I had originally planned a sort of blog update weekend extravaganza. I’ve been crazy mad exhausted lately, so I was looking forward to a weekend of relaxation and mild but enjoyable work, such as finishing the little things left to do in the apartment, watching ROME and updating T-Sides. Then yesterday I realized that this weekend is the only weekend I have to shop for Christmas presents before I go back to Seattle. Over the past years, I’ve been slowly developing into a bit of a grinch, and now that I have to waste this weekend running around fighting the Cristmas shopping rush, I’m pretty much there. But enough bitching about the holidays: I’ll save that for another entry!
I know chances are that you’ve already heard the new Jay-Z album. And I know chances are that you’ve already developed an opinion on it. But HOT DAMN, Kingdom Come is AWESOME. It’s pretty much all I’ve wanted to listen to since I got it a couple nights ago. I dare say it’s my favorite rap/hip-hop album of the year — even over Clipse, even over Lupe Fiasco. Not over Gnarls Barkley, but I don’t really consider that in the same category. Seriously, do yourself a favor and listen to it again. But don’t listen to it in passing, don’t listen to it while you’re online and getting distracted. Sit down and really listen to it. I’ll help you out:
Jay-Z: “Kingdom Come” (download)
Jay-Z: “Lost Ones (Feat. Chrissette Michelle)” (download)
7 comments
Billy F. says:
Dec 20, 2006
sorry Taylor, but I dont think it’s that amazing. I hate to do this, but to paraphrase pitchfork: who really wants to hear about a millionaire rapper in a mid-life crisis trying to still sound hip. I like Jay-Z, but he’s got to do better than this.
And I hate the fact that I agreed with Pitchfork almost entirly on this album. Boo.
I must also say that I almost got really excited when I saw the image for this post. I really thought you were going to blog about one of my favorite comic books of all time. Sadly, it was not about how Kingdom Come was the best artwork that Alex Ross has ever done, or how Mark Waid is an underrated writer, but instead about…music. And not even music related to comic books. And I thought this was a music blog–oh wait…ok, well I guess this all makes sense then, doesn’t it? Carry on.
What the hell am I writing? haha.
Taylor says:
Dec 20, 2006
Honestly, what’s the difference between “a rapper in a mid-life crisis trying to sound hip” and a rapper who’s on his first album trying to sound hip? As far as I’m concerned, there isn’t one. It makes more sense to me to hear from a guy who’s been successful (in making rap albums and elsewhere) about how amazing he is than some young punk who’s made one or two albums and is trying to tell me he’s the best in the world. Like, yeah, Clipse, Lupe, that’s great that you think you’re so amazing, but how many albums have you made? And what else have you done? But, really, this pinpoints one of my bigger issues with hip-hop/rap, which is the fact that I really am not that interested in general in people trying to tell me how awesome they are. In relation to this album, I think the fact that Jay-Z is older and has more experience is part of what makes this so interesting. I also just really love the overall feeling of the album. I like my rap & hip-hop to be more chill than hard-hitting, and this album is fucking CHILLLLL.
Taylor says:
Dec 20, 2006
Also, have you sat down and really, really listened to the whole thing? I don’t know why, I seem to be the only one, but I really just love it.
EF Matt says:
Dec 20, 2006
i haven’t heard the album yet precisely because everyone (almost) has said that it’s not very good but i’m going to check it out because T-Sides says i should. we’ll see. but, BUT, there is no doubt that Alex Ross flat out rules.
Rap Beats says:
Nov 27, 2008
Rap beats are all sounding the same but if you had a great lyric on top with a great flow i could get past that. everyone writeing the same shallow lyricks, bling , girls etc.. time to wite something meaning that connects not this shallow stuff…
producing rap beats says:
Jan 22, 2009
^true, i’d say lots of beats have the same style but music has always been like that – people feedin off eachother.
for me, the beat can really make or break the song.
TL Beats says:
Jan 9, 2017
Classic album.
I think hip hop died with Jay Z & Nas.
They just don’t make em like that anymore.