Backstory: After a nearly flawless recording career culminating in 2003's instant classic “The Black Album,” Jay-Z had nowhere to go but down. Which is where he found himself after coming out of a very short-lived retirement to release the forgettable “Kingdom Come” in 2006. The streets called Jay out for verses about hanging out with Gwyneth Paltrow and sleeping in beach chairs, marking him as an industry fat cat out of touch with his fans. But Jay-Z’s return to the recording studio for a concept album based on the film “American Gangster” has generated more buzz than harvest time at the honey factory.
Why you should care: After the public and critical lambasting of “Kingdom Come,” a born competitor like Jay-Z is bound to bounce back with the biggest beats and boasts possible. Jay has always excelled when rapping about the trials and tribulations of the drug trade, so the gritty tales of 1970s heroin kingpin Frank Lucas are an ideal muse for his vivid, first person narratives.
Verdict: “This is black superhero music,” Jay-Z barks towards the end of the horn-blasted P. Diddy production “Roc Boys,” proceeding to back up his boasts with an explosive album of soul-saturated hip-hop steeped in the larger-than-life “blaxploitation” tradition. Diddy also provides the “Super Fly”-styled beat on “Sweet,” which features Jay-Z spitting rhymes with an effortless precision precious few rappers can attain. The Neptunes come with two top-shelf productions, “I Know” and the menacingly minimal “Blue Magic.” “Hello Brooklyn” teams Jay with the leader of the new school, Lil Wayne, trading verses over a rumbling bass line and Beastie Boys sample. Clocking it at an economical 45 minutes, Jay-Z’s power-packed “American Gangster” is far more than a return to form—it’s a testament to his status as the greatest rapper alive.
X-Factor: The ghetto gospel rant “Success” finds Jay-Z passing the mic with former archrival and battle target, Nas.
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