Thursday, July 4, 2013

Jay-z's 'Magna Carta Holy Grail' Album Review Part I

Jay'z "Magna Carta Holy Grail" has now become available through the Samsung app, but has leaked everywhere else, last night. MCHG is now Jay's 12th studio album, and he claims he is rewritten the rules. Everybody has seen the Samsung Galaxy commercials of Jay, Pharrell, Timbaland, Swizz Beats and Rick Rubin (the white guy with the long bear that is always laying on the couch) introducing the MCHG.

"Magna Carta Holy Grail" started off with "Holy Grail" ft. Justin Timberlake, the only single off of the album. I predict that the radio will blow this song up because Justin is featured in it. "Holy Grail" produced by Timbaland and The Dream, was an amazing start to the album. The distinct piano keys play in the background while JT starts to sing an amazing piece was brilliant.

"I just want a Picassa, in my casa. No, my castle, I'm a hassa, no I'm an asshole". Hov was spitting fire in "Picasso Baby"! On a beat produced by Timbaland, Jay compared himself to Basquiat ("I'm the new Jean Michel"). But even before the comparison, Hov tells us he wants a wife that will fuck him like a prostitute (well damn Hov). Is it me or are Jay and Bey not giving a fuck in their tell-all lyrics. Anyways I enjoyed the bragging and all in this record.

One of my favorite songs on MCHG, "Tom Ford". In another Timbaland production, Hov went ham again (well he did in every song), "It's Hov's time in no time, it's fuck all yall seasons". With Timbalands's chopped and screwed production, Jay's flow couldn't get no better saying things like, "Guns on ya Tumblrs...Fuck hashtags and retweets, nigga. 140 characters in these streets nigga" (well it looks like Jay doesn't run his Tweeter, opps I mean Twitter). At the end of the track, Beyonce whispers and echos with her man saying, "Bad bitch, H-Town". Jay also referenced Molly, a drug that every rap mentions in their record, but this time it was mentioned because it wasn't used, "I don't pop molly, I rock Tom Ford". Thank you Hov for not promoting the use of Molly but promoting the use of Tom Ford. All.Hail Hov!

Now, "FuckWithMeYouKnowIGotIt" has been hashtagged a hundred times by me. Jay knows what he is going putting these words together. People will hashtag this, but he just said "Fuck Hashtags"...oh well. As I digress, this song is great! I actually want this to be a single. This is the type of song you listen to in a Maybach or Rolls Royce. This record opens up with a long intro from Pimp C, talking about the necessities of wearing jewelry. Rick Ross allows the beat to breath or maybe it's the other way around. Rick Ross's verse was a typical Rick Ross verse, he even mentioned Rebooks (I guess this record was before they fired him). Jay slayed of course spitting, "Hov just landed in Rome nigga. All Hail Caesar's home niggas". I am surprised that Hov matched Rozay's flow on this on. I wanted to hear Ross switch up his flow, but this shows us that Jay has a million of flows.

I think this is my second favorite song out the album man, "Oceans" featuring Frank Ocean. In the beginning Frank Ocean lays down a beautiful yet complexed verse about how the water tells his story, the story of Slavery. He sings, "This water mixed with blood. This Water tells my story. This water knows it all." This song so perfect; it's meaningful and poetic, though I can't relate because my ancestors were not slaves, I still take this song to heart. Jay-z makes a good point, that the only Christopher Blacks know is Wallace, forgetting about Christopher Columbus and George Washington. He raps, "Only Christopher we acknowledge is Wallace. I don't even like Washington in my pocket". Hov really showed as his lyricism, comparing his black Maybach to a slave boat, and much more other things. Is it me or are rappers rapping about "Strange Fruit" and Blackskin Heads"? It's weird how both Ye and Hov both references those two things....

"F.U.T.W (Fuck Up The World)" produced by Timbaland had a jazzy feel with swirling chimes. In this record, it seemed to me that Jay felt has though he had to carry the torch MLK had lighted for Blacks; he is going to finish what was started. Jay raps, "Martin had a dream, Hov got a team". To hear him say that makes a lot of sense; the idea that a black man could make so much money, and be the face of many things is so inspiring. He also spits "When you front row at the Knicks game, those the Spike Lees. You front row everywhere, you in the H.O.V's"......."Make a million another million let my niggas make a million til we all check a billion". Blame Hov still got it!

