Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)

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"Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" was a 1998 hit single from rapper Jay-Z's third album Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life. It became famous for the fact that it sampled the melody and chorus of "It's a Hard Knock Life" from the Broadway play Annie – sung by Danielle Brisebois – for its beat. The song was produced by legendary DJ/producer 45 King.

It is one of Jay-Z's most famous songs, and helped Vol. 2 go five-times platinum and become his mainstream breakthrough. In 2002, the song was spoofed in the movie Austin Powers: Goldmember. Jay-Z's famous command to "take the bass line out" towards the beginning of the song is sometimes mistaken for "Take the bass line up". This may have been alluded to in the spoof, when Dr. Evil says the same thing, then, when there is no change, "No? You don't have to."