Which 1998 Jay-Z single samples 'It's the Hard Knock Life' from the musical Annie?

The 1998 Jay-Z single that samples “It’s the Hard Knock Life” from Annie is “Hard Knock Life,” officially titled “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem).”

The song appeared on Jay-Z’s third studio album, Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life, and was released as a single on October 27, 1998. Producer the 45 King transformed the musical-theater source into a hip-hop track by using a vocal and pitch-modified instrumental sample from the 1977 musical Annie.

The contrast between Annie’s child-centered show tune and Jay-Z’s street-focused lyrics became the song’s defining creative hook. It was a major commercial breakthrough and, at the time, Jay-Z’s most successful single. The track later became closely associated with the album title itself, which is why quizzes often shorten the answer to “Hard Knock Life.”

A common mix-up is choosing “Can I Get A...,” another single from the same album and the previous title in Jay-Z’s 1998 single chronology. “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)” reached No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100, earned a Grammy nomination, and was eventually certified platinum in the United States.