When artists of high stature collaborate on a project, the results are usually not equivalent to the sum of their parts; just think of those all-star type bands that turned out to be a mess. Creating chemistry and dealing with giant egos is a daunting task that doesn’t have a specific formula. So when Jay-Z and Kanye West decided to make a joint album, I wasn’t too crazy about the idea (remember “The Best of Both Worlds”). Sure, they have made great songs together but the circumstances are slightly different. How they manage to complement each other’s skill is the ultimate indicator on whether “Watch the Throne” is an artistic success or bust.
The production and beats on “Watch the Throne” where intended on capturing something otherworldly and epic. A lot of hands where involved in creating the sonic template. Veteran producers such as the RZA, Swizz Beats, No ID all chipped in. The resulting product is a mish mash of sounds and genres that worked on some occasions and sounded quite disjointed at times. Everyone aims high, firing in all directions and that is not necessarily a good thing. An example is the second track “Lift Off” featuring Beyonce. That beat tries to be cinematic but it is very disappointing, the synth sound is cheesy and Beyonce doesn’t do justice to the track either. The song tries too hard and is easily the worst track of the album but I guess they needed her feature to boost some sales.
Another blunder is the track “Niggas in Paris”, the instrumental sounds like something coming of a Soulja Boy record, however Jay-Z manages to sound oddly at ease on that beat. “Otis” the lead single has a brash and almost obnoxious sample of the soul legend, reducing the soul legend to wordless grunts. “New Day” produced by the RZA contains a Nina Simone sample and it is enjoyable, I was hoping for a grimy RZA sound, but this one is a smooth production. Some highlights in the production department include the opening cut “No Church” and “Made In America”, both cuts featuring, Odd Futures Frank Ocean, who does a fantastic job. However “Made In America” does contain some simple notes that sound a little too similar to “Runaway”.
Lyrically, Jay-Z and Kanye West, sound as hungry and motivated as they ever been; a notable achievement considering they really don’t have much to prove. They switch up their flows multiple times to showcase their versatility, Kanye sounds brasher while Jay-Z is methodical with his delivery. Both emcees attempt to stretch out and venture into other topics besides their swag and wealth. Subjects such as black on black crime, personal insecurities, jealousy and depression are touched upon with varying degrees of success. This works well on “Welcome to the Jungle”, short song with production from Swizz Beatz. In “Murder to Excellence” the emcees opt to celebrate “black success”, and tackle a troubling issue that afflicts most, if not all inner city neighborhoods.
“Watch the Throne” as a compete piece of work falls short of the duos past releases such as “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” and “The Blueprint”. The album was bold and reaching for the skies, but in doing so, it missed some basic elements that make great albums great, such as cohesion, and a sense of direction. The maximalist approach could have been toned down a bit and reduced to its essential parts.”Watch the Throne” is still an enjoyable listen especially the latter half of the album. I liked the album but I didn’t get those goose bumps and chills that I was expecting. The bar was set very high and “Watch the Throne” fell short, but that is still better than a majority of mainstream albums released this year, it was a good try guys.
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