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The Best of Both Worlds (2002)

Where the lyrics of The Best of Both Worlds take you, and where it was really made.

The first full collaboration between R. Kelly and Jay-Z debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, yet critics were mostly mixed, and Jay-Z later called the first album amazing.

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Album story

Overview

• The Best of Both Worlds: first collaborative album by R. Kelly and Jay-Z
• Released March 19, 2002 through Jive Records, Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam Recordings and The Island Def Jam Music Group
• Produced primarily by R. Kelly and Poke and Tone, with additional production by Megahertz and Charlemagne
• Guest appearances by Beanie Siegel, Lil' Kim and Devin the Dude
• Three singles: "Honey", "Get This Money" and "Take You Home with Me a.k.a. Body"

Background

• "Honey" released January 16, 2002 as the lead single
• "Honey" failed to chart on the US Billboard Hot 100 but peaked at number 35 on the UK Singles Chart
• "Get this Money" released March 2002, failed to chart
• "Take You Home with Me a.k.a. Body" released May 21, 2002, failed to chart

Recording

• Credits list Chicago Trax Recording Studio among the recording locations
• Other credited studios include Rock Land Studios, Baseline Studios, Basement Studios in New Jersey, TransContinental Studios and Sony Music Studios in New York City
• Mastered by Tom Coyne at Sterling Sound

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Early life

• Shawn Corey Carter, born December 4, 1969, in Brooklyn, New York City.
• Raised in Marcy Houses in Bedford–Stuyvesant; mother Gloria Carter raised him and his three older siblings after his father left when he was 11.
• Dropped out of Trenton Central High School during his sophomore year.
• Adopted the stage name Jay-Z in homage to his mentor Jaz-O.

Career

• Began recording in the late 1980s, contributing verses to Jaz-O's records.
• Co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records; debut album Reasonable Doubt (1996) was critically acclaimed.
• Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life (1998) became his most commercially successful album, certified 6× Platinum in the US.
• The Blueprint (2001) debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.
• Led Def Jam Recordings as president and CEO from 2004 to 2007.
• Founded Roc Nation in 2008 and later 4:44 (2017) and Everything Is Love with Beyoncé (2018).
• Has 25 Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Music critics gave the album generally mixed reviews
• AllMusic's Jason Birchmeier gave two stars out of five, saying the album falls short of both artists' high standards
• USA Today's Steve Jones gave three stars out of four, saying the album falls short of genius

Reappraisal

• Jay-Z later said the first The Best of Both Worlds is amazing

Records

• Debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, selling 223,000 copies in its first week
• Jay-Z's fifth US top-ten album and R. Kelly's fifth on the chart
• Second week number four, with 137,000 more copies sold; third week number six, with 82,000 more
• Certified platinum by the RIAA on May 14, 2002 for shipments of over one million copies
• Ranked as the 99th most popular album in the US in 2002
• Had sold 875,000 copies in the United States as of November 2004

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The lead single "Honey" contains a sample of "Love You Inside Out" by the Bee Gees.
• The Discogs notes say "It Ain't Personal" embodies portions of "Voyage to Atlantis".
• Jay-Z later said the first The Best of Both Worlds is amazing.
• French Wikipedia notes the two artists would reunite two years later for Unfinished Business.
• Discogs lists "Naked" as an R. Kelly solo track.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com · fr.wikipedia.org

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