▒▒██▒▒▒▒█▒▒██▒░░░░░░░░▒▒█▒░░▒█▒▒▒█▒███▒▒█▒█████████████████████████████████████ ▒▒▒████▒▒▒▒▒▒▒█░░█▒░░▒████░░▒█▒▒▒▒█▒▒█▒▒▒█▒████████████████████████████████████ ▒▒█▒▒▒███▒▒▒▒▒▒█░░████████░░░▒███████▒▒▒▒▒█▒███░░░░░░░░░░░██████░░░░░░░░░░░████ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒██████▒░░████▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒█████████▒▒█▒██░░░░░░░░░░░░██████░░░░░░░░░░░░███ ▒▒▒▒██████████▒░░█████▒▒▒▒▒▒████▒▒█████████▒██░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▓▓▓▓▓▓▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░███ ▒███████████▒░▒███▒██▒▒▒▒░░░▒████▒▒▒▒▒▒▒█▒▒▒██░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▓▓▓▓▓▓▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░███ █████████▒▒░▒▒████▒██░▒██▒▒▒██████████▒▒▒█████░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▓▓▓▓▓▓▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░███ █████▒▒░▒▒███████▒██▒▒██████████▒▒████████████░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▓▓▓▓▓▓▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░███ ▒▒▒▒▒██████████▒░▒█▒████████████░░░░▒▒▒███████░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▓▓▓▓▓▓▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░███ ███████████▒▒▒░░░░█████▒░░░░░░▒▒▒▒░░░░▒▒▒▒████░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▓▓▓▓▓▓▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░███ ▒████████▒░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░▒▒▒████░░░░░██▓▓▓▓▓▓▓██▓▓▓▓▓▓▓██░░░░░███ ▒▒█▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒█▒██████▒▒░▒▒░▒▒███░░░░░░░▒▒▓▓▓▓▓██▓▓▓▓▓▒▒░░░░░░░███ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒░▒██████████████▒░░░░▒███░░░░░░░▒▒▓▓▓▓▓██▓▓▓▓▓▒▒░░░░░░░███ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░▒▒░░░██████▒▒░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░▒███░░░░░░░▒▒▓▓▓▓▓██▓▓▓▓▓▒▒░░░░░░░███ █▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░▒▒░░░███▒░░░▒██████▒▒░░░░▒▒▒▒██░░░░░░░▒▒▓▓▓▓▓██▓▓▓▓▓▒▒░░░░░░░███ ██▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░▒░░░▒▒▒░▒▒▒▒████▒▒░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒██░░░░░░░▒▒▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▒▒░░░░░░░███ █▒█▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░▒▒░░░░░░░░░░░░▒▒░░░░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒██░░░░░██▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓██░░░░░███ █▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░▒░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒██░░░░░██▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓██░░░░░███ ██▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒██▒▒▒▒██░░░░░██▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓██░░░░░███ ███▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒█████████░░░░░██▓▓▓▓▓▓████▓▓▓▓▓▓██░░░░░███ ████▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒████████████░░░░░██▓▓▓▓▓▓████▓▓▓▓▓▓██░░░░░███ █▒▒█▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░▒▒███████████████▒████░░░░░████████████████████░░░░░███ ███▒▒▒████▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒██████████████████▒▒████░░░░░████████████████████░░░░░███ ████▒░▒███████████████████████████████▒████████████████████████████████████████ ███████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████ ███████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████ █░▒▓█ █▓▒░█ █░▒▓█ -====={{{{{{{ FAF Presents }}}}}}}=====- █▓▒░█ ░▒▓█ █▓▒░ ░▒▓█ █▓▒░ ░▒▓█ Jay-Z - Volume 2 Hard Knock Life █▓▒░ ░▒▓█ █▓▒░ ░▒▓▀ ▀▓▒░ ░▒▓ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▓▒░ ░▒▓ ▄▄ ▄▄ ▓▒░ ░▒▓ █ █ ▓▒░ ░▒▓█ █▓░ INFO ░▓█ █▓▒░ ░▒▓█ █████████████ █▓▒░ ░▒▓█ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── █▓▒░ ░▒▓█ Label........: Def Jam Ripper.......: sweetwishes █▓▒░ ░▒▓█ Genre........: Rap Grabber......: EAC █▓▒░ ░▒▓█ Type.........: Album Encoder......: Lame █▓▒░ ░▒▓█ # Of Songs...: 14 Quality......: VBRkbps/44.1kHz █▓▒░ ░▒▓█ Release Date.: Aug-03-2003 Size.........: 95,6 MB █▓▒░ ░▒▓█ █▓▒░ ░▒▓█ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── █▓▒░ ░▒▓█ █▓▒░ ░▒▓█ █▓░ TRACK NFO ░▓█ █▓▒░ ░▒▓█ █████████████████ █▓▒░ ░▒▓█ █▓▒░ ░▒▓██ ██▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ Track Time █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────── █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ 01.Intro - Hand it Down (Ft. Memphis Bleek) 02:56 █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ 02.Hard Knock Life (the Ghetto Anthem) 03:59 █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ 03.If I Should Die (Ft. Da Ranjahz) 04:55 █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ 04.Ride or Die 04:48 █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ 05.Nigga What, Nigga Who (Originator 99) 03:53 █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ (Ft. Big Jaz) █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ 06.Money, Cash, Hoes (Ft. DMX) 04:46 █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ 07.A Week Ago (Ft. Too $hort) 05:01 █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ 08.Coming of Age (Da Sequel) (Ft. Memphis Bleek) 04:21 █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ 09.Can I Get A... (Ft. Amil & Ja Rule) 05:10 █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ 10.Paper Chase (Ft. Foxy Brown) 04:35 █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ 11.Reservoir Dogs 05:19 █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ (Ft. the Lox, Beanie Siegel & Sauce Money) █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ 12.It's Like that (Ft. Kid Capri) 03:45 █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ 13.It's Alright (Ft. Memphis Bleek) (Bonus Track) 04:02 █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ 14.Money Ain't A Thang (Ft. Jermaine Dupri) 04:13 █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ (Bonus Track) █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ ──────── █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ 61:43 min █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ ▄ ▄ █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█ ▀▀ ▀▀ █▓▒░ ░▒▓█ ▀ ▀ █▓▒░ ░▒▓█ █▓▒░ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▄▄ ▄▄ █ █ █▓░ RELEASE NOTES ░▓█ █████████████████████ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Coming on the heels of two strong records which revealed the extent of Jay-Z's talents, Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life (it may be titled Vol. 2, but it's his third album, arguably his fourth if you count the Streets Is Watching soundtrack) is a little bit of a relative disappointment. Jay-Z had established himself as a savvy, street-smart rapper on those two records, but with Hard Knock Life he decided to shoot for crossover territory, for better and for worse. At his best, he shows no fear - witness how the title track shamelessly works a Broadway showstopper from Annie into a raging ghetto cry, yet keeps it smooth enough for radio. It's a stunning single, but unfortunately, it promises more than the rest of the album can deliver. Jay-Z remains a first-rate lyricist and MC, but too often his subjects are tired, especially since he winds up with no new revelations. Unfortunately, the same could be said for his music. For every "Hard Knock Life," there are a couple of standard post-gangsta jams that don't catch hold - and that's really too bad, because the best moments (including several tracks produced by such stars as Timbaland, Kid Capri, and Jermaine Dupri) are state-of-the-art, R&B-inflected mainstream hip-hop. And that's the problem - before, Jay-Z wasn't trying to play by the rules of the mainstream, but here he's trying to co-opt them. At times he does, but the times that fall flat have less strength or integrity than their predecessors, and that's what makes the entire record not quite as effective, despite its numerous high points. Stephen Thomas Erlewine (AMG) ░▒▓█ ▀ ▀ █▓▒░ ░▒▓█ █▓▒░ ▀▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▀ ▄▄ ▄▄ █ █ ░▒▓███████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████▓▒░ ░▒▓ ▀▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▀ ▓▒░ ░▒▓ ▄▄ ▄▄ ▓▒░ ░▒▓ █ █ ▓▒░ ░▒▓ █ █ ▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ █▓░ WHAT'S FAF? ░▓█ █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ ███████████████████ █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ FAF releases are not about the quantity of releases, nor speed. █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ FAF is strictly about Quality. How many times have you downloaded █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ that album you really wanted only to find out it pops and skips █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ throughout the entire rip. The ripper never bothered to listen to █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ his release or use good software. Well, we decided not to bitch █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ and do something about it. Any Audio Release you see from us █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ will be ripped with Exact Audio Copy (EAC) and encoded with █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ the LAME mp3 plugin for maximum compression quality █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ (it doesn't get any better than this, we've tested them all). █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ Unlike most other audio extracters EAC uses a "Secure" reading █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ method. This means that all audio sectors are read at least twice █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ (other ripping programs read it only one time). █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ When a read error occurs EAC will reread the audio data up to 82x █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ to get the correct data. EAC takes significantly longer to rip a █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ cd because of this precision, and that is the price we are █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ willing to pay to bring you the highest quality music. For people █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ wanting the best rips possible this is not a problem, but for █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ those others ripping and shipping so they can "win the race": █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ this program is not for you. The best thing about EAC is that █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ it's free and part of the open MP3 movement. █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ We don't want to hide the technology we use, if anything we are █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ going to encourage you to use it. █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ LEARN MORE ABOUT EAC HERE █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ http://www.ping.be/satcp/tutorials.htm █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ LEARN MORE ABOUT LAME HERE █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ http://www.mp3dev.org/mp3/ █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ █▓░ WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP ░▓█ █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ ███████████████████████████████ █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ -Start by learning to use EAC and LAME. █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ -Support your local music and club scene, after all when they █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ become famous you can tell your kids that you saw them in some █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ shitty club when they were nobodies. █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ -Don't be afraid to question the way things are, █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ push the envelope. █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█│█ ▄ ▄ █│█▓▒░ ░▒▓█ ▀▀ ▀▀ █▓▒░ ░▒▓█ ▀ ▀ █▓▒░ ░▒▓█ █▓▒░ ▀▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▀ ▄▄ ▄▄ ░▒▓█ █▓▒░ ░▒▓ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▓▒░ ░▒▓█ █▓▒░ ░▒▓ NFO BY: Bastard .............................Updated On: 11.04.2001 ▓▒░ ░▒▓▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▓▒░ █ █ █ █