Review: Jay-Z/Kanye - Watch the Throne

If there is a criticism of this rap mogul opus, it's that it's been pimped as 'income-gap rap', meaning that whilst we're just entering an era of global financial conservatism, here's two dudes who are rapping about chucking bucket-loads of cash around.  Personally, I think they should be praised for doing exactly that.  What, I hear you say?

Yes, I know major media outlets around the world are calling for everyone to stop spending and start tightening the purse-strings, but guess what, that's not how you conduct good business.  In the financial world, you have to spend money to make money, and Kanye and Hova, the good capitalists that they are, know this only too well.

For example, on 'Niggas in Paris', Jay raps "Let’s get faded, Le Meurice for like 6 days
Gold bottles, scold models, Spillin’ Ace on my sick J’s".  It's good advice, trust me, even if I have no idea what Le Meurice is (it's a hotel, thanks Google).  And that is just the beginning.

The music is Lord-of-the-rings large.  Beyonce elevates the elliptical second track 'Lift Off', a so-so beat that is dragged along by opulent orchestration and it's elegant guest vocalist.  This is where the album starts to rev up.  The single 'Otis' rides it's Otis Redding sample, our two hosts riffing back forth before switching it up for some 80's style rhymes at the songs zenith (Jay is chillin, Ye is chillin, what more can I say, we killin em).  'New Day' invokes another legend, Nina Simone, and her auto-tuned sample backs up a couple of sweet verses dedicated to the boys future sons.  Nice.

'That's my bitch' uses it's familiar 'Apache' sample to good effect, and lets guests Elly Jackson and Justin Vernon go to funky town on the chorus.  Jay-Z is in remarkably great form lyrical form across the album too, leaving Ye in the dust on the paranoid Swizz Beatz banger 'Welcome to the Jungle' and then again on the dubstep-influenced 'Who gonna stop me'.

Not all the material here will resonate with everyone, as the opulence can get a bit grating.  There's only so many luxury brand name-drops a person can digest in one sitting.  However, the variety and intensity of the beats, coupled with the humour of Mr West and the technical acumen of Mr Carter, should keep this package blasting out your speakers for at least a couple weeks.


Jay-Z & Kanye West "OTIS" from OFIVE.TV on Vimeo.