Shawn Carter: Life & Times

Upon its release, Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter received positive reviews from music critics. Chicago Tribune writer Greg Kot gave it three out of four stars and stated, "Jay-Z's level of self-awareness is utterly in tune with his generation's; he's not an artist so much as a multimedia-savvy product manager, in tune with how the game is played".[2] Richard Harrington of The Washington Post commented that the album "is full of reputation-building swagger, cataloguing of lyrical skills and autobiographical perspective".[15] Entertainment Weekly's Anthony DeCurtis viewed that the album "reconnect[s]" with Jay-Z's urban demographic, "with flair".[4] Steve Jones of USA Today wrote that Jay-Z's "lyrics and sense of timing are as razor-sharp as ever".[9] Miles Marshall Lewis of The Village Voice praised its production quality and lyrics, stating "Jay-Z is the best MC in hip hop. Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter [...] is the quintessential 2000-model hip hop album, and Shawn Carter is the finest MC the form currently has to offer".[10]

In his consumer guide for The Village Voice, critic Robert Christgau gave it an A rating,[3] indicating "a record that rarely flags for more than two or three tracks".[16] Christgau stated, "he goes for a rugged, expansive vigor, nailing both come-fly-with-me cosmopolitanism and the hunger for excitement that's turned gangster hangouts into musical hotbeds from Buenos Aires to Kansas City".[3] Rolling Stone writer Kris Ex found that Jay-Z "has become a better architect of songs" and dubbed Vol. 3... "his strongest album to date, with music that's filled with catchy hooks, rump-shaking beats and lyrics fueled by Jay's hustler's vigilance".[7] In a mixed review, Los Angeles Times writer Soren Baker gave it two-and-a-half out of four stars and viewed that it lacks the "biting humor and spectacular wordplay" of his previous albums.[5] Dele Fadele of NME found it less reflective than his previous work, but commended Jay-Z as "an