Jay-Z/ American Gangster

As we all know, hype always follows a new Jay-Z album. Hype isnt da only thing either, haters & dickryders as well. When da Big Homie came back 2 save Hip Hop da last go round, I was mad hyped, only 2 b given a real shyt samitch. I mean da 1st 3 songs was a great start 2 da album, but then fell off sumthin horrible. Da intro track 2 Kingdom Come was str8 crack that shoulda been on this album, but I guess it didnt follow da script 2 da fullest. Da script was 2 have scenes from da movie American Gangster turned in2 a song. Lets give it a spin.

1: Intro - Jus sum shyt from da movie.

2: Pray - Great song by Hov, beat by da Hitmen wit Beyonce singing. Jay raps bout da struggles of da hustle & hopes not 2 get caught.

3: American Dreamin' - On this Marvin Gaye sample, Hov goes on bout da american dream of a rags 2 riches story. Classic!

4: Hello Brooklyn 2.0 - Let me start by saying that I hate Lil Wayne. This song would b a lot better if it had a new hook, but 2 me...SKIP! I mean come on, a Beastie Boys sample.

5: No Hook - ...And I don't need no hook for this sheeeeiiit! Proof that u dont need a chorus 4 a song 2 b good.

6: Roc Boys (And The Winner Is...) - Catchy single that a lotta peeps luv. Great song but not my personal fav.

7: Sweet - I luv this song. Great production by da Hitmen once again. "Couple mistakes here & there, not always right, but I'm always real, that's how I sleep at night."

8: I Know - I dont care 4 this song at all. SKIP! That damn Pharrell or was it supposed 2 b Pharreal.

9: Party Life - This is aiight. Nice sample, but nuttin amazin.

10: Ignorant Shit - Wit a different beat, I think I would b all bout this song. Da hook is fyre! Still worth a spin though.

11: Say Hello - IMO, this shoulda b da lead single. Da hook is fyre & production by Toomp is great, not 2 mention Jiggas lyrics. "Here comes da bad guy again." Can u say...repeat?

12: Success - Oh man! Big Homie & Lil Homie on a track once again. Is it Xmas? Like Black Republicans wasnt already a nice present. Da No I.D. production lets Dat Bitch Breathe. Lyrical game tight. But who got who? Thats 4 u 2 decide.

13: Fallin' - Great ending song 2 da album bout a gangster bein took down. Solid production. Now on 2 da bonus tracks.

14: Blue Magic - This track is a beast. I guess he is Pharreal. Nice old school flava from da Neptunes. Jay kills this track wit his impression of Rakim. Did I say da lyrics r tight bangin son!

15: American Gangster - I luv a soulful sample. Great production. "The rest of my belongings belong in the hall of fame, a list of hits next to all my names. I came." Str8 crack.

0-20: Terrible listening experience
21-40: Maybe 1 good song
41-60: A few good songs
61-80: Half r good songs, half r weak
81-100: Great listening experience, almost all r great songs

I would have 2 give this album a 88 rating. As I mentioned b4, if he used da intro on Kingdom Come & changed sum things on a few songs, then this would b a classic. Nice concept album here. On sum songs, Hovs lyrical game is sharp, while others r not as great but never slacking. Last note, Jigga hasnt lost his ear 4 beats.

4 Da Thieves

Jay-Z/ Reasonable Doubt

Before he had enough money to fill an Olympic sized pool, Hovito was an disgruntled cocaine dealer who decided to give rap a try... and it turns out he was alright at it. As legend goes, Jay started out appearing in Jaz-O tracks... then featuring in Daddy Kane tracks... but not making enough money, started a record label known as Roc-A-Fella Records, with his cronies Damon Dash and Kareem Burke. Once word got around, Ski (Camp Lo producer) offered Jay a few instrumentals... Clark Kent, and Primo later joined after discovering Jay's potential. And even Biggie decided to offer a feature job... that's what unsigned hype used to mean. This album is considered a classic, and the epitome of "Mafioso Rap", so is it worthy of your collection? I'll help you decide:

The Good:

2. Politics As Usual- Just an introduction to Sean Carter's unique flow... but you have to wait for the final verse if you want to witness Hov's equally unique lyricism.

3. Brooklyn's Finest- The aforementioned Biggie feature, notice the rap-battle aspect of this song. And you might notice Superman's superb production job... and maybe the lyricism (maybe).

4. Dead Presidents II- With one instrumental change, you go from playful to somber. People just don't make beats like this anymore, nor do people even approach Jay's lyricism on this track. This song is so much more than simply a hip hop classic. Say what you want about the subject matter, but it cannot be examined more poetically than this.

5. Feelin It'- A last second Jay record, this was supposed to be a Camp Lo track... but Jay murders this track and exhibits his flow versatility. And the hook... it's pretty good.

6. D'evils- This song is the reason that Jay is still a legend after making "Kingdom Come", why Preemo is still a legend even though he now works with Christina Aguilera and The Black Eyed Peas, and the reason Snoop still has a job and a reality show. (I may have went a little far... but you get what I'm saying... this song is really fucking good.

7. 22 Two's- The ever-necessary "Fuck The Haters" song. The song structure is kind of lame, but it still sounds pretty good.

8. Can I Live- I'm guessing Beyonce can answer the question pretty thoroughly... but I can tell you that this song is classic, "I'd rather die enormous, than live dormant".

13. Bring It On- The instrumental sounds somewhat like "Kick, Push", and the Kid Capri sample fits the vibe perfectly. This Roc-A-Fella autobiography is narrated in a real gritty way... and with the right members (Big Jaz and Sauce Money mentored Jay for years).

14. Regrets- Slow chill beat, equipped with chilling lyrics by a guilt ridden Sean Carter.

People nowadays mention the word "classic" in every other sentence... some call "Tha Carter III" a classic, and some call every Nas album a classic... when you use a word so liberally, it's overall importance and value greatly diminishes. I don't call albums classics unless they are classics... "Illmatic" is a classic, "Capital Punishment" is a classic, and "Uptown Saturday Night" is a classic. Classics are albums that take a genre of music to a level once thought unattainable and are consistently great the whole way through.
The reason I defined classic is because I believe "Reasonable Doubt" is not a classic, although the songs "Dead Presidents II" and "D'evils" are probably among rap's top 10 songs ever made... this album is hard to listen to the whole way through without once pressing the skip button. The songs that are "amazing" on this album are truly once-in-a-lifetime... no one will ever duplicate the vibe that you get from "Dead Presidents II". But the songs that are bad, are just bad (bad as in fucking terrible)... and there are at least 3 or 4 of them.

0-20: Terrible listening experience
21-40: Maybe one good song
41-60: A few good songs
61-80: Half are good songs, half are weak
81-100: Great listening experience, almost all are great songs

Now to sound contradicting, I will give this album an 86. Because even though it doesn't look right on my grade scale... the good songs more than make up for the bad ones. But they just do not make this album a classic or a must-have. At the same time they do make it an album you should probably download:

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