Jay-Z - American Gangster

[buckshotstheone]

I prefer paragraph format reviews so i won't be going track by track and giving a 1-10 score. Sorry but you have to read to get this one....


After Kingdom Come it was apparent that Jay-Z needed to make an album that would reaffirm his status in the game. In addition to poor reviews Kingdom Come didn't really hit hard with fans, perhaps hip hop isn't ready to be that mature yet. So after a year Jay-Z comes out with one of his finest works to date. At a time when there is pressure to clean up hip hop, Jay-Z is dropping a record that throws a mean punch to the do-gooders who are trying to rectify a supposedly bad situation in the culture. American Gangster, a concept album relying heavily on content from the movie of the same name, mixes 70's soul with the newer sounds of hip hop radio. Starting with "Pray", Hov comes in hard, beat pounding, birthing himself into the Frank Lucas character. Though the first half of the album is probably weaker than the second, Jay still manages to drop knowledge on "American Dreamin'" and "No Hook". The latter being a defense of his talent to bring lyrics during a time of hatred in hip hop. The single, "Roc Boys", is an uplifting head-nod to the flashy lifestyle of the hustler, quite reminiscent of the Reasonable Doubt days. The Neptunes ad a spacey, yet strangely enjoyable track for the ladies in the form of "I Know". Along with "Party Life", Jay shows his continuing versatility to be able to make records for all audiences. After "Party Life" the album kicks into high gear. Jay makes a brilliant statement regarding the Don Imus controversy on a once throwaway track now revamped and featuring the bulldog Beanie Sigel with "Ignorant Shit". "Say Hello" is a smooth groove with some more insightful knowledge from the "bad guy". Nas adds his two cents for a bluesy look at the high life on "Success". For those who hate boastful raps, Jay does it perfectly by going above and beyond what most rappers say, not just rhyming about how rich he is, but how he doesn't even have time for all his riches ("got an apartment at the Trumps, i only slept in once"). To finish he drops "Fallin", a return to boom bap with elements of the new hip hop sound that blend incredibly with Jay's warnings of the inevitability of a gangster's life. Bonus tracks include the first single "Blue Magic" and a sample-heavy, title track banger courtesy of Just Blaze. A perfect ending to a near flawless album. The only real disappointment is the out of place "Hello Brooklyn". While the beat has the ability to rattle trunks, the guest appearance by Lil' Wayne is an obvious attempt to capitalize on a questionable rapper's current appeal.

All together this album is right up there with Reasonable Doubt and The Black Album. The only record in close range of American Gangster is In My Lifetime, or possibly The Blueprint. Jay-Z will certainly silence any critics who thought he may have fallen off or perhaps matured to much for the hip hop scene. This record is a solid album that will be appreciated for years to come.



Joints for the passing listener = Fallin', American Gangster, Ignorant Shit

[junius]

thanks for posting that; i viscerally-- & intellectually-- disagree but i've disliked Jay from the beginning, for the most part, & the man has NO classics in my book. i understand tho' that the streets & the ladies disagree... OK.

HOWEVER, buck, apply the same close listening criteria to Ghost ("Pretty Toney" kills "Am Gangster" for soul), Hell Razah, Smif N Wessun, Wisemen (really listen to all the lyrics) etc etc... while i'm not gonna argue against your liking Jay, he doesn't need the attention & is NOT bringing new or unique shit to the game, other than his personality which, like i said, can go fuck itself for all i care.

ask yourself, why not put the shine on others at the same time? otherwise, whether you realize it or not, you're just ADVERTISING for Jay. i can tell you think about this shit so think a little harder-- the Jay-Z brand doesn't shit to me (& lots of others, even here in BK).

[DUMBO]

this is the album review section.

i thinking reviewing an album here is fair game.

