ARTISTS: JAY-Z & Kanye West
ALBUM: Watch The Throne
GENRE: Hiphop
BEST TRACKS: No Church In The Wild, Otis, New Day, Welcome To The Jungle, Who Gon Stop Me, Welcome To America, Why I Love You
WORST TRACKS: That’s My Bitch
SCORE: 8/10
Kanye West & JAY-Z are easily two of the most well-known rappers today, and that was even more the case in 2011 when they came together to release “Watch The Throne”, a magnum opus of hiphop luxury, with expensive samples, wild production & braggadocios lyricism. As of late, I’ve really begun to appreciate this album more than ever, partially out of a sense of nostalgia and partially because some of the tracks on here are gorgeous. The opener “No Church In The Wild” is one of my most favorite album intros ever: the driving instrumental, Frank Ocean & The-Dream’s haunting vocals and Jay & Kanye’s performance make this song an iconic moment in hiphop (the music video is also incredible). The instrumental on “Otis” is so dope with its sampling of “Try A Little Tenderness” by the legendary Otis Redding. “New Day” is another amazing track, with dope production from RZA & Mike Dean (“Feeling Good” by Nina Simone is sampled on the hook), and an insightful verse from Kanye. “Who Gon Stop Me” has some of the godliest production I’ve heard this decade: the track oozes luxury, with insane verses from Kanye & Jay. “Welcome To America” features a beautiful hook from Frank Ocean over an uplifting beat (“Sweet king Martin, sweet queen Coretta/Sweet brother Malcolm, sweet queen Betty/Sweet Mother Mary, sweet father Joseph/Sweet Jesus, we made it in America”). And I can’t get end this review without mentioning “Why I Love You”, an outro of monstrous proportions: Mr. Hudson’s hook is otherworldly, and Jay-Z absolutely bodies this track. While this album isn’t perfect, I’ve really come to enjoy it: it’s one of those projects that just grew on me out of nowhere. If you want to hear a modern collab album that is dope & cohesive, this is one to check out.
TAGS: #kanyewest #jayz #music