I'm seeing a lot of hate out there about his lyrics and ****, guess he deserves it. Reasonable Doubt and Blueprint are just perfect art, but man I REALLY love this album. The beats...Just sick. Listening through the headphones and it's just perfect. Finally giving the J Cole album a rest and my wife thanks me when I'm in the shower, ballin'.
its HOVA.. atleast get it right for your rant.. "cause even if jay-hova witness bet he'll never testify" jay-z has always been about dual meaning in everything he says..
Love this album. He may not have come as hard on the lyrical tip, but he's still Jay and he still has an ear for putting the right delivery on the right beat. Wonderful selection of production for this and captures various phases of Jay's career throughout the album both lyrically and musically. Him and Cole are rotating right now in the headphones, Yeezus has been pushed to below Action Bronson and Wale.
I am disappoint. Definitely a Jay-Z fan, and the beats went hard, but nothing on this album was mind-blowing. Not hating, but it definitely wasn't great.
I don't care if Holy Grail is a radio hit...I got that on loop! Started listening to the rest of the album on my way in.
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I heard the term "dad rap" get mentioned in a pejorative sense about the album. Of course they're borrowing that from the "dad rock" label. Though that kinda fits my view on the album at first. A song like "La Familia" just sounds like some lazy effort to fill the "tough guy" quota. When it tried to get truly introspective with songs like "Heaven", "Blue" and "Nickels and Dimes", Jay-Z still has something to stay and comes strong. Some songs do sound better on 2nd listen like "Picasso Baby", can see where they're going with the album concept. But coulda kept it down to 10-12 tracks.
This album is just not doing it for me the first listen. It doesn't even stand up to his last album Blueprint 3. This could be his worst album to date. Hip Hop is in serious trouble if an iconic artist like Jay-Z can't hit a home run on a new release.
Not necessarily time to end it but they are just like the other genres in trouble when it comes to selling music.
You seem to be in the minority by saying that this album is his worst to date. Remember when Em dropped that POS called Relapse? He and the genre survived.
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Is this album "Reasonable Doubt"? IMO, No. Is it "The Blueprint"? IMO, No... But damn, If your a fan of his earlier work, how can you not enjoy this effort. Answer me this. If you walked in the 24 Hour Fitness off of DA/Westheimer at 1:30am and found Dream aka "The Nigerian Auschwitzer" playing in a 3 on 3 pick up game with helpless American scrubs, would you: A: "Oh my God/Allah/Buddha... He is not as good as he was in 93-94, He lost it!!" and storm out furious and angry... B: Or would you sit down, watch and just appreciate the greatness that is before you? P.S. - Jay-Z made it to the finish line. Even if you cannot understand Rap music and its culture, applaud his travels. He made it from nothing to something. That in itself is greatness. He reached, surpassed, and re-defined the pinnacle of Rap. And still doing so. P.S.S. - Can I Live, Allure, American Dreamin', Beach Chair, Feelin' It, People Talkin' FTW!! Random P.S.S.S. - Eminem's best song is "Til I Collapse" Just saying. Wow. And Pun's "You Ain't A Killer" is sick as well. "Whatcha Gonna Do" too.
