14 Years Ago Today...

Released 14 years ago today on September 29, 1998 (the same day as OutKast's Aquemini and A Tribe Called Quest's final LP The Love Movement), Hard Knock Life mixed Jay's newfound pop sensibilities with the unapologetic street gruff he'd been previously known for. And it was all spearheaded by the pain-stricken "Annie"-sampling title track.

"I feel like, that song, that record, that album took Jay to another level," former Roc-A-Fella recording artist DJ Clue told MTV News.

Read More: Jay-Z's Hard Knock Life Took Him To Another Level