Watch The Throne is just as, if not more experimental than Kanye's "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy," but in the end doesn't sound as polished or fleshed out musically. This is a very good album, but it's not going to be something that everyone can enjoy. I did enjoy it, and I feel it has some very clear amazing stand-out tracks, such as Murder to Excellence. The epic, castle-music feel that they were going for is captured in their attempts more often than not while the balance of grandiose rhyming on their own status and lifestyle is also complimented by awareness of black culture and where they individually came from. If you complain about the subject matter of this album, you are not listening close enough.

The low point of the album is Lift Off, which is too long to be an intro, but also too little on relevant vocals to be considered a real song. It just goes nowhere and feels underwhelming. If you are a fan of either Kanye West or Jay-Z then you will likely not be disappointed with this album. It feels like a very clear love/hate type of project. There isn't a cohesive feel or atmosphere that the album has other than attempting to deliver it's tracks to the listener on an epic scale, which works. It gives Watch The Throne a level of versatility that will be another double-edged sword in how it is perceived. No two people will have the same favorite songs on this album. Perhaps greater than a collaboration this monumental though, is that the album is constantly taking chances and never plays it safe. That alone is worth more than a majority of what mainstream music has to offer. I wish I could give it an 8.5 but I can't, so I rounded up to a 9. At the very least, Watch The Throne is an album all music fans should check out. It is Kanye and Jay-Z trying to push themselves, each other, and hip hop to another level. It doesn't work so smoothly all the time, but there will be something for everyone to enjoy.… Expand

This album was extremely hyped and I was sure that it was going to be a let down, but I was wrong.
The album starts off on a very solid foot, thanks to a solid hook by Frank Ocean and a couple of nice verses from Ye and Jay on "No Church in the Wild". That track is followed up by the worst song on the album, "Lift Off" featuring Beyonce. There are a couple of bad and uninspired verses and a big booming beat with Beyonce doing her thing on the chorus, however the song is a real snoozer.
Once you get past Lift Off the album really takes off. Track 3, "N!gg@s in Paris" goes hard in the paint. Track 5, "Gotta Have It", is a really inspired Neptunes beat. The best beat I've heard from them in a while. Track 6, "New Day", is produced by RZA and is a very deep moment for the album, because Jay and Ye are both rapping to their newborn sons. It's a good switch up.
Tracks 8 and 9, "Who Gon Stop Me" and "Murder to Excellence", respectively, are two of the album highlights for me. "Who Gon Stop Me" is just a straight bragging track over a great beat, that switches up midway through the song.
"Murder to Excellence" is another song that has its beat switch up midway through. However, this is because there are two different themes in this song. The first half is about black on black murder and the second half is about black excellence. It is a very deep song with a great beat.
The track that follows this up is "Made in America". Another song that features Frank Ocean and not a particular favorite of mine, due to the soft beat and cheesy chorus, however Ye and Jay both have decent verses on this song.
The album ends on a real high note with "Why I Love You", featuring both a sample and Mr. Hudson singing that sample on the chorus. This is a Jay-Z dominated track, and he is rapping about people that he has stuck up for in the past but didn't fulfill their end of the bargain. Namely Dame Dash and Beanie Sigel, rapping "I tried to teach ni**as how to be kings / And all they ever wanted to be was soldiers". it is a very good song to end the album on. Bonus Tracks:
This album comes with 4 bonus tracks on the deluxe version and 3 of them are very good. The first, "Illest MoFo Alive", is another just straight braggadocios over a banging beat.
The second, "Primetime", has a great beat from No I.D. and starts out with this great line from Jay-Z "Primetime, beat by Dion". Obviously when you think of Primetime, you think of Deion Sanders but he is also giving a shout-out to No I.D. right there. Dion turned around.
The third, "The Joy" features a sample from Curtis Mayfield and has a great verse from Kanye on it. I didn't mention HAM or Otis, because I'm guessing you have all heard those and have your own opinions on them. I love Otis, and am kinda meh on HAM.

