Disco de Jay-Z: “Black Album”

In 1996, Jay-Z came into the rap game with his undoubted classic debut album Reasonable Doubt. Since RD, he has sold over 20 million albums in the U.S, not counting other countries sales of his 10-12 albums. In 2001, he came the closest he ever had come to matching the quality of RD with his classic The Blueprint, unfortunately, the album that follow The Blueprint was a very weak effort littered with way too many guest appearences, that album was The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse. Now, in 2003, Jay-Z has claimed he is hanging up his mic after this last album to work on other projects including working with new artists on the Roc-A-Fella record label, such as Young Gunz, Freeway, Kanye West, etc.

My initial thought was that there was no way Jay-Z could retire so soon, but many rappers have claimed to hang up their mics and came straight back (Example: Ja Rule). I bought this record, The Black Album, on the day it was released on Friday, Nov. 14. Overall, the record cannot be called anything other than a masterpiece. Taking it back to the roots of RD and the first Blueprint, this is one of jigga's finest records. I feel like every track is amazing so they are all 5 stars in my perspective but here's a list of what things i would've liked better about The Black Album.

"December 4th" - A very dramatic track about Jay's childhood and growing up. Has commentary from his mother, Gloria Carter, during the song. Produced by Just Blaze, this is one of the more upbeat on the album. Features the line "maybe you'll love me when i fade into black".

"What More Can I Say" - A track mainly talking about Jay's haters, people who have slept on him, all of that. Has some really brilliant wording in it as well as a great beat.

"Encore" - Absolutely brilliant. This is a laid-back sort of track that is amazing, definitely give this one a try. Displays Hova's ability to make up some of the best lyrics in hip-hop.

"Change Clothes" - I'm not going to say i was at all disappointed in this track, but it seems its mediocre compared to the rest of the album. This was placed here mainly for the sake of a "pop" single to hype up the album but it doesn't work well. The Neptunes' do a sorry production job, making it sound consistant to their last Jay-Z effort "Excuse Me Miss". I would've left this out.

"Dirt Off Your Shoulder" - First off, AMAZING BEAT. This track has more lyrical gold with an incredible beat to back it up. Another track about Jay's life and what he's about, excellent.

"Threat" - Another great song, more of lyrical brilliance but with a more edgy sound to it. The annoying dude saying stuff throughout the song is its only weakness.

"Moment Of Clarity" - I have some major issues with this song. The beat sounds way too much like an Eminem/50 Cent type of beat and is very annoying to hear with Jay rapping on it. The lyrics are very well put together, espicially one lyric i think is true to all of jigga's fanbase "i dumb down for ya'll to double my dollars/you criticize me for it but ya'll still yell holla..."

"99 Problems" - This has to be my personal favorite on the disc. The rock beat from Rick Rubin is amazing! Everything about this track is completely brilliant. Jay raps about all his problems ("I got 99 problems and the b**ch ain't one") including trouble with the law, haters, etc.

"Public Service Announcement (Interlude)" - Not really a song but has a beat and stuff so its sorta like one. Very good beat, some hot lines to match it up as well.

"Justify My Thug" - Very personal track, but has a really hot beat on it so i like it anyway.

"Lucifer" - The production here is great, obviously Jay thinks so to ("You did it again, Kanye/you're a f****n' genius"). Lyrically brilliant, but i thought it was a little too short.

"Allure" - Not as hot as i would've liked it to be, but has some very good lyrical parts to it.

"My 1st Song" - The outro track, the one that defines the whole album, well, it defined it pretty damn good. Has a fitting beat with lyrical GOLD. Has a line from Notorious B.I.G at the beginning, which fits it very well. Basically, its short but to the point. The last minute or so is just Jay yelling out shout-outs like a typical outro-style track.

Overall, The Black Album suceeded my expectations. By using incredible producers and writing some of his best material, Jay-Z has formed an incredible ending to a story that will live on forever. There is no telling if Jay will stick with his plans, but all i know is that stepping out now will claim him as one of, if not the, hottest rappers to ever hit the mic.

The Black Album is Jay's final testament to hip-hop. Though probably not his best LP, it's his most personal and revealing album to date. It is certainly one of the best albums released since 2000. On The Black Album Jay-Z sums up his entire career and removes any doubts about him being the greatest rapper alive.

Intro - It's a short intro talking about how all good things must come to an end.

