The Black album is pretty solid. Im not a huge Jay Z fan but Ive always gave him credit because admit it or not he is one of the top 5 lyricists in the game. The Black Album is nothing short of what I was expecting. When you are the top artist in the game you should be getting the best beats and putting out cds ahead of the game.
What I liked about the Black album best was probably Jays ability to demonstrate an ethos over his listener. Before I heard this CD I thought highly of Jay Z but he probably wouldnt even have been in my top 15 artists of all time. However, a lot of other people call this MC the King, and he plays the aspect that people have already credited him as one of the greatest to his advantage. Instead of rappin all about bankroll (he never did, but he would rap about what he had enough to say he did) he turned his music toward a different direction.
"My homey Sig' was on a tear where no tears should fall
Cause he was on the block where no squares get off
See in my inner circle all we do is ball
'Til we all got triangles on our wall
Ain't just rappin for the plat-i-num, y'all record
I recall, cause I really been there before
Four scores and seven years ago prepared the flow
Prepared for war, I should fear no man
You don't hear me though
These words ain't just 'pared to go
In one ear, out the other ear, no! Yo
My balls and my word is alls I have
Whatchu gon' do to me nigga, scars or scab?
Whatchu gon' box me homey? I can dodge a jab
Three shots couldn't touch me, thank God for dat
I'm strong enough to carry Biggie Smalls on my back
And the whole BK, nigga holla back"
This is definitely a solid album. Id probly give it 4/5, not nessecarily a "Reasonable Doubt" classic but definitely a good way to go out. My favorite songs are Lucifer, Moment of Clarity and My First Song.
