Jay-Z represents an era of rap that has all but run its course. More so than anybody else, the self-made superstar and business mogul has embodied hip-hop’s most wealth-obsessed era. He rang in the millennium by splashing millions on the music video for his single Big Pimpin’ and began the next decade by rhetorically asking “what’s 50 grand to a motherfucker like me?” on the single Niggas in Paris.
But the success of J. Cole, Drake and others in recent years has demonstrated that arrogance and competitive spirit isn’t enough anymore. No matter how mega-rich the artist is, listeners still want them to be relatable and have real human issues like the rest of us. With that in mind, it’s little wonder Jay-Z’s last record, the grandiose ‘Magna Carta… Holy Grail’, was such a poorly-received dud.
Credit where credit’s due: the New York veteran understood the message. The follow-up, ‘4:44’, is a stripped back, 35 minute project with one producer (No I.D.) and no guest rap features. Hooks are few and far between and verses are less focused on Jay’s accomplishments and more on his personal experiences.
But he doesn’t just pay lip service to the idea of making an introspective record; this is an album that’s astonishingly frank at points. He’s clearly learned from his wife Beyoncé, both emotionally and (conveniently) artistically, after her album ‘Lemonade’ was acclaimed for its anger and passion.
The title track is the immediately obvious example as Jay apologises to his family for his infidelities and indiscretions. In fact, he’s alarmingly sincere, to the point where his flow practically collapses and his verse stutters to conclusion. It’s a surprisingly genuine moment from a man who’s spent so much of his career projecting himself as an unflappable tycoon.
Unfortunately, that’s also a persona he’s unwilling to completely abandon. The result is that touching tracks like Smile, where Jay raps about his mother coming out as a lesbian accompanied by a spoken word piece from her, are contrasted with illogical business advice on The Story of OJ.
It’s unsurprising that Jay chooses to rap about what’s important to him, but that doesn’t change the fact that Jay-Z the billionaire is far more boring than Jay-Z the street poet. Listeners are only reminded of that when he vividly recounts his time hustling in New York projects on lo-fi throwback Marcy Me.
In truth, there’s a lot of nostalgia on this record. No I.D. throws together a collection of mid-tempo beats with soulful samples not a million miles away from where Jay-Z started on ‘Reasonable Doubt’. That might not be particularly radical or interesting, but it’s not necessarily the wrong choice either, especially when you consider his rapping style hasn’t changed drastically since then.
The delicate shift in tone is certainly the right move for Jay, who’s grown stale and uninspiring at this point in his career. He’s finally put together an album that’s consistent and coherent in its core messages. But, for a personal record, it also lacks charm, warmth or depth. Maybe he’s too caught up in his brand, but you can’t shake the feeling this is the very best he’s capable of at this point.
Jay-Z Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Fri October 27 2017 - ANAHEIM California - Honda Center (USA)
Sat October 28 2017 - LAS VEGAS Nevada - T-Mobile Arena (USA)
Wed November 01 2017 - FRESNO California - Save Mart Center at Fresno State (USA)
Fri November 03 2017 - PHOENIX Arizona - Talking Stick Resort Arena (USA)
Sun November 05 2017 - DENVER Colorado - Pepsi Center Arena (USA)
Tue November 07 2017 - DALLAS Texas - American Airlines Center (USA)
Wed November 08 2017 - HOUSTON Texas - Toyota Center (USA)
Thu November 09 2017 - NEW ORLEANS Louisiana - Smoothie King Center (USA)
Sat November 11 2017 - ORLANDO Florida - Amway Center (USA)
Sun November 12 2017 - MIAMI Florida - American Airlines Arena (USA)
Tue November 14 2017 - ATLANTA Georgia - Philips Arena (USA)
Wed November 15 2017 - NASHVILLE Tennessee - Bridgestone Arena (USA)
Thu November 16 2017 - CHARLOTTE North Carolina - Spectrum Center (USA)
Sat November 18 2017 - DETROIT Michigan - Little Caesars Arena (USA)
Sun November 19 2017 - CLEVELAND Ohio - Quicken Loans Arena (USA)
Tue November 21 2017 - MONTREAL Quebec - Bell Centre (Canada)
Wed November 22 2017 - TORONTO Ontario - Air Canada Centre (Canada)
Sat November 25 2017 - BOSTON Massachusetts - TD Garden (USA)
Sun November 26 2017 - BROOKLYN New York - Barclays Center (USA)
Wed November 29 2017 - WASHINGTON District of Columbia - Verizon Center (USA)
Sat December 02 2017 - UNIONDALE New York - Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum (USA)
Tue December 05 2017 - CHICAGO Illinois - United Center (USA)
Wed December 06 2017 - LINCOLN Nebraska - Pinnacle Bank Arena (USA)
Sat December 09 2017 - EDMONTON Alberta - Rogers Place (Canada)
Mon December 11 2017 - VANCOUVER British Columbia - Pepsi Live At Rogers Arena (Canada)
Wed December 13 2017 - SEATTLE Washington - KeyArena (USA)
Thu December 14 2017 - PORTLAND Oregon - Moda Center (USA)
Sat December 16 2017 - OAKLAND California - Oracle Arena (USA)
Sun December 17 2017 - SACRAMENTO California - Golden 1 Center (USA)
Tue December 19 2017 - SAN DIEGO California - Viejas Arena (USA)
Thu December 21 2017 - LOS ANGELES California - Forum (USA)
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