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Topic subjectI absolutely love 4:44. To me he accomplished the goal of
Topic URLhttp://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=4&topic_id=13450586&mesg_id=13451961
13451961, I absolutely love 4:44. To me he accomplished the goal of
Posted by soulfunk, Mon Jan-17-22 02:56 PM
what he attempted with Kingdom Come - to make a “grown man” rap album covering mature topics that still knocks.

I view Jay’s career in terms of eras, through Black Album and post Black Album. I think of Black Album as an actual retirement from his new album every year pace, with every album having a goal of being a number 1 seller. Post “retirement” I feel like his focus should have completely shifted away from sales and being the “biggest” rapper in the game to reinforcing his overall legacy by making great albums without regard for having the biggest single or having strong commercial performance.

His best post retirement joints were American Gangster and 4:44, and in those I feel like he focused on making great albums. Kingdom Come was an attempt at this, as was BP3, but he has a tendency of letting commercial sensibilities creep in with trying to appeal to wider audiences on some songs, and that took away from the cohesiveness of those albums. That being said, as mentioned above both of those albums still have some really great material on them. Magna Carter, on the other hand…meh. That album felt like he was trying to continue the themes and sound of Watch the Throne, but without Kanye’s involvement, and it just didn’t work.