by H20
Magna Carta Holy Grail is proof that Jay-Z has mastered the art of the summer crossover Hip-Hop album. He’s got the obligatory features. He’s got the production that’s a little techno, a little jazz, and heavy on the bass throughout. And, of course, the usual post-retirement topics: his marriage, how rich he is, and fashion brand shout-outs. And yet, I was surprised I found myself getting bored around the halfway point. It’s funny how every time Hov drops another one I come expecting something different from the guy who famously declared he had nothing more to say a decade ago. He even manages to make the song about his daughter, a new topic for him on an album, hard to get through.
The only “new rules” set forth were on the business end: MCHG is a slightly less pop-sounding version of Blueprint 3, made in the same vein as that album Watch the Throne and Kingdom Come. Of those three, it came out worse than WTT and a lot better than the other two. It has become painfully clear by this point that Jay has nothing to offer Hip-Hop that he hasn’t already. But with a million plus sold the first week, a solidly produced album, and still one of the best flows the game has to offer, I don’t think he’ll be going anywhere any time soon.
