Kanye West & Jay-Z
Watch The Throne
These days, expectations for albums such as Watch The Throne are hard to conjure. It is far too easy to know what is wanted but it is also easy to know that the chances of a Jay-Z who sounds like he’s in the midst of recording The Blueprint along with a Kanye from theCollege Dropout era are next to nothing. Why is this such a struggle? Why is it so easy to cling onto certain bodies of work and wish for each subsequent effort to bear resemblance? Well, the easy answer is because both of these men are very good at telling specific types of stories. Jay has always been known to seamlessly weave street tales (from his life) along with delivering a myriad of different styles doing so. On the other hand, Kanye’s true power has always lied in his ability to bear his soul through his music. He is one of those rare artists with whom millions of people can relate.
The quandary here is that neither effort most recently released from either artist truly harnessed their strengths. The Blueprint III was an obvious deviation from earlier work (seemingly to appeal to a new, younger audience) whilst the critically acclaimed My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy really had West talking more about his accomplishments and possessions than what really makes him tick. With Watch The Throne, there are points which are incredibly high as well as points which are far less impressive- really depending on each individual song.
No Church in The Wild (feat. Frank Ocean)
“No Church in The Wild” seems like the sort of song where the duo would discuss lack of belief/s or even anarchy with Frank Ocean singing, “What’s a god to a non-believer/ Who don’t believe in anything?“ It is very possible that this is indeed the theme, hearing Jay-Z go from talking about how white his drug-funded Rolls Royce Corniche is to asking, “Is Pious pious cause God loves pious?” Perhaps Kanye is supporting the “no-rules-to-this-lifestyle” message of the song as he mentions coke and threesomes. While enjoyable, this track indicates one of the concerns with the album: there are certain songs where the intent of the artists or even the intent of the content is just unclear. Can true lawlessness be illustrated amidst mentions of such a “good” life?
Lift Off (feat. Beyonce)
Complete with a triumphant chorus sung by Mrs. Shaun Carter, “Lift Off” is fully poised to be an uplifting anthem of how far people can go and how great they can become. Unfortunately, neither ‘Ye or Jay really hit the target. Jay-Z references the album title in the line/s, “Rappers hear watch the throne/ They gon’ be pissed off” which might be fine, if it were not for the fact that this happens multiple times throughout the album. This right here seems to plague much of contemporary hip-hop. Rappers are way too content with telling people that they are the best, how dope they are or how someone should feel about their work instead of just showing people through the music itself. Most bothersome about the track is that many of Kanye’s lines sort of fade away towards the end into words that sound familiar but are ultimately difficult to understand. His verse sounds a lot like a scratch or warm-up take instead of a “real” one. Not sure why this is the case but the static-y percussive hits along with the almost merry-go-round beat of the song carries Beyonce wonderfully; melting into a great piano/drum outro.
Ni**as in Paris
Welcome the first of many songs where wealth, “ballin’,” and material possessions really become the focus. Of course, the Louis Vuitton Don has quite a history of enjoying the finer things [brands] in life, but surprisingly, Jay seems to always do this more than his partner in rhyme on Watch The Throne. Not to say that either of these men have to justify why they enjoy what they do or why they should talk about it but it does get overwhelming. Amidst knocking kick drums and teasing synths, Jay basically states that he “should have” ended up in jail with the rest of his hustle-era kin (or perhaps just because he was a black youth) and goes on further to say that if you were him, you would be in Paris getting just as fucked up. Even still, his verse just seems like one big laundry list of what he owns, drinks, wears, etc. Kanye’s humor is on point though and is sure to induce a few chuckles- utilizing his signature quality of punchline here. The title of the album is referenced again on the way out. Somehow, it fits better than the last attempt to do so.
Otis (feat. Otis Redding)
The flip/loop Kanye put together on “Otis” is nicer than granny on the birthday of her only grandchild. Listening to it, it is actually sort of amazing that nobody executed it sooner. Keeping it simple and sparse, the track has potential for both emcees to really take the time to display their lyrical best. Does this happen? Not really. While the verses are not bad, they are not the most impressive on the album. Perhaps it is a matter of taste, but there simply is nothing comforting about hearing Jay-Z begin the song with the line, “I invented swag.” There are two reasons for this. First, the very term “swag” has been so overused year after year that it should be banned but the second reason is more important. So much of the album (this song included) and Jay’s lyrical contribution to the project (most noticeably anyway) basically is of a similar vein of what every other rapper talks about. Sure, it is usually done better here but at the same time, there is no reason why two artists of such caliber should attempt to do the same things as those whose music is purely disposable.
Gotta Have It
“Gotta Have It” is one of the best songs on Watch The Throne. It does not do this in terms of what the song’s content is actually about (because it is not about much, really) but it does this by having one of the best production jobs on the album along with the chemistry Jay and ‘Ye display on the track. With choppy vocal samples from both James Brown and what sounds like it could be from India, both guys bounce off of each other effortlessly. It also finds Jay-Z in rare form. For whatever reason, it seems like anything that Hova put out after The Black Album showed him sounding strangely uncomfortable on the beats he landed on. It is a big shame that it happens on Watch The Throne as well. Why it happens is hard to say. It might be because on his newer material, he strives to be “in the pocket” with his flow one hundred percent on fast-paced tracks. Regardless, “Gotta Have It” probably has him displaying his strongest performance on the disc.
