Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter

Vol. 3¦ Life and Times of S. Carter is the fourth studio album by American rapper Jay-Z, released December 28, 1999 on Roc-A-Fella Records. It exhibits a return to the street-oriented sound of his debut album, Reasonable Doubt (1996). Production for the album was handled by several hip hop producers, including Swizz Beatz, Timbaland, K-Rob, DJ Premier, Rockwilder, DJ Clue, and Irv Gotti. The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 462,000 copies in its first week. It was a significant commercial success, shipping two million copies within its first month of release. Upon its release, Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter received positive reviews from most music critics. On February 14, 2001, the album was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, for shipments of three million copies in the United States.