Overall, this is a great album but it is kind of a grower. This is one of those albums that you can pick up something different and interesting on every listen. It takes 3 or 4 listens before you can truly appreciate it and I highly recommend it.… Expand

On of the most hyped hip-hop albums of the decade has finally arrived. Does it deliver? Yes, yes it does. Great tracks like "Murder to Excellence", "Who Gon Stop Me", "Welcome to the Jungle" and "Niggas in Paris" are surely to become fan favourite. However, there are hidden gems, like "Made in America" feat. Frank Ocean, "Why I Love You" feat. Mr. Hudson and, by far the deepest song on the album, "New Day", in which Kanye and Jay address their sons, asking them for forgiveness for putting the weight of the celebrity world on their shoulders. The production is another level, just like My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, simply amazing. Kanye is the greatest producer of this decade, and in my humble opinion, of all time. His ego is only out done by the amazing level of commitment he puts in his production. The small detail that you catch from time to time never cease to amaze. Jay puts one of his finest verses in this album, and shows his amazing lyrical talent. All in all, an amazing album, done by two of hip-hops biggest diamonds right now.… Expand

Fantastic album. Musically, it feels like an extension of the new, less soul-music reliant, production style that Kanye West perfected on MBDTF. I'm normally not a fan of Jay-Z, but his talents are well utilized throughout the album, and I found myself enjoying some of his verses more than West's. Most of the tracks maintain a consistently high level of quality. My only gripes lie with two songs, "Lift Off," and "Made in America," both of which feel forced and ruin the stylistic cohesion found throughout the rest of the album. My top song picks so far include, "N*ggas in Paris," "That's My B*tch," "Gotta Have It," and "Who Gon Stop Me." Highly Recommended.… Expand

Best album of this year.. so it deserves a ten. No other album compares to the swag this album explores. Kanye really just stepped up and dropped an album that sounds like it has many hit on it.. expect to see them climb to the top of the charts.

I can't take other rap and hip-hop seriously after listening to this. It's just amateur. Kanye and Jay know what they are doing. On a 12-track album, only 1 falls short, "Lift Off" featuring Beyonce just isn't good music, it's radio music, a single. But that doesn't hurt an album that soars so far with it's other songs. If you want to hear the best of this album, look at "Murder to Excellence", "New Day", "Gotta Have It", "Why I Love You", "Otis", "That's My B*tch", "Ni**as in Paris", "Who Gon Stop Me", "Made In America", "No Church In The Wild", and "Welcome To The Jungle." That's right, I just listed every other song, that's because this album is ridiculous. A must-buy.… Expand

Whether it's a collabo or appearances, Jay-Z and Kanye West did exactly what they said about "Watch the Throne" and they did it. It's a phenomenal album you gotta hear this. My favorite track that I got on my Ipod right now is "OTIS" which is referring to the late Otis Redding, one of the greatest blues and R&B singers since B.B. King and Ray Charles. With its hard-hitting lyrics and rhythm-based tunes, this is the best Jay-Z album since The Blueprint and Reasonable Doubt. Go pick this up, I'm serious.… Expand

First and foremost, this album delivers. Oh boy, does it deliver. I have spent some time reading all the reviews from the critics and I have noticed something. Something only a great album could do. I have noticed that all the critics have their different picks for the best song on the album, generally praising all of the songs, well, maybe except "Lift Off", which is really weak. Every critic has a different favourite, while reading reviews for other albums you would find that the critics generally agree on one song being the standout. This is not the case with WTT.. I have seen critics praising "No Church in the Wild", praising "New Day", etc. What I will do, I will praise all of them. From "Otis" which is built on a great, albeit simple, sample of "Try a Little Tenderness", to "Made in America" in which Ye and Jay address their past lives before becoming the leading forces of, I would argue not only hip-hop, but also the music scene as a whole. Kanye's production is beautiful, you will always notice a new, small detail in every song that you haven't noticed before. Jay's lyrics are strong and he steps up as the leading force lyric-wise on this album. Believe when I say that I had high expectations from this album, and am I thrilled to say that it delivers. Great album!… Collapse

This isnt a bad album, its good but instead of sounding like a collaboration it feels more like two prominent hip hop artists too worried about telling each other that what each of them was doing wasnt exactly clicking.

