Album Review – Jay-Z and Kanye West: Watch the Throne
When two of the current giant of the hip hop genre come together what can we all expect….Greatness!! “Watch the Throne” is the much-anticipated and much-delayed collaboration between two titans of hip hop, Jay-Z and Kanye West. Released on August 8, the album is as larger than life as the two artists behind it.
Produced by powerhouse music makers such as Swizz Beatz, RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan, Hit-Boy, No I.D., Neptunes, DJ Premier, Jugganauts and Q-Tip, the album pulses with over the top excess. The album also features the vocal talents of Frank Ocean, Beyoncé, and La Roux, as well as Otis Redding, who is sampled extensively in the track, titled, appropriately enough, “Otis”.
While the opulence of the production and the artists are reflected in the music, with loads of name dropping and name-brand dropping as they extol their successes, the rappers also attempt to address deeper issues, ruminating on the American dream in “Made in America”, addressing their future children in “New Day”, and questioning black on black crime in “Murder to Excellence”.
The album is uneven, with highs and lows throughout. “Made in America” is one of the high points, being not only musically brilliant, but also packed with thought-provoking lyrics and delivery. These guys may not get any English teaching jobs but their lyrical content was bordering on brilliant.
The album could not possibly live up to the hype and expectations, and it doesn’t. Despite this, the contrasting yet similar styles of the artists, and the themes they cover, is an interesting, and often enjoyable, study.
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