Today In Hip-Hop History: Jay-Z Dropped His ‘American Gangster’ Soundtrack 17 Years Ago

On this date in 2007, Jay-Z released his American Gangster album, which also served as the soundtrack to the movie of the same name with Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe.

It was a conceptual album that was inspired by the film of the same name. The album spawned hits like “I Know”, “Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)”, and “Blue Magic”. Guest features include Idris Elba, Lil Wayne, Beanie Sigel, and Nas. The album features production from Diddy, The Neptunes, Just Blaze, and The Hitmen.

American Gangster debuted at number one on Billboard 200, selling 425,861 copies in the first week. This album tied Jigga with Elvis Presley for second-most number one albums. It was a commercial success and viewed as a good follow-up from Hov’s 2006 album Kingdom Come.

What was your favorite song from the album?