Don't expect this to be a runaway classic like The Blueprint or My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. But you can however expect a damn good album. Clearly the Roc's best have really worked hard on the album from the production to the lyrics. "No Church in the Wild" was brilliant with an ominous Frank Ocean beat. "New Day" is an excellent RZA-constructed beat that sees the two emcees talk to their unborn children. And "Murder to Excellence" is a fine example of ambition to tie in two completely different beats together. Yet if there is a singular flaw that really holds the album from being a classic, it is that there is a clearly one-sided affair on who is the better lyricist. Kanye does come hard in places and then again goes more lax but Jay seems to always be twenty steps ahead of him. But at least if Jay owns the lyrical atmosphere than Ye obviously shines on the producer's chair. Overall, Watch the Throne lives well to its hype and then some. It's a mess yet an irresistibly beautiful one. 8.5/10… Expand

Typical example of how metacritic scores may not perfectly reflect an album's quality relative to others. Because the two artists are polarizing figures - due mostly to their personalities - this tends to bring the average down. But to suggest that Watch the Throne is a worse album than Kanye's Graduation or 808's is to listen to music with your brain instead of your ears... Graduation is boring and uninspired by Kanye standards and 808's, while the kind of influential album that often gains standing as years go by, only has about 4 good songs in it. This on the other hand is what you'd call a killer album. It's fun, eclectic, creative, and just a fantastic listen from start to finish. The production, in particular - the one aspect that makes the album, and yet the one that's taken for granted by most critics - manages to combine innovation and a sense of immediacy in an almost Beatles-esque way. Granted, the lyrics aren't up to par with the greatest rappers out there, but then again, neither Kanye nor Jay have ever been close to being superior lyricists and storytellers. They're pop stars, you listen to what they do for the music, perhaps for the charisma as well, but certainly not for social commentary.
I predict that with hindsight, this album and its baroque stadium hip-hop will pop up in a lot of "best of" lists in years to come. Sociopolitical context changes all the time, but in 20 years Watch the Throne will still sound great, and will be remembered more than many albums with a higher score because as always, everyone will end up copying it.… Expand

Great album, just had way too much hype around it. Anything with as much hype as this album cannot live up to the expectations. It's as simple as that. If you just randomly happened to stumble upon Watch The Throne without ever hearing about it before you would think it was an amazing album, but with all the hype around it it just slightly fails to live up to expectations.

i would give it a 10 but "lift off" is such a TERRIBLE song. not even kanye and jays verses could save it. other than that this album is an absolute masterpiece!!!!

Couldve replaced the "Lex Luger" style beats on some songs with better, "Kanye-like" beats, but overall the lyrics were great, the sound was great, and it didn't let me down at all. I plan on bumpin this album for a while.

Definitely not the album that I was expecting, and it proves to be for the better. There is plenty of experimentation going on throughout the album, and both Jay-Z and Kanye throw down some pretty impressive rhymes. The production is sick, and the record is loaded with amazing samples and singing parts. "Niggas In Paris" and "Gotta Have It" are shining proof that this album is an instant classic. Now THAT, we knew it would be.… Expand

Watch the Throne is a classic album it makes other rappers have to step there game up. Jay and Kanye show true lyrics great subject matter over great sample beats there the best duo since UGK

Watch the Throne is probably not going to be liked by everybody. Jay Z and Kanye West took their talents to another level on this album. The productivity is amazing and the lyrics will come off as confusing if your used to the basic lyrics many other rappers been using lately. I found myself using Google and rapgenious a lot to figure out some of the lyrics to the album. To me the album gets stronger and stronger after every track. "Lift off" ft Beyonce is the worst track on the album and one of the worst songs I've heard from either artist which is ashamed because Beyonce did her thing on the course and hook. A couple of the songs have Kanye and Jay Z exchanging verses back to back which really shows both of their strong sides. My favorite track has to be "Made in America" many people will not understand the verses, Jay Z's in particular. He's talking about making cocaine and using it as his survival in America. but Frank Ocean's sound makes the song. Overall the album is good, they experimented a lot, they both went to their classic ways on some tracks and really complimented each other. If you understand Jay Z and Kanye West's attitude, where they came from and what they are trying to create then you'll understand and like this album.… Expand

