REVIEWS : MUSIC
Tracks like “Who Gon Stop Me” match cocky boasting with frenetic synths. “No Church in the Wild” sees these partners in rhyme waxing philosophical against the backdrop of a menacing bass line. “Why I Love You” even has them riffing off a grandiose mid-tempo hair-metal chorus! But it’s not all just studio magic: “Otis” strips down the mix to minimalist beats, allowing the pair to trade lyrical barbs, punctuated by a frenetic Otis Redding sample.
It’s all too easy to be wowed by the slick production values and stadium-filling bravura. However, if one listens beyond the sonic grandeur, Watch the Throne is a surprisingly introspective album. The smooth gospel vocals on the chorus of “Made In America” serves as an upbeat refrain for a meditation on the duo’s rise to pop superstardom, framed in the larger context of African-American history. Meanwhile, “New Day” is a surprisingly earnest collection of hopes for the lives of the pair’s hypothetical children. Kanye declares “I won’t let my son have an ego”, while Jay-Z promises to avoid the mistakes of his own deadbeat father. Even on angrier tracks like “Welcome to the Jungle” and “Murder to Excellence”, the aggro posturing is tempered by wry observations about black-on-black violence and the celebration of ghetto-to-riches success stories. All of this makes for an unexpectedly thoughtful release, making effective use of the tandem’s star power and undeniable musical skills.
A CLASH OF URBAN KINGS
Beyond the polished macho swagger, Jay-Z and Kanye West’s Watch the Throne is the sound of hip-hop aging gracefully.
originally published in UNO (Guam), September 2011
Watch the Throne is a testament to the significance of collaboration and teamwork in hip-hop. In theory, it would seem like epic battle of egos when these two heavyweights of urban music – each one in peak form – get together in one studio. Amazingly, both rap titans manage to bring their own unique style to the mix here, as if their drive to outdo one another created something far greater.Tracks like “Who Gon Stop Me” match cocky boasting with frenetic synths. “No Church in the Wild” sees these partners in rhyme waxing philosophical against the backdrop of a menacing bass line. “Why I Love You” even has them riffing off a grandiose mid-tempo hair-metal chorus! But it’s not all just studio magic: “Otis” strips down the mix to minimalist beats, allowing the pair to trade lyrical barbs, punctuated by a frenetic Otis Redding sample.
It’s all too easy to be wowed by the slick production values and stadium-filling bravura. However, if one listens beyond the sonic grandeur, Watch the Throne is a surprisingly introspective album. The smooth gospel vocals on the chorus of “Made In America” serves as an upbeat refrain for a meditation on the duo’s rise to pop superstardom, framed in the larger context of African-American history. Meanwhile, “New Day” is a surprisingly earnest collection of hopes for the lives of the pair’s hypothetical children. Kanye declares “I won’t let my son have an ego”, while Jay-Z promises to avoid the mistakes of his own deadbeat father. Even on angrier tracks like “Welcome to the Jungle” and “Murder to Excellence”, the aggro posturing is tempered by wry observations about black-on-black violence and the celebration of ghetto-to-riches success stories. All of this makes for an unexpectedly thoughtful release, making effective use of the tandem’s star power and undeniable musical skills.