The Black Album is the eighth studio album by American rapper Jay Z, released on November 14, 2003, by Roc-A-Fella Records. It was advertised as his final album before retiring, which is as a recurring theme throughout the songs, although Jay Z resumed his recording career in 2006. For the album, Jay Z wanted to enlist a different producer for each song, working with Kanye West, The Neptunes, Timbaland, Rick Rubin, and 9th Wonder, among others.