After all the speculation, Jay-Z has again graced the rap world with his presence. So the question is, will it be Kingdom Come or Kingdom Done?
I would like to state for the record that I like the album, but it’s a bit underwhelming, to say the least. I guess after all the talk, I expected more from the self-proclaimed “God MC.”
What I got was solid, but my money was better spent on Snoop.
The album starts off with “The Prelude,” the album’s intro. The beat is ill and Jay spits nicely over the track. It’s not as dope as “The Ruler’s Back,” but it’s an effective intro.
However, the next three tracks are bananas. Just Blaze produced all three: “Oh My God,” “Kingdom Come,” and the single, “Show Me What You Got.” The adrenaline level of these three tracks reminds me of the first time I heard Ice Cube’s “Amerikkka’s Most Wanted.” Jay’s flow was on point, but Just Blaze’s production is the star of the show. It would’ve been great if Jay had let Just produce the whole album, or at least made sure that the rest of the tracks maintained that momentum.
Next up is one of Dr. Dre’s contributions, “Lost Ones,” Jay’s most personal record on this album. The production is pretty simple and sounds very similar to Snoop’s “Imagine.” However, the simple production allows Jay’s lyrics to be the star of the show. He speaks very candidly about the Dame Dash situation and the death of his nephew. The most controversial verse is about an unnamed lover that’s had Jigga fans speculating about all of his relationships, from Foxy Brown to Beyoncé. I couldn’t care less who it’s about. The song is dope, so I’m happy with it.
Another favorite of mine, surprisingly, is his sixth Beyoncé collaboration, “Hollywood.” The Prince-flavored track is the best they’ve sounded together since “Crazy in Love.” It’s the only one of their collaborations that doesn’t sound like a retread of their first hit. Bottom line: everything about this track works for me.
Jay attempts to be conscious with “Minority Report,” his Katrina song, but it doesn’t sound as good as The Roots’ “Bread and Butter,” or Lil’ Wayne’s “Georgia Bush.” Considering that both of those artists had personal ties to New Orleans, it’s easy to understand why their songs are more passionate. However, this is a noble attempt and I’d like to hear him explore more social issues.
The album’s weirdest collaboration is “Beach Chair,” the song Hov did with Coldplay’s Chris Martin. The song is actually dope and it closes the album perfectly. The contrast between the soft strings and the hard drums works perfectly, b and Jay’s introspective lyrics rock well on the track. Overall, it works.
“Kingdome Come” is dope; it’s right up there with “Vol. 3” and “Blueprint 2,” but “Reasonable Doubt,” “The Blueprint,” and even “The Black Album” are all way better. Bottom line, it’s a good buy, but there are better albums out there.
