1. ajayd

   10

   Stop tryin to compare this to lupe...lupe has nothing on Jay. THis album is a hip hop master piece.

   • Helpful? 2 of 3 users said Yes.
2. ToryH.

   8

   A great album but it falls just short of a classic. The forgettable "Hello Brooklyn" is one of the worst songs, not just for Jay, but ever. However, the rest of the albums songs rate from solid to simply outstanding. The Neptunes produced "I Know" doesn't immediately stand out as exceptional but the running metaphor is reminscent of the Blueprint's bonus track "Breathe Easy"/"Lyrical Exercise". After a poor (by his standards) Kingdom Come, Jay stepped his game up and this is easily his 3rd best album to date.… Expand

   • Helpful? 0 of 0 users said Yes.
3. Wash

   7

   On his latest, Jay-Z hopes to create a secondary soundtrack to the film "American Gangster" by lyricizing his own experiences... too bad he already did it perfectly with 1996's "Reasonable Doubt," the smoky-sounding masterpiece that introduced him to us. "American Gangster" doesn't rank in his top 5, but he redeems himself nicely from the musical ED that was "Kingdom Come" by using better beats and a less ostentatious swagger. Highlights include "No Hook," "Ignorant Sh*t" with Beanie Sigel and "Success," where he narrowly upstages former rival Nas. "Hello Brooklyn" disappoints with a garbled hook and lackadaisical verse from Lil Wayne; considering the talent on the song, it easily should have been Jay's best song since "99 Problems" and the single of the year. Unfortunately, two sub-par albums after his "Black Album" makes one wonder: we know hip-hop has always come easily to Mr. Carter, but is he now underestimating the amount of effort he needs to put into it?… Collapse

   • Helpful? 0 of 0 users said Yes.
4. PJB.

   4

   People hated on Kingdom Come, so now we get this pile of filler. I am still amazed how so many publications gave this album such high scores, when the only people who could really enjoy this album are those who never listen to hip-hop. This album is primarily produced by two of Puff Daddy's underlings, LV & and Sean C, who are also responsible for the disappointing Big Doe Rehab (Ghostface). Their beats are AWFUL. Generic soul samples with no variation or innovation make listening to this album a chore. It's almost pathetic to hear Jay-Z rapping about selling coke and cooking up drugs when he's been out of the ghetto since 1995. The only real highlight of this album is an appearance by Nas, who outshines Jay-Z not just on that track, but the whole album. Frankly, I don't know why Nas every squashed the beef between them. I would hate Jay-Z too if he was making millions claiming to be the best, while I was the true lyrical king of New York who only got respect from white boys and rock critics.… Expand

   • Helpful? 0 of 0 users said Yes.

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