Produced by Rick Rubin, this rock-influenced track is considered one of Jay-Z's best, exploring themes of fame, police, and critics.
Interestingly, The Black Album sounds better digitally than most albums from its era. Rick Rubin stripped "99 Problems" down to a rock beat and a Clash sample specifically to sound loud and aggressive on car speakers and iPod headphones. The .zip file became the vessel for a sound designed to travel. Jay-z The Black Album.zip