i'm talking about the first song on Kingdom Come. Jay says something like

the game's fucked up
niggas beats are bangin, nigga you hooks did it
ya lyrics didn't, your gangsta look did it

in the first stanza. was he going at 50? i was on a self-imposed vacay from hip-hop when this album dropped and i wasn't really a Jay fan at the time so this album kinda was off of my radar, but those lines kinda jumped out at me when listening to the album after some time away from it.

also, is the reason this album isn't regarded as 'good' by Jay-Z is because he's not rapping about his street life past? granted there are some filler tracks on Kingdom Come, mainly towards the end, but I thought it was good, maybe not as good as The Black Album or some of Jay's better albums.

so could someone pass on what was the critical approval of the album when it dropped?

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http://www.twitter.com/chriscjamison/

People who don't take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year. People who do take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year.

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And that album was pretty awful lyrically. He was coasting on that one in the worst way. Try picking out a quotable in, say, "Oh My God" or "Show Me What You Got". I think people prefer him to rap about street life because that's what he's good at rapping about.

the "Street life" and that's complete bullshit to me. The content itself was better because it wasn't about drug shit, but the flows, lyrics, and overall songs just weren't hittin.

I will never forgive him for letting me/us down on the title track. When I first heard Just put that beat up on Myspace, showing how he flipped the Rick James track in a way I would have NEVER imagined, I said "man....if Jay comes outta retirement and uses this??? It's an INSTANT classic!" I thought it was gonna be PSA on steroids. But he came off HORRIBLE on it...the hook and verses were complete ass. Only quotable was the "Superman is alive" part, and we had heard that before!

It had some good-solid tracks for sure, but no real standouts at all. Some folks enjoyed "Hollywood" and the track with Usher, but they were super blah to me. Beach chair was interesting but I can see why some folks hate it and why some think it's dope...it was also blah to me.

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I agree


know Jay-Z...it was aimed at someone..

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cause Jay is too calculated to just take shots at people without the effect of this diss elevating his own career. so i guess the 'mad libs' diss is his pre-Death of AutoTune attack where he's just attacking the style that he thinks is killing the creativity in hip-hop.

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http://www.twitter.com/chriscjamison/

People who don't take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year. People who do take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year.

Peter Drucker

But quickly stopped listening to certain songs. Sometimes it was the beats/chorus that were wack (Anything, Dig A Hole), sometimes it was his rhymes (30 Something but the Andre 3000/Ice Cube remix was good, Kingdom Come) and sometimes the you just have to be in the right mood for the song and it's good (Trouble, Beach Chair).

I'll say that "Lost Ones", "Oh My God" & "Do You Wanna Ride" are good/great songs that I still listen to occasionally.

The reason why I think it failed commercially is b/c Jay-z tried to be personal and poppy which just came off as corny. Why I think it failed artistically was b/c he had the perfect chance to reinvent himself, to finally lyrically "be Talib Kweli" but went half-assed and decided that poppiness would make up for any shortcomings. Not realizing that although he wasn't gone that long (Or really at all) there was a giant shift in hip hop between The Black Album & Kingdom Come's release, so he wasn't as bulletproof as he once was.

>
>also, is the reason this album isn't regarded as 'good' by
>Jay-Z is because he's not rapping about his street life past?

<--- Big Baller World Order

That song comes out of nowhere and slaps the listener with a meh club track.

agreed with your thoughts.

but the intro track remains fierce.

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RIP Dave Ellis

if he had rhymed on beats like that and with that skill throughout the album it would have been another classic by Jay.

i think that song tho is the format for alot of his tracks on American Gangster, aside from the snipe at the rappers at the beginning.

__________________________________________

http://www.twitter.com/chriscjamison/

People who don't take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year. People who do take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year.

Peter Drucker

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when Lay Z dropped that album he seemed to be inhailing those Budweisers he was endorsing.

50 made Jigga look old and done.

however Jay Z knew that 50 was riding a wave because 50 had to push Product and fast.

like i said ain't been but a handful of cats who do that boutique ride on a label last and 50 was on following Ja Rule's blueprint to the T.

mistermaxxx R.Kelly, Michael Jackson,Stevie wonder,Rick James,Marvin Gaye,El Debarge, Barry WHite Lionel RIchie,Isleys EWF,Lady T.,Kid creole and coconuts,the crusaders,kc sunshine band,bee gees,jW,sd,NE,JB

Miami Heat, New York Yankees,buffalo bills

lol....cosign.

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