[buckshotstheone]

i'll agree that Pretty Toney definately brings a better soul element than American Gangster, but sonically the Jay album is far superior. I'm not gonna argue that there are plenty of artists who are lyrically better than Jay. There are tons are beats that are better than what is on this record. But Jay's style is so unique in that he can say the simplest thing and it sounds dope. He got a line on the record where he uses the old adage "what came first the chicken or the egg". Now we all know this phrase has been used countless times by everyone but, i've never heard it in a hip hop record (i could probably be proven wrong on this) but also it sounded dope when he said it. So yes i'm sure Hell Razah and Wisemen got better lyrics, but as far as an album that ANYONE can get into, i think this Jay album does it. Whether you are looking for some straight up lyrics (No Hook, Ignorant Shit), some bitch tracks to fuck your girl to (Sweet, I Know, and Party Life) or you got a phat blunt and wanna bump some dope shit (Fallin, Say Hello) you can do it all with this record, it got something for everyone. Universal appeal, that is what Jay is so damn good at. Hell Razah just dropped a SICK album, but the amount of people who are gonna feel it is microscopic in the amount of people who can get into this Jay album. Not saying one is better than the other, but universal appeal is something that has given credit to dope MC's all along. Rakim might not drop lyrics like Canibus but Rakim knows how to connect to people. Chuck D might not be as political as Immortal Technique but Chuck D knows how to connect to people. The more universal the appeal, the bigger the impact, regardless of personality.

Why do i just "advertise" for Jay? Well shit I could post a review for the new Hell Razah record as well, but this album is the one dropping, with a lot of hype leading up to it. I wanted to give it a fair review since I have been studying it closely for the last few days. Once i peep that new smif n wessun record i'll give you a review of that too, but right now i can't get that Jay-Z out my deck........

[DR. NICK RIVIERA]

yup, Jay just came back to my top15 MCs of all time ...he killed it (Hello Brooklyn the only one on skip)

[ballistic]

this album was a big surprise to me. i was actually among the few who liked Kingdom Come for what it was, though i couldn't deny that one could point at certain moments in the album to make the argument that Jay wasnt the MC he once was. so i wasn't expecting a banger here, perhaps just another solid album with a smattering of bright spots. but good lord, hova's back. his flow is impeccable once again, he doesnt sound tired, and his personality, one of the aspects of Jay's artistry that sets him apart from most others, is stronger than ever. crazy wit & charisma back in effect for the Jiggaman, as is he.
Lil Wayne fucked up the hello brooklyn track. i don't know what that was about. my friend suggested today that maybe Jay had him on a track just to show how so much sharper his sword is.

[oDoUoSoKo]

i think this album doesnt even compare to volume one...im not sure where all this talk about how great this album is, is coming from...we hear the same album? with the ameteurish rhymes? and just above average beats? w/e man.

[Prolifical ENG]

Ive heard many things about this album...initially i wasnt going to bother to check jay, nas, etc in this last quarter...but im getting my drinks ready for this for a listen

[buckshotstheone]

i'm notorious for always judging an album based on the last album. i don't like Late Registration because it's not as good as College Dropout. but i LOVE Graduation because it is way better than Late Registration. by the same token i think Black Album is classic, so even though i liked Kingdom Come it couldn't touch that last joint. so with American Gangster i think part of the reason i think it is so incredible is because the last record wasn't amazing......sucks always comparing a record to the one that came before it

[junius]

thanks, Buck. i STILL think Jay is a fatuous prick but if he's a favorite of yours... it's like arguing who's favorite color is better, mine or yours-- there's no right or wrong. that said, by paying giving Jay that much credit (way more than I think he deserves), you really need to open up that way to others, including 50, who's best verses to me are both funnier & more menacing. (Ghost as a complete artist on an another level than Jay also.)

now, another tack you can take as a critic is to be Mr. Empathy, i.e. you listen for the best in each artist, with Jay perhaps at your summit of the popular artist. I always do try Jay but I think he's-- at best-- a good party rapper. Verse for verse, compare "Am. Gangster" to even a "just" good or very good record like the last Boot Camp Click...

... I don't give a fuck if Jay is a rich asshole with a witless cunt girlfriend; that's his problem as an artist if not many have made it out that with their creativity intact... i'm not giving him credit just "for trying," ESPECIALLY when he has such bullshit politics. (Speaking of local Brooklyn things ya'll don't hear about.)

