On this date in 1998, Jay-Z and his Roc cohorts dropped his third album Vol.2…Hard Knock Life on their independent Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam imprint.

"Hard Knock Life," "Aquemini," "Mos Def and Talib Kweli Are Black Star" and "The Love Movement" all share the same birthdate.

Jay-Z won his first Grammy in 1999 for "Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life." Kevin Winter/Getty After "Reasonable Doubt," Jay-Z had a run of success rarely seen by a rapper at that point.

He said Biggie kept asking him to, "play it again." But the Grammy Award-winning artist called, "Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life" his "most important album." ...

According to Best Selling Albums, he's sold over 41 million albums worldwide, with his best-selling record being his second studio album, "Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life," which has shipped 5.5 million ...

On this day in hip-hop, Sept. 6, the documentary film Backstage, which chronicled Jay-Z's 1999 Hard Knock Life Tour, opened in theaters.

On this date in 1998, Jay-Z and his Roc cohorts dropped his third album Vol.2…Hard Knock Life on their independent Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam imprint.