The Rundown: Jay-Z, Magna Carta Holy Grail
A track by track review of Hov's much-hyped 12th album.
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The Rundown: Jay-Z, Magna Carta Holy Grail - Jay-Z's Twitter bio simply says "genius" and it's pretty hard to disagree. The roll-out of his 12th album, Magna Carta Holy Grail, has been nothing short of remarkable. The record was announced less than three weeks ago, via a commercial during Game 5 of the NBA Finals, but it immediately became the most hyped album of the year. Jay bypassed the usual industry channels to release the album, partnering with Samsung, who gave away a million copies (purchased directly from Jay at $5 a pop) to customers who downloaded a free app on July 4, two days before the album hit iTunes and five before physical copies hit retailers today, July 9. It's almost enough to make you forget about what's truly important: the music itself. Here, we review Magna Carta Holy Grail track by track to see if it lives up to the hype — and that $5 million ho...
Photo By Photo: RocNation
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"Holy Grail" feat. Justin Timberlake - An album that doubled as an ad for Samsung starts appropriately: with a plug for Jay-Z's upcoming "Legends of Summer" tour with Justin Timberlake. But like the black-and-white in-the-studio TV spot that announced Magna Carter Holy Grail, it's damn effective. The combination of plunking piano chords and high-flying hook recalls the anthemic pop magic of "Empire State of Mind." Yankee Stadium sky boxes are probably selling out as we speak. (Photos from left: Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Myspace, Kevin Mazur/WireImage)
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"Picasso Baby" - Jay-Z hasn't collaborated with legendary producer DJ Premier since 1999's "So Ghetto" (his loss). But here we get the next best thing: Timbaland doing his best imitation. That's a compliment — these are some of Timbo's hardest, most screwface-inducing drums. There's even a total beat switch halfway through, much like Hov and Premier's classic "Million and One Questions." Inspired by the concrete beats, Jay is at his meanest: "They try to slander your man on CNN and Fox / My Mirandas don't stand a chance with cops," he raps. (Photo: Barry Brecheisen/Invision/AP)
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"Tom Ford" - With Samsung money on the line, and a big tour around the corner, Jay has a lot of boxes to check. We've already heard his next pop chart-topper and his street-cred-confirming mixtape joint; "Tom Ford" takes care of another Jay standard: flossy club banger. Watch out Moscato — there's a bevy of new wine endorsements: "Piss Bordeaux and Burgundies, flush out a Riesling," Jay raps. It's less a song then a string of slogans, but that doesn't make it any less catchy, or Timbaland's beeping synth-heavy beat any less dope. (Photo: Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
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"F--kwithmeyouknowIgotit" feat. Rick Ross - With Boi-1da on the skittering beat and Rick Ross guesting grandiosely, this song is something of a lay-up for Jay. But he adds a nice little finger roll for good measure, mostly by spending much of his verse in Italy: "Hov just landed in Rome, n---a / All hail, Caesar's home, n---as / Cent'anni, ciao bella / Come money dance with the good fellas," he raps. Ross shouts out this "money dance" on the mic as well. We don't know what it is, but that doesn't make imagining these two doing it any less hilarious. (Photos from left: Kevin Winter/Getty Images, Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage for Turner Networks)
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"Oceans" feat. Frank Ocean - On Twitter, Jay repeatedly touted the "new rules" this album represented. But musically, the album is often the same old for Jay. "Oceans," however, is a notable exception, with its juxtaposition of slavery, struggles and success. Frank Ocean provides perhaps the most poignant, thought-provoking hook a Hov song's ever had ("I hope my black skin don't dirt this white tuxedo"). Jay doesn't manage the same depth, but his first verse provides some pointed troll-bait to his Fox News naysayers, dissing Christopher Columbus and George Washington and spotlighting America's bloody roots: "I'm anti-Santa Maria, Only Christopher we acknowledge is Wallace, I don't even like Washingtons in my pocket," he raps. (Photos from left: Ron Smits/London Ent/Splash News, Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images)
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"F.U.T.W." - Like on "Picasso Baby," Timbaland seemingly finds inspiration from the grimy beats of '90s hip hop on "F.U.T.W," chopping up samples of chimes and vocal wails to chilling effect. It's a down-the-pipe fastball for Hov, who skillfully harks back to the themes of Watch the Throne, again linking his successes to the struggles of the civil rights era: "Martin had a dream, Hov got a team / My chain already heavy, don't let me get a ring." Jay may have sold his miniscule stake in the Nets to be a sports agent, but don't think he's giving up bragging rights yet. (Photo: Larry French/Getty Images)
