Kingdom Come
by Jay-Z
Metascore
67

Generally favorable reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 23
  3. Negative: 1 out of 23
  1. ShakingThrough.net
    60
    Kingdom Come is exactly the kind of rote product Jay-Z seemed to want to avoid when he "retired": It's a victory lap without a victory, a rare instance of a rap superstar blowing his own horn and yet sounding half-hearted about it.
  2. Uncut
    60
    Whilst a gift for converting arrogance into entertainment has always been one of Jay-Z’s strongest suits, Kingdom Come skirts perilously close to the showboating that marred 2002’s bloated double album, The Blueprint 2.
  3. Blender
    60
    He never quite rises to this lofty occasion, and without anything to prove other than that he can come back whenever he pleases, he reverts to gloating. [Jan/Feb 2007, p.81]
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  5. Pitchfork
    50
    He's grown up, alright. With the energy Jay brings to most of these tracks, you'd think 30 was the new 60.
  6. The New York Times
    50
    “Kingdom Come,” then, captures the sound of a grown-up rapper trying to make a grown-up album -- whatever that means. It’s a fascinating experiment, and a halfway successful one.
  7. Stylus Magazine
    50
    Kingdom Come is Jay-Z at his least inspired, and, yes, that includes the R. Kelly collaborations.
  8. Slant Magazine
    50
    If all of Jigga's future records sound as labored and flat as Kingdom Come, do we really need him back?
  9. AllMusic
    50
    A display of complacency and retreads.
  10. cokemachineglow
    48
    Its problems are both wide-reaching and acute, an album full of tiny misfired rhymes and shiny-dildo drum hits that add up to what I’ll go ahead and label Jigga’s second worst record, after 2002’s abysmal The Blueprint 2.0.

Awards & Rankings

55
#55 Most Discussed Album of 2006
68
#68 Most Shared Album of 2006

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
6.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 130 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 67 out of 130
  2. Mixed: 44 out of 130
  3. Negative: 19 out of 130
  1. gabriscaff
    Jan 1, 2021
    8
    Kingdom Come is an hip hop album to re-admit Jay-Z into the game after three years. Based on solid production by Justin Blaze, Hova speaksKingdom Come is an hip hop album to re-admit Jay-Z into the game after three years. Based on solid production by Justin Blaze, Hova speaks bars, with unique flow. In particular, the first part of the LP is at high level. On the second part, the are some misses, and duet with Chris Martin don't make me emotions. List of features are interesting, with R&B and pop singer, some made great job (Ne-Yo and Beyonce), difference from others.
    To conclude, Kingdome Come is a solid album release by Jay-Z. Probably it will be not the best, but is not his worst.    … Full Review »
  2. axelkoch
    Aug 15, 2013
    6
    Admittedly, to return after a short hiatus and having to follow-up one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time is not an easy task. AndAdmittedly, to return after a short hiatus and having to follow-up one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time is not an easy task. And sadly, Jay-Z didn’t succeed in that with Kingdom Come. It’s not as bad as some insult it to be, but Carter only shows his ingenuity at few moments and also disappoints with almost everyone of his featured artists safe John Legend who additionally spices up one of the album’s finest moments, an emotional message to an imprisoned friend of Jay-Z. The only bad moments of the record are Anything and Hollywood, two consecutive disappointments merely focused on creating a radio-friendly tune without substance. The rest of Kingdom Come is mostly a forgettably unspectacular assemblage of the same old topics and the New York hip hop old hand exercising himself in mediocrity. Double entendres and stunning rhyme schemes are present, yet only in a handful of outstanding songs, namely Lost One, Trouble, Minority Report, and Beach Chair. All in all, this makes for an album better than Jay-Z’s Vol. series as well as The Dynasty, but simply not enough for what he already proved to be capable of.… Full Review »
  3. Mcritic19
    Aug 22, 2011
    8
    When i first heard the album i was not impressed but going back to it years later makes this album good. jay Z was ahead of the pack with thisWhen i first heard the album i was not impressed but going back to it years later makes this album good. jay Z was ahead of the pack with this album. Classic club songs like "hollywood" and lyrically great songs like "lost ones" and "beach chair" make this album.… Full Review »
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