The Black Album is the eighth
studio album by American rapper
Jay Z, released on November 14, 2003, by
Roc-A-Fella Records. It was advertised as his final album before retiring, which is as a recurring theme throughout the songs, although Jay Z resumed his recording career in 2006. For the album, Jay Z wanted to enlist a different producer for each song, working with
Kanye West,
The Neptunes,
Timbaland,
Rick Rubin, and
9th Wonder, among others.