After seeing the star-stuffed lineup for American Gangster — Denzel Washington, Russel Crowe, Chiwetel Ejiofor, T.I., RZA, Common, Cuba Gooding Jr., Idris Elba, etc — I walked into last night’s press screening expecting a typical blaxploitation flick. Boy, was I wrong or what? (more…)
::Jay-Z ft. Beanie Sigel - “Ignorant Sh*t”
“Scarface the Movie did more than Scarface the Rapper to me”
A lot of people criticize Jay-Z for not addressing social issues like, say, Nas or Talib. Funny thing is, he does…on his own terms. If you do your homework, you’ll realize that he has touched on those same subjects that so-called conscious MCs have rhymed about in the past. Sure, Jigga has flipped the bird to everyone from Bill O’Reilly and C Delores Tucker to racist cops and the broken justice system. In some cases, he has done so on the same tracks as our socially aware favorites, like dead prez and Kweli.
The reason people don’t give him props for waxing conscious is that he sometimes approaches serious issues with a passive demeanor. Socially conscious Jay-Z at his best tackles hot button topics with a “f*ck you, don’t blame it on me” attitude that makes it less convenient to focus on the issues at hand, as he does here on “Ignorant Sh*t.” Don Imus gets it on the newly added Verse III. Call it thug braggadocio.
Oh yeah, Beans is still a beast on the mic. A severely untamed one for that matter.
“Success” is everything you expect from two of the leading MCs in the game, but it’s far from perfect. My main gripe with:
Jigga - He flagrantly swipes an entire bar from Marshal Mathers. Can’t get away with the “I’m just biggin’ him up” excuse this time, Jay.
Esco - He keeps recycling the same annoying Jacob/jewelry lines. Esco, do you have a pact with dude or what?
Both: I’d rather hear them trade rhymes back and forth (for a change) a la Red & Meth, Snoop & Dre, Ghost & Rae, Nas & AZ, you get my drift.
The Production - None. It’s a doozy, and the track is a banger. Let this b*tch breathe, haters.
Your verdict on “Success”? Is it better than “Black Republican”?
In case you only came to find out if Lil Wayne is really on American Gangster, the answer is yes and no. Other than that, I won’t sit here and pretend I’ve formed a judgment on the album based on 30-second snippets. In any case, it’s worth a listen if you’re a fan of good music. Check it out after the gap. (more…)
Sponsored by Young Turbo.
The moment you’ve all been waiting for. The video is cool and all, but why is the chick in the track suit dancing off beat?
It takes a song of this magnitude to bring me out of my birthday break.
Good to see Hovi back in double entendre mode. “Roc Boys” is definitely a winner. Imagine if Beans, Bleek, and Free hopped on a remix.
No, I didn’t fly to NY just to preview an album that I’ll be listening to in 3 weeks. I noticed that tons of quality previews have been making rounds on the web, and, in true T.R.U. fashion, decided to compile them on one page for your perusal.
Brought to you by my brother from another mother, Eskay, the good folks at EW.com, XXLmag.com, Prohiphop.com, and Vibe.com. Boys and Girls, I give you the Preview of all Previews:
>>In the Studio: Jay-Z’s American Gangster [EW]
>>Not for Commercial Use [Nah Right]
>>Uncontrollable Hustler’s Ambition [XXL]
>>Listening Session with Jay-Z’s American Gangster, Next Single: “Roc Boys” [Prohiphop]
>>Preview: Jay-Z’s American Gangster [VIBE]
Granted, Hov’s last two albums were hyped up just like this, but I have a strong feeling that AG will not disappoint entirely. *Fingers Crossed*
Here’s what American Gangster looks like, according to iTunes:
I could’ve sworn that Hov has already used “Ignorant Sh*t” and “You Don’t Know” as song titles. Then again, this is the same Jigga that created two different songs and named them “Anything.”
*iTunes lists track 3 as “Untitled,” so it’s probably the secret Nas collabo “The Return.”
Pssst: Obviously, XXL and Vibe.com have previews of American Gangster. The final tracklist is expected to be 14 tracks, including an updated version of “Ignorant Sh*t” featuring Beanie Sigel.
