. 5/5

Average Song Score : 4(3.96 actually)


Overall Score: 93%