Why did I review the album? Jay-Z is one of my
favorite rappers
Did I like it? Not as much as I expected to
Will I listen again? Yes, to select songs
In his song “On to the Next One” Jay
opens the song with the line “Hov is on that new s***.” In the last few years,
an evolution of music has taken root.
Beats take center stage while content is less important. On its own,
that is not a bad thing, but speaks to the evolution of rap. True to his word, Hov tries to make music
using this new model. To his credit, he does it well. In my opinion, better
than anyone currently using this model to create music. But, I don’t like this
model. For me, the appeal of rap is its ability to tell a story through the use
of cunning metaphors and an alluring flow. This method essentially ignores that
aspect of rap. If beats are your main concern, then you’ll enjoy this album. But,
if content is your goal, a large portion of tracks will leave you wanting more.
For this reason, I truly love some tracks, but remained apathetic to others.
In the first verse of “On to the
Next One”, he also says, “n***** want my old s***, buy my old albums.”
Well, I’ll take his advice.
My Favs
3. Nickels and Dimes
2. Holy Grail
1. Part II (On the Run)
Overall Rating: 75 with a recommendation to listen then decide
