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Track Listings
| 1. Interlude (Jay-Z/The Black Album) |
| 2. December 4th |
| 3. What More Can I Say |
| 4. Encore |
| 5. Change Clothes |
| 6. Dirt Off Your Shoulder |
| 7. Threat |
| 8. Moment Of Clarity |
| 9. 99 Problems |
| 10. Public Service Announcement (Interlude) |
| 11. Justify My Thug |
| 12. Lucifer |
| 13. Allure |
| 14. My 1st Song |
| 15. Change Clothes (Enhanced video UK Bonus) |
Product Description
Review
"This here is the victory lap, and I’m leaving…"
The Black Album was intended as the full stop on a recording career that saw Shawn Carter rise from hip hop fan in his Brooklyn home, rapping over a boombox his mother bought him (to the annoyance of his siblings), to the multi-millionaire artist known as Jay-Z. His eighth long-player in seven years, this set brought together a number of high-profile producers – Timbaland, Rick Rubin, The Neptunes, Kanye West, DJ Quik – and was presented as a triumphant parting shot. Carter was to move into the corporate world, leaving the studio behind. Of course, his retirement didn’t last – but if it had, The Black Album was a perfect sign-off.
"You’re now tuned to the mu’f***in’ greatest…"
Confrontational, aggressive, antagonistic – The Black Album is all these things, its protagonist revelling in the role of rap’s kingpin, every boastful word backed up by sales figures to make the world’s biggest stadium-rockers dizzy. Dirt Off Your Shoulder, referenced by Barak Obama during his presidential campaign, finds Jay-Z confidently calling himself the best rapper alive; Threat’s lyrical violence harks back to his gangster-themed debut, Reasonable Doubt; and Justify My Thug is full of eye-for-an-eye attitude: "If you shoot my dog, I’m’a kill your cat". Grammy-winning cut 99 Problems revisits discrimination experienced when an unknown rapper in 1994, and presents a criticism of what he saw to be racial bias in the US legal system.
"For one last time I need y’all to roar…"
As a swansong, though, Jay-Z made sure that The Black Album had its share of tracks that would sit comfortably in the clubs and charts – tracks that would reach further than the hardcore, as accessible as previous party hits like I Just Wanna Luv U and Big Pimpin’. Encore paints a picture of the artist as a contemporary James Brown, riffing on the soul legend’s live performances where an excitable compère would ask the audience if they were ready for "star time". It features live band-style instrumentation and horns aplenty, and a splendid ebullience ensures its enduring freshness. Pharrell Williams’ falsetto lends Change Clothes a sweet undercurrent, Carter switching focus from calling out his rivals to admiring the female form. And December 4th – the opener proper – is a wonderful slice of autobiographical storytelling that rides a delicious sample from 1970s soul quartet The Chi-Lites.
"I’m about to go golfin’… Might even have me a cappuccino…"
As My 1st Song closes proceedings, Jay-Z’s intentions are clear: this is it, over and out. Not because he’s tired, but because once you’ve reached the top, where next? The only way is, inevitably, down, and his albums since this haven’t been in the same league – each has its highlights, but consistency has been compromised for scattershot grandstanding. Not that recent history matters here: considered as the final chapter in the first book of Hova, The Black Album is an essential experience, quite probably the peak of the rapper’s continuing career.
--Mike Diver
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Jay-Z in top form,
By Jack Mays (Dublin, Ireland) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Black Album (Audio CD)
Hardcore hip-hop fans generally dis Jay-Z because he's too succesful and isn't 'underground' anymore. Sure he went a bit mainstream between Reasonable Doubt and Blueprint, which he admits on the song 'Moment of Clarity' (" I dumned down for my audience to double my dollas. They criticise me for it yet they all yell 'Holla'"), but those two albums alone deserve him to be remembered for ever. As you know The Black Album is Jay-Z's last proper solo album and it's good to see he ended his carreer with such quality. Highlights include 'December 4th', rapping about his childhood; '99 Problems', which is slightly strange at first hearing but grows on you and is something different with it's loud rocky beat; and 'Public Service Announcement', which is a tour de force of lyrical wordplay and is lyrically the strongest song on the album ("I check cheddar like a food inspector"... whenever there's a drought get your umbrellas out because that's when I brainstorm"). However, all the songs are good, from the un-relenting 'Threat', to the Timbaland produced 'Dirt of Your Shoulder' with the only slightly wek songs being 'Change Clothes' (it's this kind of song which gets Jay slagged by hardcore rap fans) and 'Lucifer'. So basically, if you like hip-hop at all you need this album. This is the perfect memorial to the career of HOV. R.I.P.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Album.,
By Simon5150 (Essex, UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Black Album [Explicit] UK Version (MP3 Download)
All that needs to be said is that it's one of the greatest albums from one of the world's greatest artists. Satisfaction guaranteed!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
G.O.A.T,
By
This review is from: The Black Album (Audio CD)
Wel well. This album is a toss up between Reasonale Doubt/In my lifetime1/Blueprint1 for the title of Jay's finest album.
This is a classic. Quality all the way through the album... Jay goes out in style some of my favorites are Encore, Dirt off your shoulder, Lucifer... If you havent bought it... make it next on your list
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