my fave black album remix is definitely the white albulum (remixed by kno of the cunninlynguists)... i'll hook you up with some tracks if you're interested. the beats on that album are bananas and they really mesh well with jay-z. with that said, i really do like the original album a lot as well. i think jay has a very good knack for picking beats that he will sound fresh over, commercial appeal or not. fact is, none of the songs on there got huge widespread radio play (to the level of big pimpin/i just wanna love u/h to the izzo) besides dirt off your shoulder - and yet i think it was his best album to date alongside reasonable doubt.