Jay returned last year with Kingdom Come, which you may or may not remember. Kingdom Come was hardly the creative flop it was cracked up to be, but it never had a prayer of living up to everybody's hopes. People don't just expect new records from Jay — they expect epochal events, game-changing statements. Yet Jay's retirement put his myth-building on pause, kind of like Bob Dylan's motorcycle crash in 1966. Jay stands where Dylan did in the late Sixties; he wants to get back to making music without getting stuck under his own legend. So Frank Lucas fires his imagination the way John Wesley Harding did for Dylan — an old-time outlaw who's kind of a tool, not to mention a failure, but an easily romanticized figure who helps push the artist outside his own head.
American Gangster definitely doesn't have any fluff like Kingdom Come's "30 Something" or "Beach Chair." Jay sounds relaxed, no longer worried about impressing anyone. Instead, he follows the story from the uptown dope-king ambition of "American Dreamin' " to the big-payback crash of "Fallin'." He evokes the 1970s drug underworld, playing on old-school heroin brand names in "I Know": China White, Black Rain, 9 1/2 Weeks. He indulges in the dense wordplay that was missing on Kingdom Come: "I need a personal Jesus, I'm in depeche mode/They say it's celestial, it's all in the stars/It's like Tony La Russa on how you play your cards." He connects to the Frank Lucas era in terms of music ("Papa was a rolling stone/It's in my ancestry") while indulging in his usual fly-life boasts about the view from the top ("I got watches I ain't seen in months/Apartment at the Trump I only slept in once").
The music has the Seventies vibe of The Blueprint, led by Puffy, who oversees five tracks with his reassembled Hitmen production squad. Puff keeps the Harvey's Bristol Cream flowing through "Roc Boys," "Party Life" (with a killer Miami disco sample from Little Beaver) and "American Dreamin' " (with a Marvin Gaye chorus and fierce live drums from Mario Winans). No-ID produces the crazy organ loop "Success," which also has a verse from former Jay nemesis Nas, who dubs himself the "Ghetto Othello, Sugarhill Roemello." "Hello Brooklyn" is a surprise duet with Lil Wayne, of all people, crossing the Mason-Dixon line with a wiggy Beasties bass sample. Jermaine Dupri does "Fallin' " with a soulful hook from Bilal, while the Neptunes give up the Eighties-synth mega-cheese of "I Know" and "Blue Magic" with its shouts to Rakim and break dancers. Just Blaze contributes "Ignorant Shit," an outtake from The Black Album that's spruced up with a funny Don Imus dis and a defense of hip-hop lyrics: "Are you saying that what I'm spittin'/Is worse than these 'celebutantes' showing they kitten?" This obviously has nothing to do with the concept; neither do references to the Jena 6 or dope that has "less steps than Britney." But then the concept is really just a spark to get Jay started. Forget Frank Lucas: The real black superhero here is Jay, and with American Gangster, Gray-Hova is back in black.
(Posted: Nov 15, 2007)
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- Intro (Edited)
- Pray (Edited)
- American Dreamin' (Edited)
- Hello Brooklyn 2.0 featuring Lil Wayne (Edited)
- No Hook (Edited)
- Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)... (Edited)
- Sweet (Edited)
- I Know (Edited)
- Party Life (Edited)
- Ignorant Sh*t featuring Beanie Sigel (Edited)
- Say Hello (Edited)
- Success featuring Nas (Edited)
- Fallin' (Edited)
Your Turn
Review 1 of 6
ARivas writes:
This album is one of the better rap concept albums ever made. Hova really shows his brilliance. This album gets better the more times you listen to it. The album sounds like a rainy night in New York. Album is up there with the Black Album and Reasonable Doubt. Buy the album don't just download 1 or 2 songs or you will miss overall effect of the album. Better then the movie!
Nov 14, 2007 14:20:48
Review 2 of 6
DoctorJM writes:
Well, this album is definately a turn in mr.Carter style. More melodical, less "violent" lyrics compared to the old albums, but still amazing flow and style.
Nov 14, 2007 04:14:48
Review 3 of 6
Epizzle writes:
Jay-Z is in his normal form. I am one of those fans that has felt he never fell off. Music has changed but this emcee was and still is sick. American Gangster just shows us that he is still able to do it without following industry rules. It reminds me of his first because he had nothing to lose, nothing to live up to. I feel he's came full circle due to the fact he has nothing to prove and nothing to lose again. American Gangster is a pretty smoove Cd from beginning to end with only one bump in the road (Hello Brooklyn). I don't think Lil Carter holds his weight and who told him he could sing hooks. Besides that another great Cd those that don't like J this time around need to listen to A.G. more than once. J has always been a deep listen (due to his word play) you got to listen to all his Cd's more than once (before judging weather like it or not). If you got to get it the first time out maybe your better off listen to Chris or Mr. Tell em'. Keep em' comin' Hov!
Nov 9, 2007 17:59:13
Review 4 of 6
0bendave0 writes:
i just wanna say that he is a wanna be and a if it wernt for tupac & biggie going the rap game would have been bloody exellebnt
Nov 7, 2007 08:02:13
Review 5 of 6
hennia writes:
This is this young hov's comeback. American Gangster is proof that even though his little brother has made some pretty solid albums, he hasn't passed him yet. "But to be number 1, Imma beat my brotha." Settle down Kanye; actually, bow down. The Presidito just humbleditoed you.
Nov 6, 2007 19:10:52
Review 6 of 6
Willster1983 writes:
A worthy album from an excellent MC. Jay brings his outstanding flows to create hot tracks that thrill. It's not as good as The Black Album, but its very nice.
Nov 4, 2007 09:52:57
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