[ballistic]

50 over Jay? damn man. i respect your opinion and all but...damn. jay-z has mastered a style that is entirely unique to him. it's hard to compare him lyrically to other MCs because lots of times his delivery is so smooth and effortless that whatever he says comes out as gold. with jay-z there's a certain undeterminable element that just makes him straight up dope. this is not to say, however, that jay is not a formidable lyricist. i'm very critical when it comes to assessing MCs and writers/lyrical performers in general so i'm not just listening to him for the live party tracks. his songwriting is sophisticated in its crafty subtlety. if you just give a kind of half-hearted listen to jay you might not pick up on what's happening in the verse beneath the surface, and you may be convinced that he isn't all that great of a lyricist. this is how i used to feel. i had to realize that hov doesnt have the kind of in-your-face lyrical ridiculousness like, say, a ras kass or canibus or talib kweli. you hafta kind of dissect his shit. his word play and analogies can be on some next-level shit, too. but yeah junius, you seem like a music fan i'd definitely respect so i feel what you're saying. this is just why i like Jay-Z.

[junius]

well, of course Jay has had a longer career than 50, Ballistic, & it doesn't have to be one or the other. what ya'll say about Jay's delivery/style-- OK, that's an line of appreciation that goes back to opera singers, Sinatra, certain soul singers who didn't really write their stuff, etc... it's like some dudes LOVE big tits, others like smaller ones w/other parts of much more interest. (or gay/straight, etc.)

what i really want to get out tho' is that CONTENT & lyricism, "maturity," poetry, all that stuff that Jay fans talk up... he ain't that special or, if he is, you (in general) gotta admit when others are too.

to give two examples:

50s verse on "Hate It Or Love It (Remix)"-- can anyone front on that, from content to delivery to vulnerability AND a good beat? I happen to like Young Buck's verse more than anything by Jay on "Gangster" too but that's my taste.

the uncensored "Man Down" is a LOT more street feeling than anything on "Gangster," & if not totally political... more than Jay manages. 50 might not fight Interscope 100% but what did Jay say or do about, say, the Sean Bell killing? (Ya'll might remember Papoose did a song & Nas payed for the funeral.)

i could give a shit about "conscious" rap in general, i.e. the music as a whole comes first regardless of the "message" but Jay has a l-o-n-g way to go before earning some of the high accolades he gets for "maturity." i don't even like Dead Prez so forget them but he can at least show Talib how it's done, yes?

lastly, Memphis Bleek. (worst Brooklyn rapper w/a "career"... ever?!)

[ballistic]

well yeah certainly, the importance of delivery in music goes back as far as music does, so that's always something you look for; Jay's brand of delivery is one of the hallmarks of his style that, i feel, sets him apart from the rest. i think delivery/flow is one of the primary elements in the criteria for what makes a a good MC. i dont like everything that Jay-Z has done but, at his best, he can flow like silk for days while still maintaining a consistent voice that allows him to take interesting and creative perspectives on any number of things with a refreshing dose of word play. while his swagger amplifies his lyrics, the reverse is also true. he's also very believable as an artist, and i'm not talking about street credibility here. for the viewer/receiver of a piece of art to really get into that piece and appreciate it-be it an album, a book, a painting-there is a basic assumption that there is a certain earnestness or belief behind the piece; that is, the artist has to convince his potential audience that he is sincere through the intensity or innovation in his work so that the audience has a reason to care or take note. Jay-Z has convinced this listener. i appreciate his lyricism and while i dont consider him to be the GOAT, i do rank him among the best. "i got an appetite for destruction and you're a small fry..."

[buckshotstheone]

well yeah certainly, the importance of delivery in music goes back as far as music does, so that's always something you look for; Jay's brand of delivery is one of the hallmarks of his style that, i feel, sets him apart from the rest. i think delivery/flow is one of the primary elements in the criteria for what makes a a good MC. i dont like everything that Jay-Z has done but, at his best, he can flow like silk for days while still maintaining a consistent voice that allows him to take interesting and creative perspectives on any number of things with a refreshing dose of word play. while his swagger amplifies his lyrics, the reverse is also true. he's also very believable as an artist, and i'm not talking about street credibility here. for the viewer/receiver of a piece of art to really get into that piece and appreciate it-be it an album, a book, a painting-there is a basic assumption that there is a certain earnestness or belief behind the piece; that is, the artist has to convince his potential audience that he is sincere through the intensity or innovation in his work so that the audience has a reason to care or take note. Jay-Z has convinced this listener. i appreciate his lyricism and while i dont consider him to be the GOAT, i do rank him among the best. "i got an appetite for destruction and you're a small fry..."

very well written. i agree 100%. great contribution

[bad boy T]

First listen very disappointing