If The Black Album is Jay-Z's last, as he publicly stated it will be, it illustrates an artist going out in top form. For years Shawn Carter has been the best rapper and the most popular, a man who can strut the player lifestyle with one track and become the eloquent hip-hop everyman with the next, an artist for whom modesty is often a sin, and yet, one who still sounds sincere when he's discussing his humble origins or his recurring doubts. After the immediate classic The Blueprint found him at the peak of his powers, and The Blueprint˛: The Gift & the Curse came as the most deflating sequel since Star Wars: Episode I, his follow-up (and possible siren song) impresses on the same level as the best of his career. As he has in the past, Jay-Z balances the boasting with extensive meditations on his life and his career. The back history begins with the first song, "December 4" (his birthday), on which Carter traces his life from birth day to present day, riding a mock fanfare and the heart-tugging strings of producer Just Blaze, along with frequent remembrances from his mother in This Is Your Life fashion. The other top track, "What More Can I Say," opens with Russell Crowe's defiant "Are you not entertained!?" speech from Gladiator, then finds Jay-Z capping his career with another proof that he's one of the best of all time, and a look into what made him that way: "God forgive me for my brash delivery, but I remember vividly what these streets did to me." He also goes out with a few words for underground fans who think he's sold too many records for his own good. On "Moment of Clarity," he lays it out with an excellent rhyme: "If skills sold, truth be told, I'd probably be lyrically Talib Kweli/Truthfully I want to rhyme like Common Sense/But I did five mil, I ain't been rhyming like Common since." The first single, "Change Clothes," is much more interesting than the lightweight club hit it sounds like, a keyboard-heavy pop sequel to the Neptunes' "Frontin'" (the anthem that rocked the summer of 2003, and his last collaboration with professional beat-maker and amateurish falsetto Pharrell Williams). And he can rock with the best as well, working with Rick Rubin on a cowbell-heavy stormer named "99 Problems" that samples Billy Squier and outrocks Kid Rock. The only issue that's puzzling about The Black Album is why one of the best rappers needs to say goodbye -- unless, of course, he's simply afraid of being taken for granted and wants listeners to imagine a ap world without him.
so does anyone else ever wonder what people do to this song when it comes on their ipod or radio or stereo? cause i was just sittin here at work thinkin bout how i was startin to dance at my desk (i have a boring job. so sue me). and i had to stop myself from like yknow...brushin my shoulders off. i realize im white. i blame my roommate. but im just sayin does anyone else do this? i know ot...
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Mog has the tagline right for this evening.Hit me!!
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As I was driving home today I began to wonder how I used to find out about new music before the wonderful internet invaded my life. I am talking a good ten years back when the only constant exposure you had to music was the radio. I guess you could include MTV as exposure, but when I was a kid I did not have the luxury of cable television growing up.Now I look at my music collection, and I wond...
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When I first saw the cover of the latest issue of NME, I thought "Ok, NME...let's not get ahead of ourselves here." As Jay-Z's mock cover of Oasis' "Wonderwall" gets freshly penned in as One Of The Greatest Moments In Music History, I wasn't necessarily a believer that the rapper had reborn the music festival. Deliver an epic performance he did, but I wasn't really buying that it made any major...
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Finally, I've come up with my "getting to know you" post, a theme that has been making the rounds. I was trying to craft just what I had to share with you guys and so I went digging into my brain and here's what came up. I'm on Shotgun.tv!I started watching MTV when I was about 2 and used to want to be Tina Turner, and I had a Boy George poster behind my high chair. The more I think about thes...
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breaking news from CNN:http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Music/11/03/defjam.suicide.ap/index.html ATLANTA, Georgia (AP) -- The executive who succeeded Jay-Z as the head of hip-hop music label Def Jam Recordings died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound near Atlanta, police said Sunday.Shakir Stewart was named the head of hip-hop music label Def Jam Recordings in June.Executive vice president Shak...
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Now, I am not particularly familiar with the oeuvre of Mr Z, but I understand that he made an unaccompanied vocal version of his "Black Album", so that others could mix newe backing tracks for it.It's fair to say that a few tracks miss the mark by a long way, as the raps and the riddims don't gel, but there are two or three decent tracks. This is "Change Clothes", performed over the Wailing Sou...
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In this LiveNation interview, Jay-Z talks about touring in depth. Everything from what differentiates his performances from his peers, to playing for international non-english-speaking fans. He also touched on the brilliance of Mark Ronson, who Jay says DJ'd for him 15 years ago. When asked about the Glastonbury controversy, Jay expresses that he's never had this sort of negative attention just...
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Both Jay-Z and R. Kelly are being sued and for the life of me I can't determine which case is a bigger bastardization of the legal system. Jay-Z is being sued for $88 million dollars by a boxer who claims Jay stole his "whispering rhyme style" and used it for monetary gain. Mitchell Rose claims to have given Jay-Z a demo tape at a boxing match in 2001, and soon noticed the rapper using his tec...
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Mog has the tagline right for this evening.Hit me!!
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so does anyone else ever wonder what people do to this song when it comes on their ipod or radio or stereo? cause i was just sittin here at work thinkin bout how i was startin to dance at my desk (i have a boring job. so sue me). and i had to stop myself from like yknow...brushin my shoulders off. i realize im white. i blame my roommate. but im just sayin does anyone else do this? i know ot...
More >
for those of you that haven't sen the jay-z documentary, "fade to black", i suggest you do immediately. this is one of my favorite parts of the film. jay-z's quote at 1:30 is some of the best shit i've heard. as most of you know, rubin produced the track "99 problems".....ill footage of rick rubin and mike d speaking of jay-z's uncanny photographic memory.
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This is what Jay was referring to when he spoke to YN & Angela Yee. View full footage of the event here. 1. Lol @ Jay's facial expression when the Mayor says: "& his wife". Another video after the jump. 2. Lol @ Bloomberg pointing out what song the journalist was referring to. Props to Splash.~~
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Here we go, another one with Jay Z cus he mashes so well...
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Thank you, thank you, thank you, you're far too kindNow can I get an encore, do you want moreCookin raw with the Brooklyn boySo for one last time I need y'all to roarNow what the hell are you waitin forAfter me, there shall be no moreSo for one last time, nigga make some noiseJay-Z - Encore [Kobra]Uploaded by Teemignon
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Yet another remix. It's a couple years old, but I still enjoy it.
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As we continue on...21-25 were seen in this space on Monday and 16-20 were up yesterday...and here goes 11-15.15. Ghostface Killah - FishscaleThe savior of the Wu-Tang Clan doesn't know how to make a wack album. Whether he's rapping over RZA beats, Dilla's donuts or MF DOOM's special herbs, it doesn't matter. I'm pretty sure Ghost could spit ill darts over the rhythm of clanging pots and pan...
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| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 Interlude |
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| 2 December 4th |
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| 3 What More Can I Say |
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| 4 Encore |
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| 5 Change Clothes |
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| 6 Dirt Off Your Shoulder |
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| 7 Threat |
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| 8 Moment of Clarity |
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| 9 99 Problems |
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| 10 Public Service Announcement (Interlude) |
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| 11 Justify My Thug |
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| 12 Lucifer |
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| 13 Allure |
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| 14 My 1st Song |
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