Watch The Throne, the collaborative album by Jay-Z & Kanye West, is the best album of 2011. No I have not listened to every album that came out this year. No the year isn't over with. And honestly, it doesn't matter! If you want me to be politically correct, Watch The Throne is the best Hip-Hop album that I've personally listened to this year. Better?
But if you have not bought or at least listened to this album, you are truly missing out.
If you like catchy hooks, check out No Church in the Wild, Lift Off, or Made in America
If you like samples or laid back, throwback-type beats, listen to New Day, Primetime, or The Joy
If you like punch-line heavy, bragadocious lyrics you gotta hear N*ggas In Paris, Otis, Gotta Have It, H.A.M., Illest ______ Alive & Who Gon Stop Me (Jay-Z went INNN on this one)
Ladies, they give you props on That's My...."Chick"
If you are into lyrical content and subject matter, you have songs like Why I Love You, Welcome to the Jungle, & Murder to Excellence to listen to.
And really, some of the songs can fit into multiple categories.
This album, has something for everyone. From the club goer, to the lyrical fiend, or to the ones that say "I just like good music", this album has at least one song for you. But I would be surprised if you only liked one song.
To be fair, when I first listened to the entire album, I was underwhelmed. Few songs stuck out from the beginning as undeniable smashes. However, some songs took a while to get acclimated to. For example, I still can't really get into New Day like I want to. The lyrics and message are good, but the beat is not my favorite. But when it comes down to it, I'm one of those lyrical fiends ha ha. But some of you may not be that, and that's ok. All I can tell you is that this album as a whole, is amazing. Production is out of this world. The sounds, the way they use the sounds, the way they rap over the sounds is just phenomenal. No beat sounds like the other. No song sounds like another song. Yes, comparisons have been made about Lift Off being similar to All of The Lights production-wise. What they fail to realize is that the two songs do not sound the same, it's just the fact that both songs sound EPIC that make people who just hear the music, and not listen, think that they are more similar than they are. And if you listen to Lift Off entirely, you hear that there is a total switch in sound and beat towards the end...genius! I really don't know what else to say. Lyrics are amazing! The metaphors, the symbolism, the imagery, the story telling, the truth behind these lyrics are just awesome.
"I made 'Jesus Walks' I'm never goin' to Hell. Couture level flow is never goin' on sale. Luxury rap, the Hermes of verses. Sophisticated ignorance, write my curses in cursive" - Kanye West, Otis
"At 42 be better than 24, I carried the 4-5, mastered 48 laws. Still wearin' my 23's they can't f**k with the boy. As far as them 16's, I'm 23 of it all." - Jay-Z, Primetime
Like really?? Who comes up with lines like that? Albums like this are just unfair. It's too much talent. Too much skill. Too much creativity. And the crazy part about it, in an interview Jay-Z said that they had to cut some songs out and water some songs down because he didn't want to ruin anything they did afterwards! ha ha. In other words, this isn't their best work. << That's kind of scary... people shouldn't be that good ha ha.
But anyway, to rap (pun intended) it up, Watch the Throne is the best album since My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (Kanye West), and one of the best albums of all-time if you ask me [of albums that I've heard -__-]. It's a definite buy. At least listen to the entire album objectively the whole way through twice before you totally disagree.
..oh, and I'm ready for J. Cole's debut album next week. It should be good too!
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