"Somewhereinamerica" produced by Hit Boy and Mike Dean has a jazzy and old school hip hop vibe to it. I don't know why this song was in the album to be honest, it sounded like a freestyle. He should of released this like a month ago or even today and let this album drop next month. Some positives was the bars, he delivered a little bit. Hov spits, "Knock, Knock! I'm at ya neighbor house. Straight cash, I bought ya neighbor out. You should come to the housewarming, come and see what your new neighbor bout" and "By the way, fuck math. You ain't gotta count it my nigga I can add. 1 million, 2 million, 3 million, 20 million. Oh, I'm so good at math". But what everybody's favorite part was the last line of the last verse and the outtro.... "Cause somwhere in America Miley Cryus is still twerkin'.....twerk Miley, Miley, twerk!" I kind of like this part.

Many people think "Crown" sounds like something off of Kanye West's "Yeezus" album because of the comparison to God multiple times. *Sign* I don't know who listened to who's album first but I do hear some similaries between them. Yeezus comes from Jesus but claims to be God but Hov comes from Jehovah and claims to be God.... At least we know who did their Bible research. Ha! Anyways, I am starting to familiarize myself with Travis Scott's beats because he produced 3 songs off of Yeezus and I could definitely tell this was a Travis Scott production. The production goes hard don't get me wrong but shall I move on to the lyrics? Hov brags, "I sold a million records like a million times....I ball so hard on ESPN. Sell my name come across on CNN, about 6 minutes, you gonna see it again".

"Heaven", produced by The Dream and Timbaland, is one of my favorite songs off the album. Jay talks a lot about religion, kind of comparing his lifestyle to certain parts of the Christian religion, in this sampled Aerosmith's "Dream On" track. Hov raps "I turn arenas into churches. I'm like Michael recycle....these are not 16's, these are verses from Bible. Tell the preacher, he's a preacher. I'm a motherfucking prophet, smoking a tree of knowledge". He even brought up the fact that people question if he is in the Illuminati saying, "Conspiracy theorist screaming Illuminati. They can't believe this much skill is in the human body. He's 6'2, how the fuck he fit in a new Bugatti? Aw fuck it you got me".

"Versus" interlude produced by Timbaland was kind of pointless. Jay, we know whoever's last shit ain't better than your first shit and whoever's best shit ain't better than your worst shit. The only important part of the interlube was him saying, "The truth in my verses Versus your metaphors about what your net worth is....HA!"

Now I enjoyed listening "Part II (On The Run)" ft. Beyonce. Listening to this record took me on a journey, not just their journey but Bonnie & Clyde's journey. I remember when "Bonnie & Clyde" came out and everybody thought Jay and Bey were dating, and in actuality they were. Look at them now, married and have a baby girl. Wow! On to the Beyutiful, opps I mean beautiful intriging lyrics by Beyonce. I was way more interested in what Beyonce was singing rather than what Jay was rapping. The only think I got from Jay was "My baby momma harder than a lot of you niggas" and "She was a good girl til she knew me, now she is in the drop bussin' Ue". In all actuality, I would love to see Jay and Beyonce reform this live. It would take me to that place and just vibe out. I blame Timbaland for making me talk like this ha!

Mike Will Made It! Yes he did, he made it alright...to the top with excellence. This production is fireeee! People are saying that "Beach Is Better", a 55 second song, was the best song of the album. Come on Jay! 55 seconds though? I'm just glad the lady saying "Mike Will Made It" wasn't on the interlube because it would of taken up 10 seconds of the song. Anyways, Jay proved to me that 40 is the new 20, he sounded so young with bars like "I bought sand to the beach 'cause my beach is better. You can keep ya beach 'cause that beach whatever". He made me laugh with the Halle Berry, Beyonce bar, "Girl why you never ready! For as long as you took, you better look like Halle Berry..........or Beyonceeeeeeeeeee!" Ha! You played yourself Hov!

Link to Part II of "MCHG" album review: http://thenewclassicera.blogspot.com/2013/07/jay-z-magna-carta-holy-grail-album.html

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