New Day
With co-production from Wu Tang Clan’s mighty RZA and a Nina Simone sample, “New Day” is by far one of the highest points that the joint album has to offer. With solemn, poignant piano accompanying subdued yet strong drums and a modified Simone, both men really share a lot of themselves here. Both verses serve as almost-letters to unborn sons, hoping to prevent them from repeating the mistakes of their fathers. West spills such phrases as, “And I’ll never let my son have an ego/He’ll be nice to everyone, wherever he go/I mean, I might even make’em be Republican/So everybody know he love white people.” Shaun goes on to say his only job as a father is to make sure his son knows his proper path in half the time it took himself to figure out. The song is not only a much needed addition, but really shows the true potential of each artist.
That’s My Bitch
Seen/heard on the internets quite some time ago, “That’s My Bitch” is here, unaltered. Featuring the vocal stylings of La Roux’s Ely Jackson, the old school flow kicking it off as well as vintage drum loop make for a surprisingly feel-good track. However, “watch the throne” is again used (simply feeding the notion that they are guilty of the “tell, don’t show” disease along with most other artists). While a nice track overall, there are a few sub par/confusing lines, such as Jay’s, “Go harder than a ni**a for a ni**a, go figure.“
Welcome to the Jungle
Another very strong offering from the duo, “Welcome to the Jungle” sports a quasi-rock Swizz Beats score with some of the best lyrics they have to give. Interesting enough, the trials and tribulations discussed here have two different sources. As the song begins and evolves, it is clear to see that while West suffers from the things that have happened outside of himself (his environment), Z struggles with himself most of all. It offers rare moments for not only him, but his listeners. The inclusion of the same short outro heard earlier on the album is rather unsettling though; creepy almost (whether intentional or not).
Who Gon Stop Me
“Who Gon Stop Me” is interesting not only because the beat is very dubstep, but it references everything from the holocaust to Oprah. Something to note is that with lines like, “This is something like the Holocaust/Millions of our people lost,” they turn around and mention their black cars, broads, straps, etc. Whether or not seen as hypocritical, Kanye ultimately outshines Jay on the song. Again, hova sounds like he is stretching perhaps a bit too much to just sound comfortable.
Murder to Excellence
Another very high point on Watch The Throne, “Murder to Excellence” is both very good and surprisingly puzzling. Moving from black on black crime/murder to covering [black] excellence, it would seem that the theme is very well laid out and understood. And for the most part it is. But again, ‘Ye simply delivers his thoughts more concisely than Jay. Even though he has the first verse for both sections of the song, it seems like Shaun makes some very interesting albeit nonsensical transitions. During the “murder” portion, he begins by addressing the police killing [murder] of Danroy Henry. While a great moment for both Henry’s memory and family, Jay-Z later mentions black power as, “All black everything/Ni**a you know my fresh code.” Not a horrible line but also not a great follow-up; breaking the concentration of the topic at hand. This is followed up by ANOTHER reference to the album title. Once or twice would be understandable (seeing as how this is a very momentous event for hip-hop and music) but ad nauseum, it really starts to detract from what they are trying to convey. Kanye focuses on violence in his hometown of Chicago through very powerful means- stressing that the black community needs to redefine black power and comparing the death toll in Iraq with that of the city he’s from.
Perhaps the most strange and possibly alarming choice made on the track is when the “excellence” portion is begun and almost all of Jay’s verse emphasizes his clothes, credit card, cologne and even necklace. Sure, these are all signs of “success,” but what about the common man? What about the common black man? Is he trying to insinuate that the “excellence” of one or one’s life is determined solely through possessions and decadence? Probably not but still, it is a bit disheartening to have so much space to say something important and not take the opportunity.
Made in America (feat. Frank Ocean)
There is truly something magical when those we look up to as epitomes of success or talent talk about how humble their origins are/were. This is why “Made in America” is so great. Implementing lazy snares, sweeping synths and 8-bit-like hits, West reveals how his mother is to thank for introducing him to No ID. Mr. Carter reminisces on the days where he had to cook crack in his grandma’s house (telling her the smell she noticed was nothing more than boiling water). Frank Ocean’s crooning on the chorus really rounds out this song nicely as well.
Why I Love You (feat. Mr. Hudson)
“Why I Love You” is quite a clever track. Seemingly telling the game (and the people in it) that they love it but don’t know why, Kanye assists Jay as he talks about his contributions and what he tried to do for his brothers. While he does not nail the fast flow as much as desired, what is being said does have its moments of brilliance. The end is rather abrupt, but then again, any ending for such a meeting of the minds would seem jarring and unwelcome.
Chances are, Watch The Throne will suffer from the “detox” syndrome and never live up to people’s expectations of it. While a decent album, it can be frustrating at times because when it is great, it dwarfs the moments that aren’t. Some of it is good. Some of it is great, even. The struggle while listening though is knowing that the entire thing could have been great, but it is not. It does have its dull moments. Additionally, Watch The Throne arguably cements a very frightening notion. Not only do Jay and ‘Ye shy away from their signature strengths at times, but it may be that they simply do not want to revisit or rest upon them or their past stylings. This would be discouraging in itself, but increasingly more and more, it seems that they might be hell bent (or have been hell bent, maybe) on establishing a new sub-genre of music: opulence-hop. Yes, almost every rapper talks about their possessions, but to do so not only with such frequency and detail but passion may mean that the gap between them and the common man/fan is something that will only grow and never close. Watch The Throne is definitely worth the listen, but if appealing exclusively to the wealthy and affluent is their mission, the repercussions could be quite dangerous.
Leave A Comment!