December 4th - This is an incredible track, Jay has his mother Gloria Carter on it describing how when she gave birth to Jay, he didn't give her any pain. This track is very personal. Jay talks about how after his mother and father broke up, that's when his life took a turn. He took to the streets. Ms. Carter talks about how Jay used to beat on the kitchen table and rhyme, then she bought him a boombox to keep him out of trouble. This track goes pretty deep, most other rapper never get this personal on a track. Just Blaze does the production by the way.

What More Can I Say - A dope beat by the Buchanans. I love this whole track. Jay talks about how after all the great stuff he's done in hip-hop, there's still a lot of people who don't give him the credit he deserves. When you hear this song I guarantee you'll love it. The way it ends is great after the beat stops Jay says "The real * you get when you break down my lines/add that with the fact I went plat a bunch of times/times that my influence on pop culture, I'm supposed to be number one on everybody list/we'll see what happens when I no longer exist"

Encore - The beat for this track is just incredible. It's none other than Kanye West of course. The horns and the jazzy sound of this track will make you love it. On this Jay talks about how he came in the game and took over, and that people will truly miss him once he's gone. This track is really soulful, any real hip-hop fan will enjoy it.

Change Clothes - By now I'm guessing that most of you have already heard this track. This beat is done by the Neptunes and it kinda reminds you of Excuse Me Miss. I didn't like this song at first but it grew on me. Some songs take more time than others for you to like. Jay of course comes correct with his incredible flow.

Dirt Off Your Shoulder - Produced by Timbaland. This in my opinion is the only weak track on the album. It's not that Jay is weak on it, but the bad production takes away from Jay's superb flow. Some of you may like it but it just doesn't grab me. Jay talks about what he's done that makes him so great.

Threat - Produced by 9th Wonder. 9th Wonder is an up and coming producer from North Carolina, if you haven't heard any of his stuff you should try and find some. This beat samples R. Kelly's - A Woman's Threat and is straight fire. Jay talks about how the haters couldn't stop him from making great music no matter how hard they tried. He also talks about how if you attack him, then there will be consequences. Another great track.

Moment of Clarity - Produced by Eminem. You can tell this an Eminem beat because it sounds shockingly similar to a lot of his other beats. It's still a good beat though. Pay close attention to Jay's lyrics on this track and you might understand him. Check out this

99 Problems - Produced by the legendary Rick Ruben. I'm really feeling this track. Only the more open-minded hip-hop fans will like this one. Rick Ruben is the guy who produced for Johnny Cash. On this one Jay talks about a situation back in '94 when he was stopped by a police officer because he was black. He then talks about how he has a lot more important problems than women.

Public Service Announcement(Interlude) - A nice beat by Roc-a-fella producer Just Blaze. Jay talks about how he doesn't care what you think of him now, but 5,10, or 20 years later you'll truly miss him. A great track.

Justify My Thug - Production by DJ Quik. This track has a kinda Dr. Dre feel to it. On this song Jay talks about how he's always been honest in his music. He never snitched on anyone and how his pride kept him going through all these years. He also talks about how was shot at back before Reasonable Doubt but luckily none of those 3 shots hit him. A great song indeed.

Lucifer - Another track by Kanye West. On this song Jay talks about what the Devil does to all of us. He talks about how he has to get his life right and stop doing all the bad things he does. At the end of the song Jay asks that his father be forgiven for all the bad stuff that he's done and that he be let into heaven.

Allure - One of the Neptunes better beats. Jay talks about how where he grew up most of the young black men were caught up in hustling and other illegal things. He talks about how back in the day he wanted to stop selling crack and messing with so many women but the game kept calling him back.

My First Song - Produced by Aqua. This is one of my favorite tracks on the album. At the beginning Jay has an old Biggie interview where he talks about how you have to treat everything like it's your first time in order to stay on top. Jay rips the whole song. At the end of the song Jay recalls all the good times he and the people around him had throughout his career. He'll mention all the people who helped him get where he is now. After hearing this song you'll understand why so many people consider Jay one of the best.

Overall The Black Album does live up to the hype. Jay goes through and talks about the things that went through his mind during his career. It's very deep and personal and is an excellent way to go out. Even the biggest of Jay-Z haters will love this album. It's definitely bound to be a hip-hop classic. After hearing this album you'll know why Jay is the best rapper alive and deserves respect from all hip-hop fans.

