| "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Jay-Z | ||||
| from the album Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life | ||||
| Released | September 3, 1998 | |||
| Format | 12-inch single, Cassette, CD, Vinyl | |||
| Genre | East Coast hip hop | |||
| Length | 3:58 (Album Version) 3:36 (Edit) |
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| Label | Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam | |||
| Writer(s) | Shawn Carter/Charles Strouse/Martin Charnin | |||
| Producer | The 45 King | |||
| Certification | Gold (RIAA) Silver (BPI) | |||
| Jay-Z singles chronology | ||||
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"Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" is a single from rapper Jay-Z's third album Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life. It samples the song "It's the Hard Knock Life" from the Broadway musical Annie. The song was produced by The 45 King and at the time of its release, was the most commercially successful Jay-Z single. The RIAA certified it as a gold single in March 1999. In addition, it was nominated for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 41st Grammy Awards in 1999.
It was ranked number 11 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip-Hop.
The song was parodied by Mike Myers's character Dr. Evil in the 2002 movie Austin Powers in Goldmember.
"Hard Knock Life" was Jay-Z's first single to achieve success outside the United States, reaching the top 10 in several countries. Commercially, its biggest success came in the United Kingdom, where it reached #2 in December 1998.
Contents |
| Chart (1999) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 31 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 14 |
| Belgium Singles Chart | 11 |
| Canadian Singles Chart | 19 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 6 |
| French Singles Chart | 21 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 9 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 10 |
| Norway Singles Chart | 4 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 6 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 7 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 15 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | 10 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Singles | 2 |
| UK Singles Chart | 2 |
| End of year chart (1998) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[1] | 89 |