Jay-Z - Kingdom Come
www.playahata.com/pages/r...ingdomcome
Lyrics: B
Content: B
Production: C
Creativity: B
Quality %: B-
Bonus: N/A
Release Date: November 21st, 2006
One of my playahatin (constructive criticism) colleagues (Papi) assumed I was not going to like Kingdom Come because of my 2001 essay on the drama involving Jay-Z and Nas, citing that he would never forget the way I was critical of Jay-Z. Fact is that I like Kingdom Come even though its more of a pop effort along the lines of Outkast multi-platinum double album, Speakerbox/The Love Below, than a hardcore Hip-hop album. However its unique in that the pop guest appearances by John Legend, Beyonce, etc dont overwhelm the artist but instead complement. Its also rare in that it is one of the few times that Jay-Z opens up on what goes on in his head. Lets just start with the Prelude where Jay-Z says he wants people to stop downloading the album and pay for it (if they like it - Ok I downloaded it weeks ago but I am going to get the real deal on Tuesday or when I get some money).
I enjoyed the maturity reflected in this album and the slick jabs at Damon Dash, Jim Jones, Fiddy-Cent, and other detractors. Jay-Z warns Dame Dash, I see your fingerprints on all these DIPSET publicity stunts designed to attack Jay-Z. Telling us he is just waiting for the right time before he outright slams Dash also. In Lost Ones he basically tells Dame to get over the Rocafella break up. He mentions Jim Jones Ballin song, but does not respect Jim enough to actually name him in the diss. Obviously from his interviews Jay-Z feels artist like Jim Jones and Cam'ron are beneath him (peep the Bossip audio).
The Fiddy disses are more subtle telling rap rans, yall respect the dude who got shot, I respect the shooter and then making another reference to the infamous dry snitching of Curtis Jackson later in the LP. Jay-Z also test his ability to be a trendsetter in other areas telling his audiences that now that he has matured he wont smoke blunts, apparently too refined now, he will roll a joint. He then mentions how he won't mess up the look of a expensive car by putting rims on it and tinting the windows leaving that stuff for young boys. Telling brothers to pull their pants up, Jay is no longer running from his age, but embracing it on cuts like The Prelude and 30 is the new 20?.
He lets listeners know that he hears what they hear despite the fact that he seems so removed from Hip-hop. On the cut Trouble, he mentions that, no disrespect intended, but he wouldnt touch Free and that if he were to cheat it would have to be with a megastar. On this same track the chorus is venomous and he calls out little niggas enough times to make a slave master blush. He also references the fact that his so called Cristal boycott was not really important but he does what he can and that his U.N. water project is a reflection of what he can also do. He rounds out his thoughts with one socially conscious track called Minority Report about Hurricane Katrina and the Bush administrations negligence. The most introspective track being Beach Chair where Jay-Z talks about his philosophical outlook on life and his thoughts about the future. Outside of that we see Jay-Z doing the club friendly/commercial projects that make good soundtracks etc. Overall Kingdom Come is pretty much in line with what most have come to expect from a Jay-Z project, commercially friendly though sometimes musically lazy, but with enough solid material to land it in your CD changer with some frequency. (See what others are saying)
Overall: B- :Review by Bruce Banter
www.playahata.com/pages/r...ingdomcome
Lyrics: B
Content: B
Production: C
Creativity: B
Quality %: B-
Bonus: N/A
Release Date: November 21st, 2006
One of my playahatin (constructive criticism) colleagues (Papi) assumed I was not going to like Kingdom Come because of my 2001 essay on the drama involving Jay-Z and Nas, citing that he would never forget the way I was critical of Jay-Z. Fact is that I like Kingdom Come even though its more of a pop effort along the lines of Outkast multi-platinum double album, Speakerbox/The Love Below, than a hardcore Hip-hop album. However its unique in that the pop guest appearances by John Legend, Beyonce, etc dont overwhelm the artist but instead complement. Its also rare in that it is one of the few times that Jay-Z opens up on what goes on in his head. Lets just start with the Prelude where Jay-Z says he wants people to stop downloading the album and pay for it (if they like it - Ok I downloaded it weeks ago but I am going to get the real deal on Tuesday or when I get some money).
I enjoyed the maturity reflected in this album and the slick jabs at Damon Dash, Jim Jones, Fiddy-Cent, and other detractors. Jay-Z warns Dame Dash, I see your fingerprints on all these DIPSET publicity stunts designed to attack Jay-Z. Telling us he is just waiting for the right time before he outright slams Dash also. In Lost Ones he basically tells Dame to get over the Rocafella break up. He mentions Jim Jones Ballin song, but does not respect Jim enough to actually name him in the diss. Obviously from his interviews Jay-Z feels artist like Jim Jones and Cam'ron are beneath him (peep the Bossip audio).
The Fiddy disses are more subtle telling rap rans, yall respect the dude who got shot, I respect the shooter and then making another reference to the infamous dry snitching of Curtis Jackson later in the LP. Jay-Z also test his ability to be a trendsetter in other areas telling his audiences that now that he has matured he wont smoke blunts, apparently too refined now, he will roll a joint. He then mentions how he won't mess up the look of a expensive car by putting rims on it and tinting the windows leaving that stuff for young boys. Telling brothers to pull their pants up, Jay is no longer running from his age, but embracing it on cuts like The Prelude and 30 is the new 20?.
He lets listeners know that he hears what they hear despite the fact that he seems so removed from Hip-hop. On the cut Trouble, he mentions that, no disrespect intended, but he wouldnt touch Free and that if he were to cheat it would have to be with a megastar. On this same track the chorus is venomous and he calls out little niggas enough times to make a slave master blush. He also references the fact that his so called Cristal boycott was not really important but he does what he can and that his U.N. water project is a reflection of what he can also do. He rounds out his thoughts with one socially conscious track called Minority Report about Hurricane Katrina and the Bush administrations negligence. The most introspective track being Beach Chair where Jay-Z talks about his philosophical outlook on life and his thoughts about the future. Outside of that we see Jay-Z doing the club friendly/commercial projects that make good soundtracks etc. Overall Kingdom Come is pretty much in line with what most have come to expect from a Jay-Z project, commercially friendly though sometimes musically lazy, but with enough solid material to land it in your CD changer with some frequency. (See what others are saying)
Overall: B- :Review by Bruce Banter
