People throw around the word “classic” way too easily, people also review albums way too quickly, according to Jay-Z. Reviews for Magna Carta Holy Grail are already all over the internet. But, when the assignment came to review Jay-Z’s first solo album in four years, it had to come correct.
Breaking all the rules and making new ones, Jay-Z came back with simply good music in its purest form. There is a lot of backlash from a few select media outlets and there are plenty of haters on Facebook and Twitter, but Magna Carta Holy Grail is a great body of work. With this album, Jay-Z appealed to every market.
Not even the almighty Jay-Z would be able to compete in this market by doing what he used to do. So, Jay-Z slightly adapted his style and then enlisted Justin Timberlake, Rick Ross, and Frank Ocean to hold him down. All of those moves were smart and they led to some great songs in “Holy Grail,” “#FuckWitMeYouKnowIGotIt,” and “Oceans.”
Magna Carta Holy Grail is up against still competition and Jay-Z made sure he won, in terms of fans. Even with a great album, Jay-Z is battling two things, the first is the other great albums that have come over the past couple of weeks, and the second is the other great albums in his own catalog. Jay-Z did deliver a solid album full of songs that make heads nod because of the beat and also because of what he just said, so the classic wit is there.
No doubt a good album, Jay-Z put together something strong, but his content is not up to the same par as the stiff competition. Still, the album is definitely worth the buy and the download, so please listen to Magna Carta Holy Grail.
Hip Hop Vibe’s Rating: 8/10