This was a nice way for Sean Carter aka Jay - Z to leave the rap game. We will surely miss him for there is not one person alive right now who can take his place. 2003 was one of the worst years for rap because of 50 cent. Only 2 albums saved the year. The Black Album and Speakkerboxx/ The Love Below. Now back to the album. Bangin beats by Just Blaze, Rick Rubin, Eminem, Kayne West, Timbaland, ect. The lyrics are his best ever including Reasonable Doubt. This is his most personal album and has only one commercial song. The leading single Change Clothes. This song has a very catchy chourus even if its not very interesting. How interesting can a song be that is about clothes? He are the ratings for the songs.

1. Intro: Nice way to introuduce the Black Album. Says this is his last album. I do not believe him and think he will be back in matter of time. He won't be able to resist.

2. December 4th: That is of course his birthday. Jay shows how personal he is going to be on this album with this song going into chilhood struggles and tellinga nice story. It features a woman (supposed to be his mother I don't know if it is her or not) she is very good in the chorus explaing what Sean's life was like and how he was a special child. Also a incredible beat by Kayne West. The best song on the album. 11/10

3. What More Can I Say: Great sample in the beginning but I find the beat to get annoying after awhile. This is a shot at all of his haters. The lyrics are very good and keep you listening even with the annoying beat. 8/10

4. Encore: This shows that Jay is very cocky and he has a reason to be. Very good song. Annoyed me at first but it grew on me and now I love it. Amazing beat, lyrics, and flow. Great track. 10/10

5. Change Clothes: The only commercial song on the album. The neptunes produced it. You can read about it in the first paragraph. 8/10

6. Dirt Off My Shoulder: I do not like this song at all. Timbalands beat is good but Jay is just horrible on this track. Don't listen to it unless you like annoying horrible songs. 4/10

7. Threat: Man, I love this song. I love the beat and the lyrics. The lyrics are just amazing and the rhymes might be best on the album. Real Gem. 10/10

8. Moment Of Clarity: Eminem produces it and hits the jackpot. The same mysterious beats that he always does is perfect for this song. In this song Jay forgives his father for no being there for him in his childhood. 9/10

9. 99 Problems: Great beat by Rick Rubin. Sort of a rock/rap combo that works very well. Better than Eminem's Sing For The Moment. Nice track. 9/10

10. PSA: Good beat but just a interlude. Kind of pointless because of the length. 7/10

11. Justify My Thug: This has to be the worst Jay - Z song of all time. Horrible beat, annoying chorus, horrible lyrics, all add up to a horrible song. Beware of this song. Don't listen to it. 0/10

12. Lucifer: Very good song about the streets with a good chorus and beat. Jay's flow is very nice on this song. 9/10

13. Allure: Not feeling this song at all. Pretty good beat but I just don't like it very much. 5/10

14. My First Song: Great way to go out. A very good ending song concluding his carreer with incredible lyrics and a good beat. 9/10

This really would have been his best album if he took out those bad tracks and added decent ones. But still this his 3rd best behind Blueprint and Reasonable Doubt. The best album of the year. Go pick this one up.

I only got Jay-Z's last album a little while ago, and i've listened to the whole thing a few times. I never bought another one of his albums, and i only bought this one because i LOVE 99 problems, which might be the most fresh and innovative rap song to surface in a long time (rick rubin never lost it; check out his johnny cash albums if you don't believe me). I was actually really impressed by the album, and because i had a predisposition towards hating any rap i heard on MTV (mainly because of talent-challenged superstars like fifty cent and chingy), i was surprised by the perspiacity of some of Jay-Z's lyrics. What i would normally take as unabashed egomania in his lyrics is actually just an accurate series of observations on what his impact on the rap world is. He HAS had a huge effect on rappers everywhere, many of whom are still caught in teh old rap tradition of flaunting how much they have and how much women love them. Not to say Jay-z doesn't do this, but it's punctuated by moments of sheer outside-the-box genius, like in 99 problems, Lucifer and what more can i say. The song Encore is also particularly good (not to mention a very succesful marriage between old school basic rap beats and modern board work courtesy of Kanye west, no rap slouch himself), but a few weak ones are also there. The Eminem-produced Moment of Clarity is not very good at all, Change Clothes is just iritating and December 4th is a self-indulgent rant about how great he is, which, as ever, kind of bothers me. But all of teh otehr songs are good, but i have one problem with it. One would think, that if he were making a swan-song album, he would try a little harder to make a truly great album. It's good, but not great.

Awesome album, one of his best easily, only didn't like 2 songs, 99 problems and the last track but everything else was off the hook. The lyrics and the production are classic level. Glad i bought it. Like a cross between RD and BP.