So, I was in the barbershop the other day when my barber said the weirdest thing to me. He said “Kanye West ‘carried’ the weight on Watch the Throne album.” When he said it, I looked at him like he had five eyes. I was shocked that anyone would say such a thing. However, I also realize that I am a huge Jay-Z fan and I may not be the most objective person to comment on the subject. The next day, I made a two and a half hour drive to Charlotte and I had an opportunity listen to the album from start to finish, two times. After listening to the album with a critical ear, I concluded that neither Kanye nor Jay-Z “carried” the album. Instead, they pushed each other to make inspired, original music. I do not believe Watch the Throne is the best album released by either artist individually, but it is still a really good collaborative effort between two of the best emcees in the game.
Kanye West arrived on the hip hop scene as a talented producer who had aspirations of becoming a serious emcee. At that time, not many people respected Kanye as an artist and many people joked that he was wasting his beats when he rhymed over them. At the time, I thought Kanye should continue producing and allow more seasoned emcees to rhyme over his beats. He released the critically acclaimed album, College Dropout and people began noticing his skills as an emcee. I enjoyed the album for its subject matter and for its great production. At this point in time, I did not consider Kanye to be a great lyricist. Over the past few years, I have noticed a change in Kanye’s lyrical ability. He solidified his ability and position as a great emcee when he rhymed on “Run This Town.” Although he only had one verse and Jay-Z had two, his impact on the song was undeniable. I realized he was a force to be reckoned with from that point going forward.
Jay-Z is still the best emcee in the game, but he has become a victim of his own success. When celebrities reach a certain level of success, critics look for reasons to hypothesize their demise. Jay-Z is one of the most prominent and respected artists in the hip hop game, and he has been so since 1996. Unfortunately for him, his harshest critics judge his current music against his classic albums of the past. This is no different than NBA players or professional boxers who reach the pinnacle of success and are criticized for being a “different” player or fighter at a later stage of their respective career. In sports and in hip hop, “different” means “worse.” However, in reality, a different approach can be a better approach. I think Jay-Z’s flow is different now than it was on Reasonable Doubt, but it is still one of the best flows in the game. People often forget that progression as an emcee is important. If his skill set had not changed over the years, I’m not sure he would have experienced the level of success he currently enjoys. Also, Jay-Z has had many collaborations with great emcees and he has rarely been seen as losing the internal battle on any given song. On his album, “The Blueprint,” many people say Eminem out-rapped him on his own song. This is one on the only times people said Jay-Z did not have the hottest verse on a song.
Jay-Z and Kanye both brought stellar lyrics, great production and great chemistry to the table on Watch The Throne. There were tracks that Jay-Z out-shined Kanye and other tracks when Kanye shined a little more than Jay-Z. The one thing that stands out to me is that Kanye more than held his own with Jay-Z on this album. This is a testament to the work Kanye has put in on perfecting his craft and not a negative criticism on Jay-Z’s abilities. The truth is that not many people expected Kanye to hold his own the way that he did, and he surprised the masses with his lyrical improvement.
On the track “No Church in the Wild” Kanye rapped about the subjects of morality and monogamy. Both topics are somewhat taboo in America, but he tackled them with zeal and confidence. He rapped “two tattoos, one read no apologies, the other said love is cursed by monogamy, that’s something that the pastor don’t preach, that’s something that a teacher can’t teach, when we die the money we can’t keep, but we probably spend it all cuz the pain ain’t cheap.” On the track “Murder to Excellence” Jay-Z rapped “this is to the memory of Danroy Henry, too much enemy fire to catch a friendly . . . .” Jay-Z approached a controversial topic by commenting on police brutality which has always been a problem in America. There are countless other songs where Jay-Z and Kanye rhymed to a virtual stalemate. Either way, Watch the Throne is a classic album. So what are your thoughts?
Peace
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