Last night I received an e-mail from a Def Jam rep offering the chance to listen to the "official" Kingdom Come album, claiming that the version I was going to listen to was different than the leaked version that came out on Saturday. The tracklisting looked to be the same as what you could find on your favorite torrent site, but its possible some of the lyrics had been changed for the official release. I'm not sure if that's really the case (I doubt it), but in any event, here's a review of the "official" Kingdom Come:
The Prelude:
This, the first track, summarizes what I imagine will be the theme throughout the album: Hov reminisces about the dirt he did back in his younger days and talks about how things are different now that he's living the corporate life. As he says, "[I] used to think grabbing a .38 was illI used to think rapping at 38 was ill, but last year alone I grossed 38 Mill." He relies a bit too much on the whispering rap that he seems to have picked up on during his retirement, but otherwise a solid intro to the album.
Oh My God:
When I first heard the beat on this track, "Oh My God" is exactly what I said. Just Blaze kills it on this one, producing a beat that is almost overwhelming. Unfortunately, Jay-Z's flow takes a back seat to the production, as his voice gets overpowered by the beat. Jay does nothing to dispel fears of him selling out on this track, dropping a line that references the Sony PSP for no reason other than product placement.
Kingdom Come:
By now you've heard this song on the radio, featuring a take on the same Rick James sample that MC Hammer used back in the day. Jay proclaims himself the savior of not only NYC, but hip hop itself. That's a tremendous claim to make, but I'll tell you what: if Kingdom Come, Hip Hop Is Dead and More Fish all go platinum under his reign at Def Jam, then maybe he's earned the right to proclaim himself savior.
Show Me What You Got:
Another song you're more than likely to have heard on the radio or seen on MTV with Jay-Z racing around with Dale Earnhardt and Danica Patrick. You may even have heard Diddy, El Da Sensai or The Kidz In The Hall rap over the same beat. The song samples Flavor Flav from Public Enemy's Show Em Whatcha Got, and the horns Wreckx-N-Effect used on Rumpshaker.
Lost Ones:
After three tracks that were clearly intended to be radio-friendly singles, we finally get to a song that's less about the beat and more about Jay's lyrics. Over a slow piano loop, Jay raps about three people in his life that he's lost. On the second verse, Jay talks about a girl he loved and lost (Beyonce? Rhianna?). He never names any names, but that would probably make this song less interesting anyway. He could be talking about Superhead for all I care, this song's pretty dope.
Do U Wanna Ride:
John Legend lends a hand on this one, asking, "Do You Wanna Ride with Me?" over a Kanye West beat. This song is a good example of the transition Hova's made since his debut on Reasonable Doubt. Early on in his career, he used the raw voice of Mary J. Blige to sing his hooks. Now, he's relying on the more technically sound, but almost too sanitized, voice of John Legend. It still sounds good, but there's just not as much depth to the whole thing.
30 Something:
I don't even have to look up the production credits for the album to know that this is one of Dre's beats. Jay tells us he's, "Young enough to know which car to buy, but grown enough not to put rims on it." Don't get me wrong, its a nice change of pace to hear a rap song that doesn't brag about the dubs on the whip, but when Jay-Z tells us that "30 is the new 20!," I'm just not convinced. And that's a damn shame, because I'm rapidly closing in on thirty myself.
I Made It:
Jay looks back on his life, telling us after every thing he's been through, "Momma, I made it." The beat isn't all that memorable, but I liked this song quite a bit. He takes a break from the CEO talk and gives us some introspection on his life.
NYThing:
As with any hip hop song that has "NY" in the title these days, I expected this to be some sort of city anthem. When Usher shows up on the track, though, its clear that's not what I'm going to get. This one's for the ladies, with Jigga dropping his grown and sexy rhymes double time. NYThing wouldn't have been too bad if there was a way to mute Usher, but as it is, it doesn't match up to similar songs he's done in the past, like Excuse Me Miss.
Hollywood:
There was no way we were getting through a Jay-Z album without Beyonce showing up at some point, and here she is. This song would have been more suited for Beyonce's own album, as the hook she sings is a lot more R&B than hip hop, but it is what it is. Not a bad song, really, but definitely not one of the highlights either.
Trouble:
Over a signature Dre beat, Jay says he will, "pray to God that I'll never change." Its clear that the prayer went unanswered, as he follows that up with a rhyme referencing Angelina "Joleezy." He's changed quite a bit since his days of Cashmere Thoughts.