I love Watch The Throne. I know Lift Off, Otis, H.A.M, N**gas In Paris and Why I Love You. The album is so good. I think it made the album awaiting of 2011.

awesome album, awesome artist. worth it buy i recomend this album to everyone.. kinda mainstream but its mainstream done well ! also was the best album this year.

this album is one of the best collabo albums. but not one of the greatest, i've been waiting for the album for a long time, but it didnt really live up to my expectations...however its a good album, but not on Ye's or Jigga's level. and i agree with some people who's saying that jay pulled the album down. Ye always sounds better, with better melody, rhymes n message in the songs...jay kinda pulled it down. and all-in-all a good album.

Fav. Songs: No Church in the Wild, New Day, Why I Love You, Made in America, Illest **** Alive, Murder to Excellence… Expand

I can remeber listening to this for the 1st time, and i was literally shaking. couldn't contain myself. Jay & Ye' came through on this one. Thoroughly enjoyed it, from beginning to end. They are the best rappers alive, always pushing the envelope, unlike some "little" rappers out there. Woulda given it a 10, but MBDTF was a 10 and i know this isn't as good, so i'm a give it a 9.

Awesome colabb album, makes me excited for kanyes next release, i think if he can deliver a graduation like album he will be back on that stadium status.

A classic album!!!!! The beats are update with from producer who are legendary in the rap world! I can listen to this album and not get tired of it , with the exception of the Swizz produce track that I find to be tired! The album seem to have help Hiphop evolve from the world of gun, drugs, and pure ignorance!

Well made album. Jay-Z and Kanye really have outdone themselves with this one. Every song comes with snappy lyrics and catchy choruses. I wouldn't cal it a masterpiece but by far the best album of the year.

If you ask me Watch the Throne is 100.000.000 gallons of tons better than west coast rap...Jay & Kanye are taking over in this one. This is a must-listen album.Totally original but i dont think everyone can enjoy it because this is one next generation album.

incredible album. production wise the album is incredible, lyrically some of the best i've heard from both Jay-Z & Kanye. especially Jay-Z - i think this album solidifies his title as one of the best [if not THE best] rappers alive. good lyrical content & variety - anyone that says all they talk about is money didn't listen to New Day or Murder to Excellence.. at the end of the day these two rap giants came in and delivered a quality work.… Expand

Watch the Throne met my expectations and then some. A couple of years ago jay would have never made an album entirely with kanye. I have to say Kanye done come up. Its hard to compare this to anyother album either of the two have made. Ye and jay are good by themselves but better together. Watch the **** throne that **** cray.

As a fairly new listener to Jay Z I really rate this album,the opening track 'No Church In The Wild' is amazing and the album continues to hold your attention with tracks like 'Ni**as in Paris' , the immense 'Otis' and superb 'Murder to Excellence'. I recomend this to anyone not just hip hop/r&b fans its got bags of appeal and i'm sure will be a classic in time to come.

I enjoyed this album. For the people who listen to the overly auto-tuned lil Wayne. This is what real hip-hop sounds like. Key tracks include Otis,No Church in the Wild and the all epic if censor upsetting "Niggas in Paris". if your a fan of with Jay-Z, Kanye West or both. this album is defiantly for you!

Watch the throne is one of the biggest Hip-Hop albums of the year having some really good guest spots great production and rhyming. With songs Like N****s in Paris, Otis, No Church In The Wild, Gotta Have It, Who Gon Stop Me, Made In America & Why I Love You. Making it a classic by two of the best rappers of all time Kanye West And Jay-Z many people has said Tha Carter IV is a way more better album just because it sold more than Watch The Throne, the sales number don't matter, Lil Wayne Sold cause of a fan base that really waited for the album (Even i waited) but it's not worth the wait, people expected something better and sometimes the best albums are the ones that don't sale the most, in this case Watch the throne even doe it's not the best album of all time it's one of the best of the year, leaving us all with more to wait from Jay-z, Kanye West or the both together.… Expand

This album has/will change rap. It is the quintessence of what is to come in the rap game. No more simple beats, with a narrative. No more tupac, no more biggie, no more simplicity. From now on the concentration will be equally on the beats/covers/samples as the words being said. Kanye and Jay-Z have "changed the game" through this delivery of luxury rap. Is it a good thing? We will have to wait and see. One thing is for certain, everyone who has released an album after WTT, from Lil' Wayne to Drake to Childish Gambino, has been changed by this album.… Expand

This album was one of the most anticipated albums of the year and Jay-Z & Kanye surely did not disappoint . Definitely better than Lil Wayne's The Carter 4. Enough said.