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"Somewhereinamerica" - With its old-timey trombone loop and jazzy piano chords (courtesy of producers Hit-Boy and Mike Dean), chances are "Somewhereinamerica" was originally intended for the Jay-Z-"curated" soundtrack to the newest film adaptation of The Great Gatsby. But don't hold that against it: This song is a standout, thanks to the unexpectedly geeky production, which brings out a gleeful side in Jay. Yes, he's dissing old money gatekeepers and Billboard magazine, but he's also telling Miley Cyrus to twerk. Unfortunately, like some of the other best songs on this album, it's too short, with just one verse. (Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage)
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"Crown" - Hova, meet Yeezus. The distorted bass hits, filtered dancehall sample, creeping cellos and Bon Iver–inspired vocal layers of "Crown" undeniably recall Kanye West's latest — and indeed, Yeezus collaborators Travis Scott and Mike Dean helped produce it. But this song never reaches the delirious heights of madness that make that album so compelling. Like on much of Magna Carta, Jay plays it too safe: His diss to a new rival, sports super-agent Scott Boras, is the edgiest his rhymes get here. (Photo: Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
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"Heaven" - Score one for kooky YouTube commenters: "Heaven" is Hov's response to the bizarre but relentless conspiracy theories that he's a member of the Illuminati, the supposedly world-running secret society. But in the end, this song is all about Jay touting atheism, a rare stance for a pop culture icon this big. And somehow, while claiming he's "losing his religion" ala R.E.M., he still manages to floss: "Y'all religion creates division / Like my Maybach partition," he raps. (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
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"Versus" - "Versus" is a 50-second interlude produced by chart-topping producer Mike Will-Made-It, the most in-demand producer in the universe right now. How's that for stunting? Unfortunately, it's cruelly short: The quirky beat, reminiscent of Camp Lo, brings out a new swagger in Jay-Z, and briefly livens up an album that begins to drag. (Photo: Sandra Mu/Getty Images)
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"Part II (On the Run)" - This song is a sequel to "'03 Bonnie & Clyde," the first duet from Jay-Z and Beyonce, who were then only rumored to be dating. Yes, it was a huge hit, but let's be honest — we'd all much rather hear a sequel to "Crazy in Love." And "Part II" doesn't bring us up to date with the 2013 Carter household: There's no mention of their marriage or their new child. Still, it's better then the first installment, mostly thanks to the smooth traces of mid-'80s R&B in the Timbaland beat. (Photo: Yosra El-Essawy/Chime For Change/Getty Images for Gucci)
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"Beach Is Better" - Jay, you tease. Once again, what could have been one of the best songs on the album is cut short, leaving listeners with a one-verse interlude. This should've been Hov's first real take on trap music, a Godzilla-size update of Rick Ross' "B.M.F." Instead, it's a 56-second reminder of how Magna Carter could've been that much better. (Photo: Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Clear Channel)
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"BBC" - From the title on down, Magna Carta is draped in self-serious grandiosity, and at times it's stifling. But on "BBC," there's a much-needed touch of fun, courtesy of Pharrell's driving, Latin-esque beat and the hook's singalong vibe. Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, Timbaland and Swizz Beatz join the party on the chorus, but Nas is the guest of honor, with an opening verse that shouts out mock necks, bucket hats an Fila sweats — an appropriate old-school touch for a song that recalls golden-era posse cuts. (Photo: fafotos/picturegroup)
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"Jay-Z Blue" - After treading familiar ground for much of Magna Carta, Jay finally shows a new, deeply personal side here, his answer to Nas' "Daughters." With help from Biggie samples and an acoustic-guitar-and-strings combo, he candidly talks about his own father's unloving absences, and prays that he won't repeat the cycle with his own daughter, Blue Ivy. "I'm lying if I said I wasn't scared," he admits. It's almost enough to make you ignore the random, totally unnecessary samples from Mommy Dearest, which threaten to derail the song.(Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage)
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"La Familia" - Easily the most underwhelming song on Magna Carta, “La Familia” bores at precisely the wrong moment, when Jay should be building up to a triumphant victory lap. His flow is frustratingly spare and the hook is unforgivably clunky. The album is an excessive 16 tracks — undoubtedly one of its biggest faults — and this song makes it feel that much longer. (Photo: R Chiang / Splash News)