Dig A Hole:
Touted in previews as the response to Cam'ron, the man who spent much of 2006 throwing rocks at Hov's throne with the rest of the Dipset crew, I had high hopes for this Swizz Beats-produced track. Unfortunately, the song does not live up to previous diss tracks Takeover or Superugly. There are no references to ballet or unfaithful baby mommas here, but in the end that's not really that surprising. As the president of Def Jam, Jay-Z is on an entirely different level than Killa Cam these days and has little to gain by slinging mud.
Minority Report:
This track opens up with news footage of the Katrina aftermath and closes with audio of various people criticizing Bush's response to the disaster. In between, Jay-Z offers his view of the situation, the view of a wealthy man lamenting the fact that he has become disconnected from the impoverished victims of Katrina. Though Jay-Z isn't from New Orleans, he does a much better job than local artists, such as Juvenile, at conveying his frustration with the government. This song would have had more impact if it didn't come out more than a year after Katrina, but its still a solid track that will no doubt generate a lot of discussion.
Beach Chair:
If you were going to make the claim that Jay-Z had sold out, this would be the track to back up your claim. Featuring Coldplay's Chris Martin, the song opens up with a beat that would sound right at home on a Coldplay album (which isn't surprising, since Chris Martin produced the track). Its clear Jay-Z doesn't quite know what to do with the beat, as he fumbles around trying to find the right rhythm for his flow on the first verse. Things get better once Martin comes in with the hook, and despite my initial misgivings about this collaboration, I ended up liking the song. I wouldn't want to hear an entire album's worth of this adult contemporary rap, but Chris Martin puts in the most interesting guest appearance on the entire album.
Final verdict: This is, in my opinion, the best hip hop album to come out so far in 2006. It doesn't reach the same heights as Reasonable Doubt or Blueprint, but its still a solid offering from Jay-Z. If you're looking for gritty street raps, you're going to be disappointed, and the album occasionally strays too far toward the grown 'n sexy end of the spectrum. Taken as a whole, though, Kingdom Come still manages to be better than the competition. The criticism that Jay has received for becoming too corporate, for trying to appeal to too broad of an audience, certainly has its merits. At this point in his life, though, it would take an extreme suspension of disbelief to listen to him rap about selling drugs or popping off shots at his enemies. For better or worse, Jay has become a corporate entity, and his lyrics reflect that. He's a grown man now, and this is a grown man's album.
Jay-Z's Kingdom Come will be released under the Roc-A-Fella label, on November 21, 2006. To hear a preview of all the tracks, click here.
11/15/2006 1:51:14 PM posted by Fresh
Comments:
Well, I've been checking this site for awhile but never bothered to comment (shame on me). Anyone that follows this site knows that Jay and the Clipse get the most respect, and (lately) the rest just get clowned (you listening Ron not-quite-the-Artest)? I'll be sure to cop this album, since you sound pretty even handed in your review. I have to admit that I was expecting a more biased review. Big up Fresh!
11/15/2006 4:53:05 PM posted by Soundtrax
@P: Hmmm. I took it to mean that he had gotten to the point where he didn't need a burner to earn money any more. But I concede that I am wrong on that line. Let's just chalk that up to one of the alleged differences between the official version and the bootlegged version, and pretend I didn't make that mistake.
@Trax: I kind of wish I had thought of that "not-quite-the-Artest" line when I wrote the review.
I liked kingdom come but its not my favorite album to come out this year. I would probably rank fishscale and maybe even tip's King ahead of this (that came out this year right?)
as for beach chair, it almost sounds like the vocals on it were recorded over a different beat or maybe jay was drunk when he recorded it because he goes totally off beat in the first few lines. i'm surprised the guy in the sound booth didnt catch that before it went onto the album.
11/15/2006 9:37:48 PM posted by big time
@jase: The only version of black republicans I've heard is the one with the Gomez brothers shouting all over it, so I can't judge that one yet. But I will say I'm more excited about Hip Hop Is Dead than I have been about his last few albums.
@BT: Yeah, King came out this year, but I couldn't really get into it.
@Jeff: The clipse album leaked? Damn, its days like these when I'm really tempted to start messing with torrent sites.
"Rap Jack Bauer" is an amazing name. I checked out your myspace page, some dope songs on there.
Anyway, yeah, I was definitely aware of the fact that my review went easier on Jay than most others. I don't know if that means I'm a Jay-Z stan or if I'm just more willing to put up with crossover rap. All I can say is, kingdom come's been getting heavy play on my Ipod rotation for the past few days and I still think its a good album.
I think this album is great-not a classic but great nonetheless. It seems as though people want to constantly hear the Reasonable Doubt Jay-Z. He's a grown man now and his experiences are quite different than they were at 19. Bottom line, the review is very good. You underscore that this is not Jay's best work but it does show growth. That's all I really want from an emcee.
11/27/2006 10:27:20 AM posted by Cool Breeze
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