Jay-Z.
American Gangster.
Roc-a-Fella Records.
Rating: 8.7
Kingdom Come didn’t do it for me. Sure, the production was immaculate as Jay-Z employed his usual stable of A-list producers, but it really seemed like Jigga didn’t have his heart into it. In what was supposed to be a driven “come-out-of-retirement” record, Jay-Z rhymed without the confidence, wordplay, or the usual delivery we’ve been bumping in our boxes since the mid-90s. Jay-Z sounding unsure? Underwhelming.
American Gangster, an album that was held under wraps until about eight weeks ago, is the true sign of Jay-Z’s reemergence. The record loosely follows the path of the drug kingpin, from humble origins to reverent success to the inevitable downfall into the bleakness of prison and days of time devoted to your own thoughts. But the concept doesn’t make the record. Though crafted relatively quickly, American Gangster reminds me of the Jay-Z hey days, and it may be his densest and smartest record since The Blueprint. First of all, Jay-Z’s unique rhyme style (lots of pauses, lots of puns) really shines here, where the delivery came off flat and forced on Kingdom Come. And sure, the usual suspects are behind the production (including the Neptunes, Diddy and the Hitmakers, Just Blaze, and Kanye), but it’s generally a more subdued effort than Jigga’s last few albums. A particular standout is the West-produced “Roc Boys” which rides a furious horn sample and Jay-Z doing what he does best: “Heroin got less steps than Britney / That means it ain’t stepped on, dig me?”
Also, the guest spots don’t seemed so phoned-in like on Kingdom Come. Nas absolutely destroys his verse on “Success;” “Ask why life is worth livin’ / Is it the hunt for the shit you want? / To receive is great but I lust giving.” Lil’ Wayne drops in and delivers over a Beastie Boys sample in “Hello Brooklyn 2.0.” Even the mercurial Beanie Siegel contributes positively on “Ignorant Sh*t.”
However, the focus is never lifted long from Mr. Carter. American Gangster, inspired by the eponymous movie featuring Denzel Washington, brings forth some of Jay-Z’s most soulful and heartfelt rhymes. For the first time since The Blueprint and maybe even the genre-defining Reasonable Doubt, Jay-Z sounds hungry, fierce, and alive. His precocious talent has never been an issue; but let’s face the facts people, he’s really let out some halfhearted crap out over the years (Roc La Familia, maybe the worst $17 I ever spent). If you have ever liked anything Jay-Z has ever done, go get American Gangster. Go get it right now.
This record is bereft of the usual Just-Blaze bangers or Kanye West freakouts, but that leads to a greater discovery of Jay-Z as an artist. American Gangster is a subtle record with its emphasis on “My Man,” the veteran Sean Carter. In his best record in years, and his true “out-of-retirement” record, Jay-Z lets the industry know who can still run laps around much younger artists. Art inspires art; and Denzel Washington may have brought out the best in Jay-Z.