This album is perfect. Why? Because it's the last gasp of the 1%. It could only have been created by these two artists, and now that social change is gathering speed, their insane lifestyle has an expiration date. However, before their throne gets toppled (yeah, chuckle) they've created possibly the most flamboyantly Rococo album I've ever heard. Everything from the album cover to the production and the lyrics, &c., reminds me of the pre-revolution French aristocracy. Seriously, we're basically being told verbatim by West and Jay to "Let them eat cake." Their attitude can't last; even now in November '11 it's starting to feel like a historical artifact. In 10 years we'll look back on this album and say "what the FUCK?!"
But for all that, it's beautiful. It's intensely produced; each song seems to have physical weight to it. All of the samples are spot-on. There are some questionable lyrical choices, especially from West, but I'm forgiving because there is (despite the album's astounding ostentatiousness) a sense of humor running throughout, so when West spits a flop I don't feel bad for laughing.
This is the kind of album cultural critics will be picking apart 20, 30, 50 years from now. Like I said, it captures the zeitgeist of a dying culture of ultra-decadence, and despite its inherent revulsion to we of the 99%, I at least can't help but love it.… Expand

A Highly impressive story is all you'll find here. Coming from someone who isn't a big fan of either Jay-Z or Kanye, it took me awhile to review it but after listening to it, I'm nothing short of amazed. From real, deep, thought provoking tracks like "New Day" to club bangers like "H.A.M" this thing is great. I should also say "Lift off" and "No church in the Wild" are great". But it ends on a strange note and the last few tracks aren't great and kept it from being perfect. But after listening...I think the throne is not going anywhere… Expand

Royalty, wealth, class; just a few words that come to mind when thinking about Jay Z and Kanye Westâ

At first listen you'll think its just Kanye West featuring Jay-Z, with the album being Yeezy"s vision alone and Jay only offering a few well placed verses. But after a few listens you'll find that it's Jay's verses which have you singing along first and have the most intoxicating flow. For this reason I feel that without Jay, the awe inspiring, arguably over done, production may not have had it's full potential fulfilled.
Although some say it is original, when listening to it you understand it is actually a culmination of several different sounds, taking influence from past hip hop artists like RZA, Pete Rock and Kanye's older work, and also seeking inspiration from other artists in other genre's like Flux Pavilion, Eleanor Kate and Frank Ocean.
This means the album is able to push hip hop to it's furthest boundaries and hopefully raise the bar for all albums to come.
It hasn't gained to most impressive reviews, but those critics will be kicking themselves in 5 years, 10 years, 20 years, when this album still sounds like it was recorded yesterday.… Expand

By no means one of the greatest rap albums of all time and probaly pusing nearer 8.5 than 9, but this is an extremely good album. West and Jay Z come off eachothers lyrics and verses superbly setting up a good harsh rythm to all the song. The production is great with many songs almost sounding like an epic fo music, e tone of the album and theme is spot on, with basically all songs having the same beat and tone, but this actually works well.On the other hand, some songs have a confusion in beat and slow pacing, partiularly lift off with a fantastic chrous from Beyonce, but the song is almost confused in how e rap compliments the tune, present in a few of the songs albums. To conclude, Defintely one of the greatest collaboration albums of all time, with brilliant lyrics and superb rapping, but not one of raps greatest and finest moments.… Expand

Kanye & Jay Z's 'Watch the Throne' is a fantastic album, incorporated with various different, unique styles and techniques.
Some highlights for me are 'N***ers in Paris', 'Gotta Have It', 'Who Gon Stop Me', 'Welcome to the Jungle'.... plus Mr. Frank Ocean features on a couple tracks, so it's impossible not to like.