"Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" is a single from American rapper Jay-Z's third album Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life, released on October 27, 1998. It features a pitch-modified sample of the song "It's the Hard Knock Life" from the 1977 musical Annie. The song was produced by The 45 King and at the time of its release was the most commercially successful Jay-Z single. The RIAA certified it as a gold single in March 1999, and it reached platinum status on July 15, 2015. In addition, it was nominated for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 41st Grammy Awards in 1999. The song peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. Outside the United States, the song peaked within the top ten of the charts in Canada, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, and United Kingdom, as well as the top twenty of the charts in Austria and Belgium. Reception Critical reception Chuck Taylor of Billboard wrote, "Now this is a new twist. Instead of sampling an '80s pop staple à la Puff Daddy, rapper Jay -Z goes after a '70s Broadway show tune, in this case "Hard-Knock Life" from "Annie". The results will grab listeners and pin them to their radio speakers, if only to figure out just what's going on here. It's this kind of clever twist and original thinking that has the potential to expand the horizons of the genre, known in particular for running the retread trend ragged. Unfortunately, this is one of those rap records that, in order to find its place on radio, has to be edited and blanked to the point of distraction. Programmers will have to weigh the value of the novelty against wondering why the artist didn't just start over with a clean slate if he intended to hit the airwaves. Still, there's no resisting the unique flavor of this clever number, which has "hit" stamped all over it." Commercial reception While it peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100, "Hard Knock Life" was also Jay-Z's first single to achieve significant success outside the United States, peaking within the top ten of the charts in several countries, including Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom. In the latter country, "Hard Knock Life" saw its biggest success, entering and peaking at number two on the UK Singles Chart in December 1998, stalling behind Britain's biggest-selling single of